I hate to admit it too, but I don't think I've ever used my e-brake.
A lot of people still don't so you're in good company. I've always wondered why though. Unless you're always 100% parking on level ground, seems to me it just makes sense to use it.
If you rely on a manual transmission, a good enough grade will leave you rolling at some point as the compression bleeds down.
If you have an automatic, for as long as I can remember every manufacturer in the world has said to NOT rely on the parking pawl in your automatic as a means to safely lock the vehicle in position. It's too small, too likely to jam up when used on an incline, and can break and leave the vehicle rolling.
Neither of those applies if you're always on relatively flat ground of course, but it's still nice to have a backup. That's what utility vehicles and being prepared was all about for me.
I can't say I've ever known anyone that's broken a parking pawl, but I've known people who've literally had their automatics pop out of park, and a manual pop out of gear and go rolling away. In fact, Ford automatics were known for doing this back in the seventies.
Was it the people not putting them in all the way or something else? Dunno, but it just seems to make sense to utilize the "parking brake" when a vehicle is parked.
The Chief (Master Sarg) suggested the e-brake cables to me, but I haven't purchased them for this same reason. I'm wondering if I haven't been thinking about this incorrectly however. The e-brake cable is supposedly going to act as a "boot-strap" to the suspension, regardless of whether or not we use the e-brake.
If you're not going to wheel a Bronco, the stock parking brake cables are fine for normal use with up to a 3.5" total lift (body lifts count too), and maybe even a little taller.
But if you're going to want your suspension to flex out to the maximum that all it's other components will allow, your brake cables will definitely be the limiting factor with 3.5" of total lift.
I've wheeled with stock ones, but know for a fact that they were my suspension limiters. Still made all the trails I tried, but could have done them a little easier with longer ones.
If you don't use your parking brake then, and want your suspension to work off-road, then just leave the cables completely off.
Personally I would utilize the added backup/safety of the already supplied system and just get longer cables.
But don't trust me. I sell the things so have a vested interest. ;D Get second and third opinions and see which way you want to go.
Paul
