Parking Brakes of Doom: Inspection Tomorrow

So poop on me for waiting till the last minute on this one, but my truck needs to be inspected tomorrow and my parking brakes don't work at all.

I've spent the last 3 hours out in the cold and dark, here's what I've done.

1) There was TONS of slack in the cable, so I cut it (below the driver's door) and added a turnbuckle. Cable is taught, but pedal goes all the way to the floor with little resistance.

2) Removed each rotor/drum and inspected, all seems ok, however, the passenger side really "moves" when you set/release it, but the drivers does not...

3) Spun the adjusters till they were almost holding the wheel, and still no dice. There is plenty of meat on the shoes.

4) The lever on the pass side is loose when the brake is released, but taught when the brake is set. On the driver's side, it's taught all the time.

I've had issues with this ebrake since I bought the truck. I just "rebuilt" the whole system last winter, and it's all ready busted!

Not sure what to do here.... ideas?

It's really hard to say without seeing any of it, but likely corrosion or a wrong part may be the issue. I'd make sure that everything moved easily, lubricate the points for that. Are you adjusting the rear start wheels with the rotors off? Do that, and test fit the rotors over and over until you get the linings too tight, then back off the start wheel until they just drag. Good luck,

CDW6212R said:

Are you adjusting the rear start wheels with the rotors off? Do that, and test fit the rotors over and over until you get the linings too tight, then back off the start wheel until they just drag. Good luck,

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Preliminary adjustment with the rotors off, then final with them on...

Could you shim the cable at the foot pedal to make it tighter?

Hello, I suspect the same problem that went wrong with My X. I too think that rust\corrosion on the drivers side cable. The cable is covered with plastic and inside of the plastic is a metal sleeve that the actual E brake cable slides inside of . The cable was rusted solid inside of the metal sleeve and everything appeared O.K since the metal sleeve is covered by plastic. The symtoms are the same thing that I saw. I have a 01 XLT and had to replace mine a year ago, no problems since, even from the dealer the part was only approx. 20$ and about 45 minutes to replace in the drive way. I saw the same slack within the truck but the cable was not releasing the drivers side , Mine is a 4wheel disk set-up but the actuation cable does the same thing both disk or drum set ups it should release tension. Hope this helps

If your not getting any movement in the shoes when the e-brake is applied/disengaged ill bet its a frozen/rusted parking brake lever, i just had the same problem. I removed it and took it to the shop by my house and they through it in their parts cleaner for me.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=198666

MountaineerGreen said:

Could you shim the cable at the foot pedal to make it tighter?

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Though of that... I went to home depot and bought some crosbys and a turnbuckle to tension the cable.

Anyway, I took her in, and she failed, but I now have 45 days to figure it out. I need to, not just for inspection but also because I launch my boat with the truck!!

I'm thinking of disassembling the driver's side, which wasn't moving well. Does anyone have a blow-up diagram of how every little component is supposed to orient? I now suspect my upper lever mechanisms might not be correct.

I can't believe the inspection is that through- you should see some of the junk going up and down the road in my area.

I don't have a diagram, but my lever on my drivers side was seized up, rusted solid. I soaked it in PB blaser, cleaned it up and reassembled it. Mine works OK, but the pedal feels solid when I push on it.

How do they check its function?

MountaineerGreen said:

How do they check its function?

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Engage it, try to move the truck. Back in MA, the e-brake had to hold the truck in Drive, with the RPMs reved to 1300.

Inspection is such a pain. They also commented that I have "2 sets of fog lights" and need to remove one....

Wow, I am not sure that my brake will hold 1300 in drive. Did you explain to them you have a 5.0, one of the most powerful engines ever wedged into a Mounty? Brakes can't hold it back.

Almost all 95-01 Explorers will easily drive away with the parking brake on, and adjusted correctly. They really are very weak for parking brakes.

MountaineerGreen said:

Wow, I am not sure that my brake will hold 1300 in drive. Did you explain to them you have a 5.0, one of the most powerful engines ever wedged into a Mounty? Brakes can't hold it back.

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That's how I passed in MA... But, at one point last winter, in fact, the brake would hold the truck on a 20 degree slope (in N), and you could rev to about 1100 before it would creep. Now it won't hold either.

And I agree with you Don, these parking brakes are terrible. I used to drive around in a 1999 E350 with the 5.4 for A/V work on Campus, and if that brake was set, you weren't going anywhere; So it CAN be done, even by Ford.

Im very happy we do not have to have inspections here in Colorado. that would be a super PITA.
Rob

V8BoatBuilder said:

Though of that... I went to home depot and bought some crosbys and a turnbuckle to tension the cable.

Anyway, I took her in, and she failed, but I now have 45 days to figure it out. I need to, not just for inspection but also because I launch my boat with the truck!!

I'm thinking of disassembling the driver's side, which wasn't moving well. Does anyone have a blow-up diagram of how every little component is supposed to orient? I now suspect my upper lever mechanisms might not be correct.

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i can't attach a PDF file so if you want to send you email i'll send it that way.

the pdf is the directions and images for Parking Brake Shoe: Service and Repair from ...

cjones101812 said:

i can't attach a PDF file so if you want to send you email i'll send it that way.

the pdf is the directions and images for Parking Brake Shoe: Service and Repair from AllData

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Sent you a PM with my email... THANKS. If you don't mind, I can convert the PDF to a JPG and post it....

Mass inspection is insane, New Hampshire is starting to get strict too, luckily no inspection in Arizona.

V8BoatBuilder said:

Sent you a PM with my email... THANKS. If you don't mind, I can convert the PDF to a JPG and post it....

Click to expand...

you've got mail.

Thank goodness we don't have inspection here in Kentucky, my parking brake has never worked. never. did rear rotors last year, thought about trying to figure it out.. decided to put it off for another 100,000 miles

I fixed this issue in other cars by changing the parking brake cables. Once shoes are 1 mm away from the drum there is nothing to check except cables. The shoes need considerable clamping force for the servo action needed to hold these trucks. A parking brake pedal that starts developing tension close to the floor will unlikely be able to hold these rigs in place. Cables are not expensive even if all have to be replaced. Shims and turnbuckles never seem to work. I believe they stretch and dont hold tension properly, possibly even getting a bit elastic.

**Before you rebuilt your brake you were likely forcing the cables to pull the corroded/frozen mechanisms with extreme amounts of force. ** The cables were likely damaged. I start with the front and work my way back, sometimes you will be surprised by how much one is stretched. On one car (a tbird) even though the cables looked intact only the new replacement would hold tension. This is such a simple mechanism but yet is such a PITA!

Oh, and these special drum brakes ARE NOT SELF ADJUSTING. There is no self adjuster, just a starwheel and your screwdriver. Backing and hitting the brakes will not do anything.

They are not really expensive at NAPA or Advance, pays to call/check online for the best price. The Explorer has a front cable, intermediate, rear left and right. Assuming the rear cables move smoothly when the tension is relieved, I would replace the front and intermediate for under $30 bucks. These single cables are likely to get damaged because take all of the tension while the rears take half. The rears often fail due to corrosion from not being used. Be sure to relieve tension by tugging on the cable and sticking a drill bit in the brake pedal mechanism.

A NY state inspection includes checking your parking brake under unspecified "slightly accelerated" conditions. So it really depends on who is checking it as to its functionality. Assuming the cables are replaced, and the e-brake is used on a regular basis, the mechanism will (hopefully) never stick or re-corrode and cause that high tension situation.

Replacing the cables is my next step... glad to see you have experience with "turnbuckle failure."

I'm going to replace all 4, from Rock Auto it's $60 + S/H, and take it from there.