Does the handbrake of a front-wheel drive car brake the front wheels or the rear wheels?

[LeLiam]

The handbrake of a front-wheel drive car brakes the rear wheels. Generally, the handbrake uses a steel wire cable connected to the rear brake shoes, and its function is to control the braking of the rear wheels rather than the front wheels, mainly to prevent the vehicle from rolling away when parked. The professional name for the handbrake is the parking brake. In most light passenger cars, the handbrake operates on the lever principle to pull the brake cable, locking the rear brake shoes or calipers. 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. Heavy-duty trucks and large buses usually have spring-loaded braking systems in the rear wheel brake chambers. 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.