How does the E-Brake work?

six-two · Post by **six-two** » December 12, 2006, 11:45 pm

Yes, I am incompetent.

But seriously, I dont really know how my emergency brake works. The brakes on my truck work ok considering it has sat for 5 years without being bled, etc. (the entire brake sytstem was rebuilt about 6 years ago)I haven't even touched them, so I know they need work. But, what I want to know is what do I need to do to get my emergency brake to work, it seems to function ok(the mechanism itself), it just doesn't hold or stop the truck at all. ???? The reason I ask is I used to have a volkswagon beetle that you could adjust the brake on if it stopped working well.

_______________________________________six-two

Comet · Post by **Comet** » December 12, 2006, 11:58 pm

Your brakes probably just need adjusting in general.

FORDBOYpete · Post by **FORDBOYpete** » December 13, 2006, 1:06 am

Nah!

Incompetent is not caring enough to ask the question in the 1st place, and driving around like that. Try this instead, & let me know if it helps. :roll:

Actually the PARKING BRAKE is adjustable by itself under the truck. Near the tranny "X" Member the cable from the pull handle in the cab joins up with an equalizer and then the two cables from rear wheels. :wink:

A threaded rod with 2 nuts tightened against equalizer itself is adjustment.
Some set ups require the forward most nut be backed off and rear most be tightened, which moves equalizer toward front "shortening" the front cable. That makes it pull 2 rear cables farther engaging shoes inside rear drums, pulling them tight against drum causing friction to hold/ lock it.

Once you have desired tension or tightness in cables, don't forget to snug up both nuts against equalizer again to keep it from backing off and/or loosening up over time & thru use.

This is all based on a premise the Park Brake mechanisms in rear wheel drums are installed correctly and do actually function/ work right. :steering:

You notice I keep saying Park or Parking Brake, not emergency brake. That's because they won't really stop a vehicle in a true emergency, but they are great for parking, or holding on a hill etc. :roll:

FBp

jakdad · Post by **jakdad** » December 13, 2006, 5:55 am

Be sure the brakes are properly adjusted before following Pete's instructions. Many times the PB is not out of adjustment. It's just the rear shoes have worn down and need adjustment. For what it's worth, the park brakes only work off of the two rear shoes on the rear brakes. Good luck.

Lowell · Post by **Lowell** » December 13, 2006, 11:03 am

Make sure the cables to each wheel is working freely. sometimes they become frozen from non use.

ripsnorter · Post by **ripsnorter** » December 13, 2006, 12:16 pm

a simple explanation of it is that the Parking brake is just a handle on the end of a cable thats connected to the rear brakes. You pull the handle inside the vehicle, it runs down and pulls on a bar that is connected to 2 cables, one running to each rear brake. those cables then tighten both rear brakes, and voila, parking brake.

Pete gave a better explanation, but I thought I'd give a simple one as well

six-two · Post by **six-two** » December 13, 2006, 8:37 pm

Thanks everyone, now I know exactly what to do. The simple explanations helped a lot, I thought thay worked that way, I just wasn't sure. My next day off unless it's snowing, they are going to get adjusted. Sometime over the winter I'll probably rebuild the brakes and replace the front rubber brake hoses, I'll let everyone know how it goes when it happens.

Is there any good reason to use the parking brake (for parking)when my truck has an automatic transmission, other than just for backup on a hill or something?

Oh and no I wouldn't try to use it to actually stop my car when it was moving, unless I lost hydraulic fluid. But in that case I was told to look for the nearest field and ease off of the throttle until I lose lift and then lay it down on it's belly.

Thanks

___________________________________six-two

ripsnorter · Post by **ripsnorter** » December 14, 2006, 12:00 am

Parking brakes are generally used when parking on a hill, so that:

A. If for some reason something fails, its one more safety to hold the car from rolling.

B. You set the Parking Brake after putting the transmission in park, but prior to letting your foot off the brake pedal. This prevents strain on the transmission of having the weight of the car resting on the parking gear.

B is just what I was always taught by my father growing up however. One of those things you do your whole life just cus you learned it as a kid heh.

adrianspeeder · Post by **adrianspeeder** » December 14, 2006, 2:18 pm

I've seen Park fail twice on an explorer and a toyota pickup, so I always use the parking break with the '88 and '02 when on our steep driveway. Course, some call me over cautious with using a block behind a tire of all the other trucks with a stick. But I've also had two parking breaks fail causing one slow drift down the hill, across the street, and into a neighbors yard, and another with the '92 idling in neutral causing a big mess with the side of an old '88 ford we have since sold.

:oops:

Adrianspeeder

How does the E-Brake work?

How does the E-Brake work?

thanks!!!!!!!!