Does Parking On A Hill Damage Your Brakes?

No one ever wants to park on a steep incline, but depending on where you live or visit, it may be your only option. On top of the stress brought about by entering and exiting the spot, you may be understandably concerned about the strain such an unnatural position may be putting on your vehicle, particularly your parking brakes. This is an understandable sentiment, but how much water does it actually hold? 

While your standard brakes aren't going to be all that affected from your car being parked on a hill, your parking brake will experience some extra strain. Having these components engaged is essential when you're on a steep incline in order to keep your vehicle as stable as possible while preventing excess tension on the transmission, which can also be negatively affected in these scenarios. While they are designed to put up with such conditions every now and then, parking on a hill regularly will see the parking brake wear out sooner. 

To try combatting this, ensure your wheels are angled whenever parking on an incline, as this better distributes the weight while ensuring that if the brake were to fail, the car won't roll onto the street. As a rule of thumb, a car parked uphill should have its wheels pointed towards the street while the wheels of a car parked downhill should face the curb. Any problems with your parking brake's performance should raise immediate red flags and you should take your car to a professional mechanic as soon as possible. 

Your parking brake may be working a little harder when activated in a steep parking situation, but so long as you're not parking in such environments too often, you shouldn't be all that worried. But if you do find yourself in such a scenario often, there are some important rules and techniques you should get accustomed to employing. 

Pick as good a spot as possible when scoping out where to park your car. Try finding an area where the steep isn't as aggressive if possible to avoid unnecessary strain. If you find yourself having to parallel park, locate a space with as much room as possible to comfortably maneuver your vehicle and adjust your position. Take extra time when entering and exiting the parking space, as this traffic can be more difficult to monitor in such a compromised position. You should also make sure your vehicle is in the correct gear. For automatics this will be "park" while those driving manual will need to put it in first or reverse gear for uphill and downhill parking respectively. Just be sure to activate your emergency brakes before you shift into park to avoid damage to the transmission. 

Those who park on inclines regularly may also benefit from investing in a set of wheel chocks. Commonly made out of either plastic or rubber, these wedged blocks give your tires extra security and prevent them from rolling. They come especially in handy when parked on an extremely steep hill or carrying hefty cargo.