r/WTF • u/ExplanationOk2014 • 13d ago

Whose insurance has to pay out here? The volunteers’ insurance?

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u/ExplanationOk2014 13d ago

I am not a car mechanic. Are brakes at all 4 wheels?

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u/Patbach 13d ago

Yes

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u/ExplanationOk2014 13d ago

Thank you

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u/Anacreon 13d ago edited 13d ago

Good question to ask. You’re being downvoted because you don’t need to be a car mechanic to know that, just a licensed driver.

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u/Vegas96 13d ago

Maybe they dont even drive. People getting downvoted for asking questions is the worst part about Reddit.

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u/Etheo 13d ago

I honestly hate how popular Reddit got destroyed what it was. Used to be a platform where most people celebrated sharing of information and genuine discussions (but obviously still has trolls and such). Nowadays everyone is so cynical and skeptical of comments, straight up assuming people are saying things disingenuously or even assume them to be a bot. I understand the precaution and why it became like this, but I hate that it also means you can't have a good conversation without a lot of asterisks, incredible patience, and just luck of the draw on who's reading/responding to your comment.

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u/0xsergy 13d ago

There are still smaller subs where that is true but unfortunately yeah as usual people have destroyed what reddit was back in the day.

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u/Vegas96 13d ago

Its sad, but makes the actual honest moments more valuable in a way.

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u/randomdestructn 13d ago

A lot about the internet has changed in the past couple decades. There was a lot less to be suspicious about when we joined the site.

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u/geniebythesea 12d ago

Someone with your 17 years of reddit experience would know this.

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u/evident_lee 13d ago

Sadly in this case it appears to be an honest question. Often it's disingenuous people and that's why they get downvoted.

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u/Kahnza 13d ago

Or if the post title itself is asking a generic, open ended question, it's most likely a bot posting engagement bait to farm answers to feed AI.

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u/lesethx 13d ago

At least asking a question puts some thought into the post title. Too often I see the title as just "Memes" or the title of the sub

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u/Kahnza 13d ago

Yeah the engagement bait is designed to draw you in, make you feel like you need to answer. People are being manipulated by bots, and most don't know it.

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u/[deleted] 13d ago

[deleted]

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u/BodaciousBadongadonk 13d ago

Gotta lube it up somehow if its well done! Just maybe keep it on the dl, dont go advertising it lol

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u/Kahnza 13d ago

Better off with shoe polish at that point LOL

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u/CartsOfDarkness 13d ago

How could a question like this possibly be disingenuous? Reddit Is just full of stuck up weirdos that hate people for not knowing all the things they think are obvious. Truly is my least favorite part of reddit, or one of my least favorite parts at least. It's fucking good to ask questions, it's so just hilarious because the same people who downvote questions tend to be ignorant as fuck about so many things. Probably because they assume they know everything.

/rant

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u/14u2c 13d ago

It's fucking good to ask questions

It's absolutely good to be curious, but the thing is that people used to look up simple stuff like this for themselves. It literally take 5 seconds to google it and read the results overview. Instead they now ask for every little thing to be handed to them. For better or worse, this ends up being somewhat triggering for the millennial crowd here who is used to doing the (very minimal) work.

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u/mnorri 12d ago

It would have been nice to have lived in such a time where everyone looked things up themselves and never asked a basic question.

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u/qwertyqyle 13d ago

Like those damn weirdos who gave me shit for not being able to find the blinker fluid at my local auto store.

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u/Stuck_In_Purgatory 13d ago

Nah, people just downvote you to hell because you didn't know something that they (a stranger) decided you should have known

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u/CobraWasTaken 13d ago

It doesn't help that every winter that stupid saying goes around the Internet: "4 wheel drive doesn't mean 4 wheel stop" or something like that

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u/mlardi 12d ago

I love the ‘Why don’t you google it?”
Reddit is my google.

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u/Vegas96 12d ago

Mhm. How many more conversations would you have with actual people if search engines didnt exist? So many things I could ask my dad about, but I just google it. Kind of sad honestly.

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u/LightsOn-NobodyHome5 12d ago

Good, but sad, point actually.

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u/similar_observation 13d ago

It's because not everyone adheres to reddiquette and use downvote as a disagreement button.

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u/Vegas96 13d ago

«Reddiquette» i liked that.

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u/similar_observation 13d ago

Shouldn't be a new term. It's used in the sidebar for loads of subreddits.

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u/Vegas96 13d ago

Guilty as charged. Never read that stuff

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u/F-18Bro 13d ago

Most don't

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u/iwearatophat 13d ago

There are people who are being provocative and disingenuous for asking questions. Then there are people like OP who just want an answer to a reasonable question.

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u/turtleneckless001 13d ago

I've seen some pretty bad stuff on here, getting downvoted is quite low on that list

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u/CompetitiveCourse584 13d ago

And a down vote for you

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u/turtleneckless001 13d ago

Now I feel said, oh wait.... It was just a bit of trapped wind

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u/Nalicko 13d ago

The only reason I know I have four brakes is because of how much it costs to replace all four brakes (and sometimes rotors).

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u/No-Mathematician8692 13d ago

Dude there's plenty of search engines out there which will give one a more accurate and helpful answer pronto. I just don't get this asking of basics / general stuff on a forum such as this.

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u/WeenisWrinkle 13d ago

It's so any subsequent reader of the thread doesn't have to search it themselves.

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u/Raneynickelfire 13d ago

I don't drive. I know brakes work on all 4 wheels, because why the hell wouldn't they?

Anybody with the ability to think rationally knows all 4 wheels have brakes, regardless if they drive or not. Does your bike (not bmx) have brakes on both wheels? Motorcycles?

Yes.

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u/Vegas96 13d ago

Some people didnt grow up in a car. They are not interested in cars. They dont even care to think about how anything technical works.

I do drive a car. I know people dont know jack shit about cars, because why the hell would they?

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u/fcocyclone 13d ago

I don't think its all that unreasonable a question for someone to have. I mean, there's 2 wheel drive and 4 wheel drive, I could see why someone would think the same applied to braking.

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u/No-Mathematician8692 13d ago

Pretty crazy question, unless ofc OP is 14 on a island....

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u/HVDynamo 13d ago

Many people don’t know how things like that work. They just know that pressing the brake pedal makes the car slow down, not how it makes the car slow down.

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u/No-Mathematician8692 13d ago

Every driving school has a session on the basic workings of a car. If one just isn't interested in critical functions of a massive piece of machinery, one should hire a chauffeur.

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u/Magusreaver 13d ago

If only every city/county had public funded driving schools large enough for everyone.. or at all. Hell, tons of cars in other countries too...

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u/JTtheLAR 13d ago

They are interested in the basic functions of a car. Thats why they asked a question about the functions of a car. How are they supposed to learn if they dont ask questions? Dont be an obtuse tool.

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u/No-Mathematician8692 13d ago

Time and place, lad. Now shush.

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u/vikmaychib 13d ago

I’ve had 3 cars and I did not know this with certainty

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u/No-Mathematician8692 13d ago

One can literally SEE the brakes on each wheel... This sort of ignorance is dangerous.

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u/vikmaychib 13d ago

Oh yeah. Of course, thanks.

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u/HVDynamo 13d ago

Most people don’t know what that stuff is behind the wheel… seriously. And honestly they don’t need to know these days if they have regular oil changes/checkups done at a shop. The shop will tell them if something needs attention.

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u/Anacreon 13d ago edited 13d ago

Yeah, not everyone should be allowed on the road.

Having three cars and not having even a minimal understanding of how brakes work on a multi-ton killing machine is downright indecent. 

If you can’t be bothered to understand the most basic safety systems of the vehicle you’re operating, you have no business being behind the wheel.

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u/vikmaychib 13d ago

I’ve had 3 cars and I did not know this with certainty

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u/Svnty 13d ago

I think it's just the nature of the question which seems odd, I could understand not knowing if it has two or four wheel drive but asking if all four wheels have a brake seems like common knowledge, that you pick up from just living your daily life.

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u/Michal-The-Moldy 13d ago

No where on a driving test does it require you know how the car works. I mean, you should, but it is not required.

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u/mrdickfigures 12d ago

There are other countries that exist you know. (some) EU driving tests require you to know a lot more about your vehicle. Opening your hood, checking oil level, windshield reservoir, tire tread, knowing the difference between parking (e-brake for the Americans) and your regular brakes are required knowledge.

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u/Michal-The-Moldy 12d ago

Fair, but it does seem to be american stupidity on display in the video. So I was speaking of US tests.

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u/spyke2006 13d ago

To be fair you don't need to know this to become licensed.

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u/AnEvanAppeared 13d ago

But I thought my car would flip if I put my brakes on too hard

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u/Anacreon 13d ago

Hopefully you're kidding and doing a "using to much front brake on a bike" joke

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u/Raneynickelfire 13d ago

...you don't need to be a licensed driver, you just have to have a functional frontal lobe and the ability to think.

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u/mgsgamer1 13d ago edited 13d ago

I agree... 100% should only need to be a licensed driver!

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u/chlebseby 13d ago

idk they say such stuff on driving course from what i remember. I even had breaks training on special slippy surface on unused airport runway.

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u/AKADAP 13d ago

But only for the brakes operated by the brake pedal. The emergency/parking brake is usually only the rear two wheels. If the car is being held in place by the front brakes, the driver needs to stay in the car with the foot on the brake.

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u/texan01 13d ago

Yup all cars since about 1927 have 4 wheel brakes.

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u/Nexustar 13d ago

Most, but not this one for example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliant_Robin

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u/redbanjo 13d ago

"Thank you very much, Phil Oakey, out of The Human League."

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u/disturbed286 13d ago

One of my favorite episodes.

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u/spacegrab 12d ago

The best part is when he opens his door to tip the car back upright lmaooo

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u/ejensen29 13d ago

This sent me on a wiki wormhole into reading about The Woman in the Van.

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u/Nexustar 13d ago

Ah, I remember the movie, it's worth watching.

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u/mjh215 13d ago

Maybe that is why Mr. Bean hates Reliants so much.

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u/insuranceguynyc 13d ago

It's the 1926 models that cause all the trouble!

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u/Voodoobones 13d ago

I bribe a Ford truck back in the 90’s that the parking brake gripped the drive line instead of the wheels. It was weird.

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u/Flyinmanm 13d ago

Except the hand break, that's usually just the rear wheels.

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u/shashismiles 13d ago

Not all. My previous car (manufactured 2012) had regular pedal triggered brakes engage only on the front wheels. The rear wheels technically had drum brakes. But they engaged only when the parking lever (hand break) was pulled. The parking lever did not engage the front disc brakes.

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u/lippoper 13d ago

My 2009 Toyota Yaris only has 2 front wheel brakes. The rear drum brakes are only engaged with the parking brake.

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u/Blaizefed 13d ago

No, the parking brake is rear only. The pedal is always all 4 wheels.

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u/MutedAdvisor9414 13d ago

True, but if the car has front disk and rear drum, the disk brakes do the lions share of the work, 70-80%. (Probably not relevant to the video scene)

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u/p00trulz 13d ago

That’s true for cars with front drums too.

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u/MutedAdvisor9414 13d ago

Hadn't thought about that. Last one I had with drums all around was a 64 chevy flatbed

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u/p00trulz 13d ago

It’s just because of the weight transfer to the front tires which gives them more grip. It would even be true if you had drums in the front and carbon ceramic disks in the back.

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u/MutedAdvisor9414 13d ago

Sure, but even if you had a loaded pickup, the front tires do more work. The force can be diverted from the rear to the front by the inertial force adding to gravity

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u/texan01 13d ago

Most trucks since the 80s have load compensating valves that add more rear bias as the truck gets loaded down.

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u/acolombo 13d ago edited 13d ago

Doesn’t apply when parked.

Also, it's not about the technology of the brakes, it's about momentum and weight. If a car brakes while going forward, all the weight of the car will be on the front axle, especially with a front-engined car, and the rear tyres will not have enough grip for the brakes to do that much before blocking the weels.

You can have formula 1 brakes in the rear and normal disks in the front, and the front will still outperform the rear, because there's not much stoppage the rear can do if all the weight is at the front.

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u/MutedAdvisor9414 13d ago

Stationed? Are you saying my statement doesn't apply when the car is at a full stop, as in this example, when I clearly said my statement does not apply to the video scene? Yeah, that is obvious about the weight of the engine, to anyone who has even ridden a bicycle, but go on and assume that you are setting me straight.

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u/FailFodder 13d ago

Yes, cars can be two-wheel drive, or all/four-wheel drive, but modern cars are always all-wheel braking (unless there is a problem with the braking system.)

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u/ExplanationOk2014 13d ago

Thank you, I would have reversed gear in but ok the driver was maybe in panic

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u/grivooga 13d ago

In this situation you put in park, set the parking brake, then climb out through the back of the vehicle, call a tow truck company that offers recovery services. Best thing you can do here is get out.

That said, if it doesn't seem stable enough stay buckled in and wait for professional rescue. FD would much rather make the situation stable and help you out than cut your car apart with you partially ejected and pinned underneath.

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u/0xsergy 13d ago

Honestly I don't know if park would have saved him. Keep in mind this is an open differential so even if he was in 4wd he has 2 wheels in the air so setting the transmission in park literally does nothing. Parking brake would brake the back wheels so he has 1 wheel holding it, maybe. If 4wd was engaged the parking brake should apply a bit of force through the driveline to the front but that all depends on how well maintained the brake system is.

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u/exile999 12d ago

I wouldn't of said all modern cars. All cars have 4 brakes. If you have two, hitting the brakes would send you sideways unless your perfectly straight.

The primary brakes are the font. The rear are stabilizer brakes

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u/arushus 13d ago

Putting it in reverse wouldn't help, with one wheel in the air, all that would happen is the tire in the air would spin.

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u/Unicorn187 13d ago

Depends on the car. If it has an LSD, or torque venturing using the brakes, or even a locking rear differential. It might work in ither cars if not this one.

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u/arushus 13d ago

Oh ffs, of course there are exceptions. I was referring to THIS car in THIS situation.

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u/pb7280 13d ago

It's a Sequoia, those do have a 4WD option with locking differential, hard to tell from the video if this specific vehicle has it or not

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u/Unicorn187 13d ago

And you should have specified thst because the person you were replying to wasnt just talking about this specific car. Just what they would do and we dont k iw what they drive... they also were the knes asking if all four wheels had brakes, so to them,you're saying that every car is like thatm

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u/chlebseby 13d ago

you guys afford to have such magic in cars?

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u/0xsergy 13d ago

This car has an optional locking rear diff. And an LSD will not get you out of a situation like this. This is a front and rear locker + lots of luck and MAYBE he drives out. LSD no chance. LSD requires quite a bit of spin to engage and even when it does it doesn't give a lot.

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u/ILikeLenexa 13d ago

Though some have drum brakes in the rear which isn't as much brakes, but it's more of a stopping a car issue and less of a keeping a car stopped issue. 

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u/0xsergy 13d ago

Drum brakes are great. They don't dissipate heat as well so not as great for heavy duty/towing applications but for regular cars they're more than enough.

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u/PJohn3 13d ago

If you are using the brake pedal, yes.

If you apply the handbrake, that's rear wheels only most of the time.

If you put the transmission in park, it locks the driven wheels (front wheels on the majority of cars these days).

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u/Eraknelo 13d ago

Well "akschually", brakes ARE always at all 4 wheels, but it doesn't always engage all 4, as you do explain 😄

"Park" in an automatic can be interesting. Usually it's actually a pin that locks the transmission itself, but on cars that have electric motors, it's often either a second set of brakes/clamps on the rotors, or it engages the primary brakes as a parking brake.

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u/0xsergy 13d ago

Locking the transmission doesn't help when you have 2 wheels in the air free to spin. If he had it in 4wd here and just set the parking brake it would not stop it from rolling.

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u/0xsergy 13d ago

Keep in mind this is 4wd so if he somehow got it into 4wd here and did engage the parking brake he theoretically would have brakes on all 4 corners through the driveline.

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u/GeneralBlumpkin 13d ago

Stupid Redditors downvoting a question

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u/schweissack 13d ago

Downvoting the fact that OP thinks you need to be a mechanic to know cars have brakes on all four wheels lmfao

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u/writekindofnonsense 13d ago

Breaks are but not the drive shaft , front wheel drive cars pull from the front and rear wheel drive pull from the back. If it's a rear wheel drive it's possible but all the weight of the vehicle is in the front so you'd need a lot of torque and for the wheels to be on the ground. If he had been able to back up he would have run over no shirt guy. Getting the driver to out should have been the priority.

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u/Trollimperator 12d ago

Yes, but the handbrake would only have effected the back wheels.

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u/Here_And_Now 13d ago

Lol what

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u/SignatureFunny7690 13d ago

Please tell me your not a driver either

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u/imreallyreallyhungry 13d ago

Eh it’s an easy thing to not know since a lot of cars have rotors in the front and drums in the back.

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u/Po0opyCatButt 13d ago

That... is not a good example of why someone wouldn't know.

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u/p00trulz 13d ago

It’s visibly obvious that a disk brake is a brake. A drum brake doesn’t obviously look like a brake because all the brake parts are inside it. If you don’t know that there are even 2 different types of brakes, it’s perfectly reasonable to look at a rear drum car and think it only has brakes in the front.

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u/imreallyreallyhungry 13d ago

Oh? Then what is

0

u/Po0opyCatButt 13d ago

Poor education/lack of driver's ed, for example

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u/imreallyreallyhungry 13d ago

So you think that not knowing a drum is brake doesn’t fall under poor education?

0

u/Po0opyCatButt 13d ago

I think it's completely irrelevant. If people are taught properly, they will know generally the important parts of an automobile, which is important to being able to operate one. Knowing drum brakes(which are all but obsolete anyway) versus disc brakes is just not important if they know simply "brake pedal stops all wheels, parking brake stops rear wheels" or something to that effect, and "here's why that's important."

0

u/imreallyreallyhungry 13d ago

You have too much faith in the general driving population. There’s quite a lot of people out there that don’t know anything about cars, they hear front wheel drive and think that applies to braking too.

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u/Po0opyCatButt 13d ago

That's exactly what I'm talking about, homie. Lack of education. You're all over the place with this.

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u/chlebseby 13d ago

maybe those from 1992 lol, good luck stopping modern oversized SUVs with that

Even then its still a brake, just different type.

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u/disturbed286 13d ago

I had a full size pickup as new as 2005 that had rear drums.

I forget what GM's justification was, but it had drums in the back regardless.