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Emergency Brake question and conversion


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Thanks to BLHTAZ, we are on our way to actually having an operable E-Brake system on the Christmas truck.

 

When we first got it there were no brakes :eek: . My son and I recently replaced the front bearings and pads, but when we got to the back we noted the e-brake cables were physically removed from the drums, and appeared to have been chewed up by contact with the back of the rims. In the process of shoe replacement I re-installed the cables, which promptly began getting chewed again by the rims. Lacking the little cable-holding key that bolts to the frame (and looks like an oversized spam can opener), I zip tied the cables back. When we started to adjust the equalizer, the main (pedal to bracket under vehicle) cable started to unravel (in a most violent way) I hope to correct the cable eating problem and convert from pedal to lever.

 

I searched the forums but could not locate a link that describes the conversion from a pedal to a lever (tunnel mounted) E-Brake. I have a lever E-brake, cable and equalizer from an XJ the same year as the christmas truck, but wondered if I will need the mounting plate as well. The XJ plate looked the same and appeared to work the same.

 

Can anyone advise on (1) if thier rims were hungry for e-brake cable also and how they fixed it, and (2) have they any knowledge on the pedal to lever conversion?

 

Eventually I will move both the e-brake and the shifter to the tunnel (when I can afford the tilt column). I am getting ready to seriously dismantle this MJ and start the rebuild soon, I will post the progress.

 

:cheers:

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Copy that. Mine is mostly on the right side. Mine is marginally wired back to keep it away. But your right they kinda cramped its (brake cable) style with too much bending. Has anybody switched the backing plates (only) left to right to have the cable exit the rear of the drum?

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I searched and searched and searched and could not find a straight answer as to what to do.

 

So I just worked until it worked...

 

First answer, the cherokee cables are not nearly long enough to reach the drums. What I did was use the cherokee handle and cut into the transmission hump. Then, I sourced Tru Torque (p/n C660157 from Advance Auto Parts) emergency brake cables for a 1998 Dodge Durango. They allowed enough slack even after the SOA swap. I even needed to criss-cross the two cables just to take up the extra slack. There is probably a closer measurement out there somewhere... but I wanted to stick to MOPAR and vehicles that I was sure would have similar rear brake setups, since I was just assuming they would fit. All worked out fine.

 

Hope this helps.

 

- Ben @ Loco4WD.com

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I searched and searched and searched and could not find a straight answer as to what to do.

 

So I just worked until it worked...

 

First answer, the cherokee cables are not nearly long enough to reach the drums. What I did was use the cherokee handle and cut into the transmission hump. Then, I sourced Tru Torque (p/n C660157 from Advance Auto Parts) emergency brake cables for a 1998 Dodge Durango. They allowed enough slack even after the SOA swap. I even needed to criss-cross the two cables just to take up the extra slack. There is probably a closer measurement out there somewhere... but I wanted to stick to MOPAR and vehicles that I was sure would have similar rear brake setups, since I was just assuming they would fit. All worked out fine.

 

 

Hope this helps.

 

- Ben @ Loco4WD.com

 

 

OK - I see what you did...great innovation.

 

But - if you use the MJ cables going from the plate (where the equlaizer is) back to the drums, and then use the lever and cable from the XJ it appears to have plenty of cable. did you not try that first? Or, are you referring to the cable eating problem...and needed the extra slack to stop that?

 

Luckily, my transmission tunnel has a bolt-on plate where the ebrake and floor shifter will go jamminz.gif so no cutting required. Even given that, I still wonder if the plate is the same, or needs to be moved.

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But - if you use the MJ cables going from the plate (where the equlaizer is) back to the drums, and then use the lever and cable from the XJ it appears to have plenty of cable. did you not try that first?

 

I did try that. I had machined a little adapter to fit on to the end of the rod that connects to the e-brake handle. Then I ran a short cable from the end of the adapter to the tensioner thats mounted half way down the bed...

 

that didn't work. It kept loosing tension, or falling apart.... anywho, thats how I ended up running cables from the drum straight to the xj tensioner mounted on the end of the handle. Just seemed more reliable.

 

- Ben

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