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Parking brake cable problems.


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I just replaced all three cables associated with the parking brake. At the same time I replaced the shoes, hardware and cylinders in the back since I had the drums apart. Everything worked fine yesterday.

Today I go to leave my driveway (truck's facing a down ward slope) pull my e-brake off, throw it in drive and notice that without touching the gas the car would not roll down the hill. (Thought the parking brake was still on, but it wasn't) Ends up the back tires were locked up. I adjusted the nut at the junction box to give the e-brake lines more slack. It worked. Drove a while, put the ebrake on, let it go again, and the same thing happened. Got back under the truck, pulled on the cable coming from the cab and the ebrake let go.

So in conclusion the e-brake is not working correctly when I pull the lever. It's not pulling the cables that go to the wheels back off the drums.

1)Is there suppose to be a spring at the junction box to pull the cables back? (There wasn't one there when I took the old ones off.)

2)Anybody got an idea where I goofed this up? (or is the new cab cable faulty)

2)

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The spring release is at the end of the cables in the rear drums. Between the end of the cable sheath and the brake lever. This is the only spring in the system that will move the cables. The spring in the pedal is only to return the pedal. The pedal is made to push the cable back thru. Except for the friction of the cable coating, the pedal can only pul the cable.

Take a photo of the brakes so we can take a look.

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Here, let me add this too. After I press the pedal down. Then release the e-brake it pops back up but there is 2-3" of play till the top. That is until I get back under the truck and pull on the cable coming from the cab, and then the pedal goes all the way to the top and there is no play.

I'm leaning toward the pedal itself is jacked.

Opinions?

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Here, let me add this too. After I press the pedal down. Then release the e-brake it pops back up but there is 2-3" of play till the top. That is until I get back under the truck and pull on the cable coming from the cab, and then the pedal goes all the way to the top and there is no play.

I'm leaning toward the pedal itself is jacked.

Opinions?

 

Is the cable that goes from the pedal to the splitter getting hung up on something? Maybe where it exits the cab

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Chico- Check out this Link

 

And look at the first picture, you will see on the right side, the "Park brake strut & spring" this is what helps release the parking brakes, along with the spring on the wheel cable, that fits between the retainer and the parking brake lever. There is not a spring at the equalizer, this I double checked in the FSM.

 

The 'flop' you have in the peddle after you release it is the wheel cable not pulling the cables back into the drums. You could also have the equalizer too tight, and it's not fully releasing the wheel cables. If you back off the equalizer locknut, and double check the wheel adjusters for drag, and then just tighten up the equalizer nut, a little at a time, and put the parking brakes on and off 5-6 times, until you get the right tension on the cables, you should have the parking brakes set right. There is a adjustment gauge that is use with a torque wrench that would put the correct tension on the cable also.

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Here, let me add this too. After I press the pedal down. Then release the e-brake it pops back up but there is 2-3" of play till the top. That is until I get back under the truck and pull on the cable coming from the cab, and then the pedal goes all the way to the top and there is no play.

I'm leaning toward the pedal itself is jacked.

Opinions?

See jaekl's post.

 

The springs that release the parking brake are the springs inside the drums.

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Chico, Did you get this fixed yet or are you parked?

 

 

No, I'm driving it. I'm gonna take the drums apart sometime this week and really look at it well. I think I just messed it up some how. It's not draging right now because I manually released the parking brake from underneath the truck. I'll let you guys know where I goofed and take pictures.

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When you have the drums off and don't see the issue, I might be able to drop by and take a look too. You still could have a kink in the front cable such that the springs can't pull the cable through.

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when you routed the new front cable, did you run it the same way as the old one? It goes thru a hole in a raised portion of the driverside floorboard as it parallels the rocker panel. You may have accidentally pinched the cable housing with the seat bracket, pinching/binding the cable.

 

Jeff

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When you have the drums off and don't see the issue, I might be able to drop by and take a look too. You still could have a kink in the front cable such that the springs can't pull the cable through.

 

Sounds good. Thanks bud, I'll let you know what happens :thumbsup:

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Well, found the problem. After taking everything apart in the rear and verifing that it matched those pictures and making sure the rear cables weren't binding up I moved on to the front cable. Jeff the line wasn't pinched under the bracket.

Ends up the front cable is binding up inside the sheath. I disconnected it from the junction block, pulled it back thru the cab and tried to move it by hand. No dice. Looks like I'm going back to the store to get a new one.

I'm seriously contemplating never returning to the local auto parts stores. It seems half the crap I've bought at either NAPA or Autozone has either been defective or the wrong part alltogether. :mad:

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well, that stinks....but glad you found the problem. I got my replacement cables from Advance Auto a few years ago and haven't had any problems with them (knocking on wood :D )

 

Jeff

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Well, pulled the new defective cable out. Put a new one in. Started adjusting it under the truck. After about 10 tries the rear wheels started locking up again and the cables wold not release. Took the cable out again to find out that not only was it not passing thru the housing again but the actual housing split where the cable was unraveling itself.

It's official. I'm done with NAPA parking brake cables. :headpop:

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It's official. I'm done with NAPA

 

Yea......I gave up on Napa 5 years ago :roll:

 

Rock, or Advance.....only place I go shopping :D

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