- On vehicles with drum brakes at the rear, each cable, or end of the cable, tensions the parking brake rocker mounted on the secondary (passive) brake pad. Due to this movement, the shoe is pressed against the brake drum. At the same time, the parking brake rocker, through the spacer, also presses the primary (active) brake shoe: this brakes the rear wheels.
- On vehicles with rear disc brakes, the ends of the cable through the external control levers act on the spacers of the adjusting mechanism in the brake cylinders, press the brake pads against the discs and block them.