Emergency brake cable replacement
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For help in replacing the emergency brake cable, there are online diagrams like seen at NAPA and AutoZone, or from manuals like from Motors, Peterson, Chilton, Mitchell, Perkins, etc. Not much has changed in the area of drum brakes over the years. If the cable end at the wheel is hanging down, it means it is not connected to the actuator arm/linkage. You can operate a vehicle without the emergency (parking) brake, but obviously it's better (safer) to have a functional emergency brake. | For help in replacing the emergency brake cable, there are online diagrams like seen at NAPA and AutoZone, or from manuals like from Motors, Peterson, Chilton, Mitchell, Perkins, etc. Not much has changed in the area of drum brakes over the years. If the cable end at the wheel is hanging down, it means it is not connected to the actuator arm/linkage. You can operate a vehicle without the emergency (parking) brake, but obviously it's better (safer) to have a functional emergency brake. | ||
| − | The emergency brakes may become out of adjustment, the cable can seize up from disuse and road salts in northern climes, or it may have been left disconnected by someone working on it who was inexperienced | + | The emergency brakes may become out of adjustment, the cable can seize up from disuse and road salts in northern climes, or it may have been left disconnected by someone working on it who was inexperienced. |
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One of the main difficulties people face when working on parking brake cables is getting them off. The cable housings are very often retained in the brake backing plate (and sometimes brackets on the chassis also) by a set of metal "fingers" that hold the cable in its opening. You can pry the fingers one by one while wiggling the cable to get it loose but it's akin to mild torture. There are specialty tools that work pretty well but you may not want to buy one just for one or two cables. | One of the main difficulties people face when working on parking brake cables is getting them off. The cable housings are very often retained in the brake backing plate (and sometimes brackets on the chassis also) by a set of metal "fingers" that hold the cable in its opening. You can pry the fingers one by one while wiggling the cable to get it loose but it's akin to mild torture. There are specialty tools that work pretty well but you may not want to buy one just for one or two cables. | ||
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