lightspeed
Member
If she's young enough to be a MIL-ILF, maybe you two can.... "work something out"?
Lesson Learned: Mother-in-Laws don't drive my vehicles.
- Thread starter Crusifix
- Start date
Jetboy
New member
FWIW - the parking pawl in a Toyota automatic is very robust in comparison to many other automatics that use a small stamped piece of metal. I never use my parking brake. Probably should - but 99.99999% of vehicles don't and 99.99999% of those never have any issues. It's a very low probability of a problem, OTOH it's easy to use the parking brake if you want to. I always do in my FJ40 with a manual - because it's pretty easy to bump out of gear. Never do in my automatics.
Edit: Just back of the napkin estimates here - but on a very steep incline of 30* where you might be nearing the limit of most surfaces ability to even stay stationary without sliding down - I roughly calculate about 650 ft/lbs of torque being applied to the rear drive shaft from the differential. Assuming the parking pawl gear is 8" diameter and on the output shaft of the transmission, the shear force on the pawl is 2,000lbs. The pawl appears to be forged steel, and if we figure a cross sectional area of 1/4 square inch (about the same as a 1/2" bolt), the sheer strength should be in the ball park of 10,000lbs (half of tensile strength for the area). So there's really never a scenario where the pawl isn't stronger than the gravitational force by a factor of 5 or so. But - if you do get hit by another vehicle or something on a steep incline it's plausible it could fail.
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T4R2014
Elite Member
They put it there for a reason - use it. I cannot believe the insane amount of people that do not even know what "that lever" does. It's to the point of where they are even scared to pull it since they have never used it on a car before. It is better to have it than to not.
STX4Runner
New member
I agree that parents put up with a lot, and mine are great too. But, when I get older and am with my kids I don't think that gives me carte blanche to break their stuff and get out of fixing it by reminding them that i spent a lot of money raising them. If I was in the OP's situation, it'd be hard to ask for her to pay, but I would hope she would volunteer to pay for any damage she caused. I think once you're grown the parent/child dynamic changes and you should treat each other the same way you treat other adults.
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Whiplash Willy
New member
Whenever I let my wife drive my 4Runner, I always worry a little that she may forget to remove the parking brake. But then I remember that there is a bright red brake light illuminated on the dash, and a very loud and obnoxious constant and solid tone that sounds if you forget to remove it.... I don't think that even my wife is so out of it, that she wouldn't realize that something is wrong. It is really sad how out of it and completely oblivious people are these days to the world around them.....
I bet when Toyota was developing that E-Brake warning tone, they thought there is no way anyone would continue driving with that horrible tone sounding.....
Also, good luck with the Parking Brake Service, I recently had to re-install my parking brake shoes, and that was one of the biggest PITA jobs I have had to do! I somehow lost a retaining pin. You have to somehow hold the 2 shoes in place, while they are under tension, and wanting to separate, and hold the retaining pin in place from behind the dust shield, and insert a spring and retaining pin hat. It F'in sucks!
I bet when Toyota was developing that E-Brake warning tone, they thought there is no way anyone would continue driving with that horrible tone sounding.....
Also, good luck with the Parking Brake Service, I recently had to re-install my parking brake shoes, and that was one of the biggest PITA jobs I have had to do! I somehow lost a retaining pin. You have to somehow hold the 2 shoes in place, while they are under tension, and wanting to separate, and hold the retaining pin in place from behind the dust shield, and insert a spring and retaining pin hat. It F'in sucks!
Ron4RNevada
New member
Well if nothing else - I learned how the parking brake works on the 4Runner = a small drum with shoes behind the rear service brake rotors!
On my Land Rovers there was a very large drum brake on the output shaft of the transmission -> basically braking all four wheels via the transfer box. The Discovery had a transfer box similar to the limited -> full time 4x4 with center diff.
On my Land Rovers there was a very large drum brake on the output shaft of the transmission -> basically braking all four wheels via the transfer box. The Discovery had a transfer box similar to the limited -> full time 4x4 with center diff.
nevada
Senior Member
yes really. what does humility have to do with it?Really? Good luck with that guys. Or learn to develop a little humility. Geez. Crap happens.
think about it this way, if she was driving her own vehicle, who would be responsible for the repairs?
what if he borrowed her car, and ran with the park brake on, who is responsible to pay for the repairs?
its good to use it often to keep the cable free. they tend to seize up less, when used often. when they sit for years without being used, they get stuck. then someone comes along and finally uses it, then the park brake wont release because the cable is stuck.
exactly.please don't mistake me for someone who doesn't care about family, even the in-laws. i will go well out of my way and do anything i can to help, even if i get little to no benefit from it.
i agree, a burned up parking brake isn't significant. i'm very easy going. if i make a mistake, i own up to it and want to make it right. that's all i ask of anyone else.
agreed.
DesertCanyons
New member
Life Happens
There's a lot of good comments here about patience, humility and remembering that your parents brought you into the world, raised you, put up with your mistakes, and we can make up for their mistakes once in a while.
This whole thread conjures up an old memory. I remember many years ago, my brother borrowed my GMC 3/4 ton pickup so he could move. He brought it back a week later running badly on 4 of the 6 cylinders, misfiring or off timing (I forget the exact problem or how I fixed it). He dropped it off when I was at work and I discovered the problem later, when he was an hour away. "What do you mean it isn't running right?" he moaned. He denied driving it into the ground, speeding around or not taking care of it. I later realized he doesn't take care of his stuff. He's never taken care of his cars nor had a car that runs right. A couple of years later he wanted to borrow my fairly new Toyota pickup and I said, "No way. I still remember the last time you borrowed my car." I give him tools I no longer need but I wouldn't loan him anything with the idea of getting it back in the same condition.
This is different than loaning your car to a clueless MIL, of course.
There's a lot of good comments here about patience, humility and remembering that your parents brought you into the world, raised you, put up with your mistakes, and we can make up for their mistakes once in a while.
This whole thread conjures up an old memory. I remember many years ago, my brother borrowed my GMC 3/4 ton pickup so he could move. He brought it back a week later running badly on 4 of the 6 cylinders, misfiring or off timing (I forget the exact problem or how I fixed it). He dropped it off when I was at work and I discovered the problem later, when he was an hour away. "What do you mean it isn't running right?" he moaned. He denied driving it into the ground, speeding around or not taking care of it. I later realized he doesn't take care of his stuff. He's never taken care of his cars nor had a car that runs right. A couple of years later he wanted to borrow my fairly new Toyota pickup and I said, "No way. I still remember the last time you borrowed my car." I give him tools I no longer need but I wouldn't loan him anything with the idea of getting it back in the same condition.
This is different than loaning your car to a clueless MIL, of course.
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I know enough about any vehicle I drive to know whether or not something is right. That being said. MIL rode in my runner ONCE.
1. She barely fits through the door
2. She pulled on the front seat to launch her ass into the back seat
3. She did a belly flop from the running board to the back seat.
4. Took her a few tries to "right herself"
5. I thought she was going to bend my seat frame
6. Didn't even think about the running board for the dismount
7. I got to watch her do a slide off the back seat to the pavement.
I refuse to drive my runner if the wife ever says "we need to pick up my mom". I tell her let's take my truck or we can take your car. There is no way she is going to drive anything of mine.
1. She barely fits through the door
2. She pulled on the front seat to launch her ass into the back seat
3. She did a belly flop from the running board to the back seat.
4. Took her a few tries to "right herself"
5. I thought she was going to bend my seat frame
6. Didn't even think about the running board for the dismount
7. I got to watch her do a slide off the back seat to the pavement.
I refuse to drive my runner if the wife ever says "we need to pick up my mom". I tell her let's take my truck or we can take your car. There is no way she is going to drive anything of mine.
nevada
Senior Member
you mean the park brake shoes?
yes, excessive heat will crack them.
ive seen rotors cracked as well, usually also due to heat.
Net4n6
New member
I wouldn't make her pay for the bill. Divorce costs lots more than a brake job.
Cheers!
Member
old people driving are scarier and more dangerous to the general public than a young teenager with little to no experience.
Case in point.
Woman killed, 5 people injured when car plows into Livermore gym - SFGate
80 yo woman confused the gas pedal and brake pedal while parking her Mercedes GL in front of a gym and plows through the wall. Killing a 49 year old woman inside while working out and injury 3 others.
WTF?
The answer by media and govt people on local news is that Car manufacturers need to come up with a system to prevent collisions and pedal confusions.
How about the govt take effort in making mandatory driver's exams for people over certain age, and then also provide infrastructure for people who will then depend on public transportation when they can no longer drive?
Also make the damn driving test harder. Make is the same level of difficulty as in Germany.
Case in point.
Woman killed, 5 people injured when car plows into Livermore gym - SFGate
80 yo woman confused the gas pedal and brake pedal while parking her Mercedes GL in front of a gym and plows through the wall. Killing a 49 year old woman inside while working out and injury 3 others.
WTF?
The answer by media and govt people on local news is that Car manufacturers need to come up with a system to prevent collisions and pedal confusions.
How about the govt take effort in making mandatory driver's exams for people over certain age, and then also provide infrastructure for people who will then depend on public transportation when they can no longer drive?
Also make the damn driving test harder. Make is the same level of difficulty as in Germany.
