Does the handbrake control the front wheels or the rear wheels?

[LeahFitz]

The handbrake controls the rear wheels. Here are the details about the handbrake: The professional term for the handbrake is the parking brake, which is usually connected to the rear brake shoes via a steel cable. Its function is to control the braking of the rear wheels rather than the front wheels, primarily to prevent the vehicle from rolling when parked. The differences in braking methods among different vehicle types are as follows: 1. For most light passenger cars, the handbrake operates on the lever principle to pull the brake cable, locking the rear brake shoes or calipers; 2. For light and medium-duty trucks, as well as cars and off-road vehicles with drive shafts, the handbrake often mechanically locks the brake drum on the drive shaft to achieve braking; 3. For heavy-duty trucks and large buses, the rear wheel brake chambers often feature spring-loaded energy storage braking. While driving, compressed air lifts the spring, and when parking, the driver only needs to operate a valve switch to release the air, causing the spring to lock the rear wheels.