I just had a new rear parking brake cable installed and they adjusted it so tight that I had to use two hands to pull the brake handle out before it would lock in place....it was very tight, but locked in ok. Yesterday I went to set my parking brake and I pulled the handle out (same tension as it had before), but it would not lock in place. When I pull the handle out the parking brake still functions, but the handle will not lock in place. Any thoughts?? I looked for a similar topic on the forum, but did not have any luck.
Parking Brake Handle and Cables
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1,086 Posts
the spring probably just came off the pawl. i took my entire ebrake handle assembly out and wire wheeled it clean repaired the spring and pawl and greased it with silicone. works like brand new again.
How would you go about taking the mechanism apart to get to these parts?
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46,128 Posts
A properly functioning parking brake should not take 2 hands to pull out nor be adjusted so tight that you can't easily engage the teeth on the handle. Having the cables that tight probably has the parking brake partially engaged all the time. The handle should function freely and be easy enough to pull up with one hand and should tighten up after traveling about 1/3 to 1/2 its travel. I have seen some hard to pull where the installer reversed the attachment points of the cable and the spring on the parking brake arm. This greatly lessens the mechanical advantage applied on to the cable. Spring should be in the outer hole (closest to the cable from the handle), cable to the rear on the inner hole, not vice-versa.
There is an "R" pin that holds the shaft for the ebrake wheel near the inside firewall. Remove the "R" pin and slide the shaft out allows the wheel to slide out easily. First, loosen the cable (even remove the foward cable from the equalizer bracket) under neath the car. Putting that wheel and pin back in will be where you will use muscles not often used. May also have to take the front driver seat out so you can bend and twist yourself to the right position. Good luck.
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2,965 Posts
FSTBCK,
For the whole contraption to work smooth and easy, a lot of moving parts have to be free and not binding AT ALL. Then to make it get to the locking notches of the handle, a nut underneath the car has to be adjusted correctly For free travel.
You should be able to hear the 1st click with one hand and very little effort.
Here's a list of the parts that must be free and lubed.
1) Brake mechanisms inside drums -- shoes/springs/park brake arm (both wheels)
2) Both rear cables MUST not be rusty and the cable must be lubed and slide easy.
3) Mechanical arm at transmission crossmember must have the right geometry and be installed right.
4) Cable up into car interior must be free, the round pulley must rotate free, the handle and notched rod must be cleaned of all old lube and lubricated with graphite.
For the whole contraption to work smooth and easy, a lot of moving parts have to be free and not binding AT ALL. Then to make it get to the locking notches of the handle, a nut underneath the car has to be adjusted correctly For free travel.
You should be able to hear the 1st click with one hand and very little effort.
Here's a list of the parts that must be free and lubed.
1) Brake mechanisms inside drums -- shoes/springs/park brake arm (both wheels)
2) Both rear cables MUST not be rusty and the cable must be lubed and slide easy.
3) Mechanical arm at transmission crossmember must have the right geometry and be installed right.
4) Cable up into car interior must be free, the round pulley must rotate free, the handle and notched rod must be cleaned of all old lube and lubricated with graphite.
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2,965 Posts
See
See the nut on that threaded z-rod? Screw that nut CCW until the handle inside easily clicks into the the 1st notch.
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See the threaded "z"rod. It goes in the hole closest to the arm's pivot point. If it's incorrectly in the hole where the spring hook is in this picture. It's 3x as hard to apply the brake.
See the nut on that threaded z-rod? Screw that nut CCW until the handle inside easily clicks into the the 1st notch.
See the threaded "z"rod. It goes in the hole closest to the arm's pivot point. If it's incorrectly in the hole where the spring hook is in this picture. It's 3x as hard to apply the brake.
See the nut on that threaded z-rod? Screw that nut CCW until the handle inside easily clicks into the the 1st notch.
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This is a great picture. I just crawled under the car and my setup looks similar EXCEPT, In this image where the front cable meets up with the Parking Brake Cable Equalizer, I have, in addition to the front cable, a large spring hooked in to this spot then linked back to the frame of the car.
BK 8A in your picture appears to be linked into the hole next to the "Z" bar and routed the opposite way my spring that is linked to my frame is going.
When I loosened the nuts on the "Z" rod it felt as if the handle was loosening but still nothing was catching. :shrug:
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2,965 Posts
Your spring is a previous owner's hack-job. Probably 2 x as strong as the stock spring and hooked to a point with ZERO
mechanical advantage. Get the right one and hook it up right.
The nut only puts 1/32+/- of slack in the cable per turn.
The picture, I can't claim. It's from Virginia Classic Mustang.
mechanical advantage. Get the right one and hook it up right.
The nut only puts 1/32+/- of slack in the cable per turn.
The picture, I can't claim. It's from Virginia Classic Mustang.
So that spring hooks to the passenger side frame. Makes sense now. Between having the correct spring in the right location and the nuts adjusted properly, you all think this should function properly? I will order a new spring today. Thanks everyone!The return spring doesn't mount where the cable inserts. There is a different hole for the spring. Here is a picture of underneath my car:
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575 Posts
ha... i replaced my cable from the handle to the zbar... now after installig the handle pulls out fine but does not retract... everything is connected correctly... come to find out that the replacement cable sold by (and I don't remmeber but its one of the usual mustang supply shops, CJ, Virigina, Dallas, Plus or Unlimited) is thicker than the original.... And after I clear coated the brackets and everything..... I really hate having to do things more than twice...
SOOOO....the new spring made the tension correct! BUUUUT, the handle pulls out fine and I can feel the car stopping when the handle is pulled out, but the handle still will not lock in place?? I am assuming this is the part that locks those little teeth in place? It is wobbly and loose. Any suggestions?
Attachments
Are these tabs on the opposite side of the picture I took?
Just replaced the parking break assembly on my 64 1/2 mustang. The problem I'm running into is that the old firewall nuts don't fit. Does anyone know the size of the nuts so I can buy new ones?
The second problem I'm having is that the underdash screw holes don't line up. Also missing the underdash screws and can't find where to buy them. Drilling new holes is a last resort. Anybody got any advice or help??
The second problem I'm having is that the underdash screw holes don't line up. Also missing the underdash screws and can't find where to buy them. Drilling new holes is a last resort. Anybody got any advice or help??
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