Metal spring found in driveway as I backed out..

[peter683]

Hi guy's,
apparently a metal spring fell off the Explorer the other day/ No damage to it but from what I can see, it matches the spring in place forward of drivers rear wheel arch on the Emergency brake cable.? Any ideas as to where this one went as I don't see anything missing??

 

[Anime]

The return spring for the parking brake should be pretty big. If it's a slightly smaller spring, it's also from the parking brake line, but is just one of the springs used to hold the brake cable housing to the frame, to keep it from banging around or rubbing against the tire.

 

[peter683]

Thanks Anime

Thanks Anime,
it would be about an inch or an inch and a half or so in dia and about 5 or 6 inches long measuring from the tip of each hook on both ends..?

 

[Anime]

The springs that hold the cable to the frame are smaller than the main spring that actually pulls back the brake cable. You might be able to look for the spring on the other side to compare. If both sides are missing a spring to hold the cables to the frame, it may be that the previous owner removed them and only used one aftermarket spring, or if both sides already have the smaller springs, and the extra spring you have is larger, perhaps it was used as a second spring to increase the force pulling back on the parking brake cable, and it fell off because it was completely compressed and came loose?

As long as you have a good, strong spring on the parking brake cable, and some smaller springs keeping the rear cables from flopping around or rubbing on the tires, things should be ok. Be sure that the parking brake cable spring pulls back strong, though, otherwise the drum brake shoes can drag, causing excessive wear and lots of heat buildup.

 

[peter683]

Thanks Anime, I havent used the parking brake in years so most likely it is seized up? I will get a picture of the spring so you know what I am talking about..

 

[Anime]

Pictures would help.

Not using the parking brake is a bad thing, as the cables can rust to the sheath and become completely seized, which then causes them to be a limiting factor in how much the rear brake shoes can move. The only fix is new cables, or disconnecting the cables and not having a parking brake, which isn't a good idea.

I would suggest checking out the brake cables, and later, possibly engaging the parking brake with the transmission in neutral and, in a safe area, see how well it holds. If you can do your own brake work, or at least take off the wheels and drums, that would be another good idea, to inspect the condition of the springs and mechanisms inside the drum brakes, along with the parking brake cable and associated connections. Operating the parking brake cable with the drums off can show you whether or not the cable, even if it's moving, is still so badly rusted that it's either not allowing full engagement of the parking brake, and/or is interfering with operation of the drum brakes.

While the rear brakes really only contribute stopping force to keep the back end of the vehicle from going to one side or the other, they do serve a function and the front brake pads will wear faster with rear brakes that aren't operating properly. I'd also say a parking brake that doesn't fully engage is a safety concern, as it can be the last resort in the case of a hydraulic failure when the vacuum reserve runs out, or a way to control a back end that is coming around during a tricky stop.

This isn't to say for sure that your vehicle has these issues, but it is something to check for if the parking brake is not normally used, especially in climates that see ice and snow. It is a good idea to get into the habit of engaging the parking brake anytime the vehicle is parked on a slope, as the pin for the auto transmission isn't designed to hold a vehicle like the brake, even though people use it that way all the time. This use of the parking brake, even just once in awhile, keeps the cables and hardware in working order and prevents the problems detailed above.

 

[peter683]

Thanks anime. I havent used it for many years and am unable to both do the work myself nor afford the repairs at the moment.

 

[peter683]

I hope this works, here is a picture of the spring with a tape measure for reference in scale

 

[MythX]

You know, if I were a smartass, I'd claim that I just go around leaving things like that in random people's driveways.

 

[peter683]

Oh that is just mean....