I read the other thread about whether or not to put in gear and use the e-brake. For the record, I always park in gear and use the e-brake, even in flat parking places.

Here's my question. I'm temporarily staying at a place that has a sloped driveway (see pics). I hate parking my new Mini on this because I feel like it is putting wear on the transmission and the e-brake. Here's what I've been doing:
1) pull up driveway
2) keep my foot on the brake
3) move the gear into first
4) pull the e-brake
5) turn the car off
6) let my foot off the clutch and then the brake

after I let my foot off the brake, I feel the car slip back just slightly and groan slightly under the pressure. i don't like the sound of that or the idea

So, yesterday I went and got two small plastic chocks (shown in the pics.) Now I pull in, do the above, align the chocks just behind the wheels, get in, ease the car back slightly until I can feel they are on the chocks, then repeat the above steps. When I turn the car off and release the foot brake, I don't feel or hear the same movement or groan.

What do people think? Is using the chocks helpful at all? (It seems to me that it is.) Or am I just deluding myself... the car is still in gear with e-brake on (even with the chocks I would not leave it out of gear or without e-brake). Also, if I let the car roll up onto the chock too much and the tire isn't touching the ground, is that bad for the car?

It is a pain to use them... arriving and leaving, but I'm only living here temporarily... but long enough that I don't want to put wear on the transmission and e-brake.

thanks for any thoughts!

here's the sloped driveway. not extreme, but enough that I can feel the car feeling it... and no that's not my garage, so I can't use it!



here is one of the chocks in place:

 

im not sure what grade that is, but it doesn't look that steep to me.

i'd just put the car in gear (1st) and pull the e-brake and call it a day.
the chocks is a good idea.

 

It can't hurt...

Putting the car in gear locks up the front wheels while putting the brake on locks the rear. The chocks should just remove some of the pressure on those items.

 

Looks like you've got everything done right!

You said it's long term, so the chocks are a good idea. Do you mean the Mini will be parked on the slope for a long term, or are you using it everyday?

If you're using your Mini everyday, I'd just stick with the e-brake and tranny in gear.

 

If it makes you feel better doing this, then by all means keep on doing it, but your transmission and parking brake don't really care one way or the other.

Your transmission has parts that spin thousands of times a minute, and can certainly handle the force of a little hill, especially when helped out with the parking brake.

But your car is brand new and I've known MINI owners who do nuttier OCD behaviors with their cars. . . . so use your chocks and give your neighbors a huge grin when they give you a funny look.

 

no, i'm using the Mini everyday... just meant long-term as in this is my normal, everyday parking spot for now... not just parking on a slope every once in a while.

i'll see how long it takes me to grow tired of using the chocks, but they do make me feel like the car has a little more support.

 

park your car sideways!

 

believe me... i actually considered that! there's another car that parks to the left of the Mini, though. it's possible the Mini might still fit in one of the driveway squares, though!

 

That will definitely make the neighbors grin!

 

+1, you might consider the chocks if you had my driveway. (no pics though)

 

well, mini_dreams is thinking his car will tip over if he parked it
sideways or put undue stress on the tire sidewall on one side
...or his suspension will be tilted afterwards unless he parked it
facing right on mon, wed, fri and facing left on tues thurs and
sat's... so not a good idea.

 

Here's what you do: (as my driveway is rediculously sloped)

Pull up, pull the E-Brake with your foot on the clutch and in 1st gear.
Then, release the brake, you'll feel the car fall back onto the rpepssure of the E-Brake. Leave it in gear, turn the car off, and go inside!

The E-Brake takes all the stress, just make sure you pull it up almost as high as you can

 

well, i have to say... last night, I pulled up in my driveway, put it in first, pulled the e-brake and then turned the car off, let my foot off the brake.

i could feel the slight lurch backward.

so then I put the chocks just behind the tires and backed into them.... Grover felt all nice and supported.

so I t I'm going to keep doing it, despite the fact that it is a PIA and my neighbors probably think I'm crazy.

 

that's normal though... it's that slight play the p-brake has until it
catches the weight of the car.

you do what you need to do to get a full night's rest.

ever wonder wat kids are doing at night after dark checking out your car?
jk

 

Why don't you just pick it up, bring it inside, and put it on your nightstand at night

 

Ahem....why are you not backing it in so you are ready for quick getaways?

 

he tried that but he fried his clutch while backing up the curb (?)

 

i realize that... just feels like a lot of pressure for the car (gear and e-brake) to hold for so many hours.


of course! i may be moving soon, in which case, maybe I can find a nice garage. i saw yours in your gallery Kenchan..... i have garage envy.

 

if I could.... i would.

 

yah, you will want to excerise your car's muscles otherwise the
braking power starts to go limp by 2k miles.

thanks, my garage will be getting more stuff by winter.
(ie: ball bearing tool case, nicer fans, mobile cabinets)

 

If you're leaving them outside where you use them, they get a great deal of exposure to the weather. I had an old, sun-baked plastic chock fail on me one time, when I was parking a boat and had just unhooked it. The chock crumbled like day-old bread. Luckily, the other side didn't fail and my wife found a rock.

If you leave plastic chocks outside, make sure you test their integrity before using them.

-- mike

 

^^ another reason why i use metal chocks when working on my cars.

 

The poor guy is worried enough as it is over something most of us would never consider to be an issue. Don't get him started worrying that the chocks won't work because he may go out and buy 4 metal chocks and have their welds analyzed by x-ray to ensure that there are no unseen weaknesses.

Are there chocks made to keep other chocks from sliding out from under the wheels?



If we keep this up, he'll be attaching an anchor on a chain to his front tow hook.

Grover is one lucky MINI to get this kind of royal treatment and level of concern for his safety.

 

LOL

in addition to roadside assistance, Mini should offer free counseling, too! ah, it's fun to be neurotic about something. my family is making fun of the fact that I've named the car and that I "wave" to other Mini drivers.

 

Well that's kind of what I thought but I figured if I exposed some of my issues it wouldn't be pretty.... So I'm keeping quiet and not pointing fingers.