My parking brake hasn't worked since I purchased my ZJ. I changed the shoes the other day which were all cracked and worn down. I thought I had fixed the problem. Well, I can hear the cable and everything moving when I apply the parking brake but it still doesn't grab.


What could be the problem? Thank you.

 

Out of adjustment?

Have you traced the cables all the way back?

 

I haven't traced them all the way, just to the adjuster.

 

Well get on it!

Maybe crawl under and watch the cable while someone else pulls it.

 

before you even attempt to adjust... spray the whole adjustment area with some PBLaster. It will eat off some of the rust and get it lubed back up.

usually its just that the cables have stretched and the adjustment screw needs to be tightened back down.

 

On my 96 ZJ when I tried to fix the E-brake I found that there is a cam lever right at each of the backing plates. Mine were so rusted and seized up I gave up trying to make it work, they're riveted together so you can just take it apart and clean them up. Dunno if yours is the same though.

 

I will have to take a better look at things and see what the problem is.

 

Hey there, once again, not sure if this will even help but I was researching this cam lever thing a bit today, as I'm thinking about trying to fix the e brake on my ZJ again. A few people are saying it is possible to take the thing apart and grind the rust off, making it work again. I don't have my ZJ with me (father took it out to Wyoming) so I can't check but it seems like the axle shafts would need to come out to remove the stupid little thing.