Does the car's handbrake engage the front or rear wheels?
2 Answers
The car's handbrake engages the rear wheels, and the electronic parking brake also engages the rear wheels. The handbrake is frequently used during normal vehicle operation. After parking and turning off the engine, it is necessary to firmly engage the handbrake to prevent the vehicle from rolling. Mechanical handbrakes have a handbrake cable beneath the handbrake lever, which connects to both rear wheels. Electronic parking brakes feature electric motors on the two rear wheels; when the button is pressed, the motors clamp the brake pads to prevent the vehicle from rolling. For automatic transmission vehicles, it is necessary to shift into P (Park) and then firmly engage the handbrake when parking—alternatively, engaging the handbrake before shifting into P is also acceptable. For manual transmission vehicles, shift into N (Neutral) and firmly engage the handbrake when parking.
I used to wonder about this question too. Actually, the handbrake mainly controls the rear wheels. After driving for ten years, I've found that most family cars are designed this way because rear wheel braking can better prevent the car from rolling when parked. I remember one winter when I parked on a slope, the rear wheels held firm after I pulled the handbrake. If the handbrake were to brake the front wheels, the steering mechanism might be affected, and since the front wheels are responsible for steering, engineers definitely wouldn't design it that way. However, trucks or modified cars might be different, but for ordinary family cars, it's mostly the rear wheels, so you can rest assured about that.
