Parking a Pinz on a hill...easy (?) question

[texas pinzgauer]

Here's one that I'm sure y'all will have opinions to share.

I park my 710 on a slight hill. I just usually yank the parking brake and then leave it in gear but I'm wondering if I'm going to cause premature wear and tear on the parking brake assembly and linkage by doing this.

Would leaving it in gear and using some big ass wheel chocks be a safe and viable alternative?

I guess I'm just anxious about the consequences of wearing out the parking brake system and then having to scuffle to figure out to fix it thereafter.

Any wisdom on the subject will be appreciated.

[russ]

It only wears if you drive around with the parking brake engaged! It also blows the seal on the diff because it heats up. Just don't forget to release the brake!

Also, the lower the gear, the faster the engine will turn so putting it in first gear, low range when parking will provide more resistance in the drive train.

I carry a set of wheel chocks too.

[David Dunn]

I just usually yank the parking brake and then leave it in gear but I'm wondering if I'm going to cause premature wear and tear on the parking brake assembly and linkage by doing this.

Any wisdom on the subject will be appreciated.

"Yanking" is either a bad choice of words, or a bad method to set the parking brake.
For a piece of history, most of these trucks are over 30 years old and the parking brake has not seen any servicing other than adjusting the tension nut . In that time frame, soldiers ( and civilians) have driven them with the parking brake "on", inadvertently ( which wears and glazes the disc surfaces). These also have all that time that gear oil has leaked onto them. Needless to say, they don't function properly, if at all.
The typical Pinz owner parks on flat land, jumps out of the truck, turns and points with a finger and yells "STAY".... and comes back later to find his pet Pinz has.
On a hill, the 710 ( and a 712 to a lesser degree) is at a disadvantage for "normal" parking brake application. With all the diffs unlocked, you are effectively only "parked" by one wheel ( since the spider gears within the diffs will allow each half shaft to spin independently). What this all means is that even with the brake set and trans in gear, a Pinz could possibly "walk" down a hill, rolling down, pivoting from the higher of the two lower downhill wheels. The chances of this are remote, But were big enough to for SDP to redesign the lockers on the 716/18s to automatically engage the front diff when the engine is turn off, essentially making 2 wheels locked.

So after all that, when parking on a hill, use your parking brake and should flip one of the locker levers to hold the Pinz steady.

Dave Dunn

[norcal pinz]

when i first got my 710m in "02" i had been parking it on a steep hill in my driveway,with the parking break on. one day i got out of my pinz and for some reason i jumped on the winch bumper to do something with the canvas in the front and then heard a loud thump, the sound was the brake ddisengaging and the truck careening down the driveway destroying about four half winebarrel planters then hit a tree thank god! nobody was hurt i jumped off just in time now i know about the parking break!

[undysworld]

Wow, I'm feeling lucky after reading all those previous posts.

My parking brake has worked excellently since I bought the truck over 6 yrs. back. It actuates smoothly and releases easily. As mentioned earlier, 712s have at least 2 wheels locked, even with no lockers thrown.

The only trouble I had was that one brake disc chatters sometimes off-road. It's annoying, but works.

In my experience, using an e-brake regularly helps keep it moveable. Those that are rarely/never used are probably frozen up.

Also as mentioned earlier, the lower the gear you select, the more leverage available to the motor to keep it in place. However, if my truck is aimed downhill, I usually rely on reverse gear. If it's aimed uphill, I used 1st gear.

(BTW, is there any reason not to use reverse this way?)

paul

[russ]

On another recent thread someone asked how the brake worked. My pictures may not show how it works but they do explain how to repair it. Ask me how I knew that leaving the parking brake on would cause a seal failure...

It's on this page:

http://www.precisionclays.com/Other_Info.html

Went through it a few years ago.

[David Dunn]

Paul
You do NOT have 2 wheels locked in a 712 either. The input shafts to the 2 rear diffs are tied together, but you have 4 half shafts that can do whatever they want.
The reason a 712 would better in a sideslope park, is that the middle axle's set of tires would be side shuffing, rather than rolling. When parking on a hill, you want to turn the steering tires in a direction that has them "away" from the nature downhill rolling direction of the tire.

I can say from experience, that you can get a 712 "stuck" on a pave road while turning into a driveway, requiring a quick engagement of any locker.! ( For those that may not know it, I've gone through the SDP numbering sequence.... 700, 710, 712.... Pink Cow now , if I can just find that elusive Noriker )

Dave Dunn

[Profpinz]

700, 710, 712.... Pink Cow now , if I can just find that elusive Noriker )

You missed 703 Dave!

[David Dunn]

700, 710, 712.... Pink Cow now , if I can just find that elusive Noriker )

You missed 703 Dave!

Well I did have a 703 Poly Cab lined up, but someone snaked it from me!
But I'm not to concerned, my 700 is in decent shape. ..... AND I could call the Supacat a 706

[PinzEOD]

<snip>Would leaving it in gear and using some big ass wheel chocks be a safe and viable alternative?<snip>

My 712 came with a wheel chock mounted behind the driver, don't they all? I used it faithfully whenever parked on any incline where I couldn't turn the wheels into a curb.

[mjnims]

Mike
It seems that only a few select 712's had the wheel chocks. They are the same units mounted on Unimogs.

BTW: Saw your old Pinz up in Teluride at the RMP Treffen. Guys seems pretty happy with it.

Hope you still make it to a Treffen every once in a while.

[Denis]

Good day all

David, I surely would like to see a picture of your 700.

And Peter what is the difference between a 700 and a 703.

Denis

[Profpinz]

G'Day Denis,

A 700 is a SWB Haflinger (59" wheelbase)
A 703 is a LWB Haflinger (71" wheelbase)

[David Dunn]

Denis
This is from the last Gathering. Nothing special, just a nice,clean, non abused 700APT out of the Swiss ..... not like her poor, battered sister in Oregon .....Haf and Mog owners know what I'm talking about

[PinzEOD]

Mike
It seems that only a few select 712's had the wheel chocks. They are the same units mounted on Unimogs.

BTW: Saw your old Pinz up in Teluride at the RMP Treffen. Guys seems pretty happy with it.

Hope you still make it to a Treffen every once in a while.

Thanks for the word on my old Pinz Mike. I've only talked to the guy once since he bought it, just to make sure he made it to Colorado alright and had no major issues. He seemed satisfied, and was "on the fence" about doing that Treffen. I strongly encouraged him to go, glad he did.