e-brak won't disengage

[westtx_cruiser]

The handle will move up and down and clicks just fine but there is no tension for the fist five clicks or so. After the fifth click, i can feel tension. Anyways, it isn't disengaging...they are locked. I am a rookie at this; do i need to pull the wheels and loosen the pads or could it be in the handle.

Any ideas appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[SKINNER]

Had this happen on mine; the parking brake cable actually came apart and jammed inside the sheath.

 

[2mbb]

Crawl underneath and see if the cable is loose when the handle is down. (Make sure the truck is in gear or Park and maybe think about chocking the wheels first). If the cable is loose, it's probably your bell cranks sticking--do a search. The bell cranks are the levers that connect to the cable at the brake drums and move the shoes inside the drums. They fit through a slot in the brake backing plate and can become frozen with rust, etc. do the search to get ideas how to free them up...

 

[Wile E Coyote]

It's likely neither the pads or the handle.
#1 place to start would be the bellcranks. WTF is that you say? Look at the rear axle from behind the truck. See the brake cable running lengthwise along the rear? At each end is a lever-like doodad that then attaches to the back of the brake backing plate. The doodad is the/are the bellcrank(s). These are known to freeze-up due to rust/gunk inside. Unbolt them from the backing plates, take 'em apart and clean, paint if ya want, grease em, then reinstall.
Adjust the rear brakes by hand through the access holes in the backing plate, then adjust the handle to get tight at around 7-9 clicks.

 

[Kavik]

I had to take apart the little swing arms at the brake drums and clean and lube them up. Mine had simply frozen in the locked position from surface rust, grime, time, etc.

If you climb under the truck, try to move those little arms w/ a screw driver, hammer or pliers. If they move freely, then the cable is next...

edit - too slow

 

[sk8salomon]

1st of all, there are no pads in the rear. When you pull up on the lever, the cable works a mechanical lever inside the rear "drum" brakes. The brake shoes expand against the inside of the drum and that's what gives you the parking brake. As the shoes wear slowly, they need contant adjustment to keep the clearance correct between the brake shoe lining and drum. This is done per an adjuster which is basically a little cylinder with a star type wheel that rotates. Kinda like a spur on a cowboy boot. This usually adjusts automatically as you apply the brakes but I've seen the adjusters get locked. Honestly, this does sound like more of a cable issue but you need to know how the whole system works 1st so you can diagnose the problem.

edit- too slow x two

 

[westtx_cruiser]

you guys are great...i think this info about the bellcranks is what i needed. the cable is loose, so they must be frozen. gotta wait til' tomorrow or the weekend.

thx again.

 

[Dirty Toad]

I have this same issue. I have just ignored it for months now. When I have made the mistake of setting the parking brake I just put it in gear and yank on the cable at the rear axel to release it.

Thanks for starting this thread, maybe I will get off my arse and fix it.

 

[Benji]

This is a very common problem. Lots of stuff related when you search.

This happend to me. It's easy to disasemble, clean, then reasemble.

...then your good to go.

 

[Dynosoar]

Check the bellcranks on the rear drums. They freeze up and kill the p-brake. Very common issue. The are easily rebuildable it should only take an hour to both sides.


Dynosoar

 

[Sloan]

Make sure the vinyl boot isn't stuck in the mechanism, don't ask me how I know this.

 

[kptfj60]

If you are stuck and need to get moving then take a hammer and tap on the levers where the cable attaches. This will free you up enough to get going. However, you don't want to be out of gear or on a hill when you do so or she'll roll right over you.

 

[westtx_cruiser]

i have rebuilt the bellcranks on both sides and they didn't seem to be the cause of the sticking. After releasing the brake, it will eventually disengage on its own. It must be the cable. My guess is that the cable isn't sliding through the sheathing well. Should i replace the cable? If so, any recommendations on where to purchase?

 

[jdunkman]

i have rebuilt the bellcranks on both sides and they didn't seem to be the cause of the sticking. After releasing the brake, it will eventually disengage on its own. It must be the cable. My guess is that the cable isn't sliding through the sheathing well. Should i replace the cable? If so, any recommendations on where to purchase?

Any one of the dealers that affers a discount. I usually call Champion Toyota (Used to be Jay Marks) in TX, I believe. Its been a while. They used to advertise in Trails, maybe still do.

Champion Toyota Gulf Freeway Houston Texas Toyota Dealer South Texas Toyota Dealer Autonation Toyota Dealer New Toyota Used Toyota Preowned Toyota Pre-Owned Toyota Certified Toyota Cars Toyota Trucks Toyota SUV?s Toyota Sales Toyota Service Toyota

John

 

[WES1977]

Ok I have this problem with the bell cranks sticking and it doesn't engage the parking brake enough to do anything. I have adjusted the cable on the hand pull to it's max. I pulled the drum and pulling the ebrake maxes out the bell crank and I still don't get enough to stop the wheel. The brake does work with the normal pedal but i'm guessing i'll have to adjust something in side the drum to fix that problem. Right now i'm going to pull and clean out the bell cranks and see if I can at least get them to release. I don't have a FSM and the haynes manual sucks.

 

[Wile E Coyote]

Ok I have this problem with the bell cranks sticking and it doesn't engage the parking brake enough to do anything. I have adjusted the cable on the hand pull to it's max. I pulled the drum and pulling the ebrake maxes out the bell crank and I still don't get enough to stop the wheel. The brake does work with the normal pedal but i'm guessing i'll have to adjust something in side the drum to fix that problem. Right now i'm going to pull and clean out the bell cranks and see if I can at least get them to release. I don't have a FSM and the haynes manual sucks.

Give back some adjustment in the handle (take away from maxed out adjustment), service the bellcranks, adjust the star wheels ****Note how much brake shoes you have left****, then fine tune the handle for tight at 7-9 clicks per fsm.
Finally, start using the friggin e-brake, and never have this problem again until you need rear brakes again.

 

[WES1977]

Give back some adjustment in the handle (take away from maxed out adjustment), service the bellcranks, adjust the star wheels ****Note how much brake shoes you have left****, then fine tune the handle for tight at 7-9 clicks per fsm.
Finally, start using the friggin e-brake, and never have this problem again until you need rear brakes again.

Yeah this ebrake looks like it's never worked. I'm having a hell of a time getting the pins out because they are rusted out on the bell crank. I'm soaking them right now. I bent up 2 flat blade screw drivers.

Oh i've had this cruiser less than a week. I use ebrakes all the time.

 

[Wile E Coyote]

Wes, I hear ya about the ebrake never getting used by the PO. Mine too, were frozen, and the PO had never used it. My brakes were pretty weak (downright scary) until I fixed the problem.

For the FSM, try Master Portal - forums.bauchan.org/Downloads and download it in pdf. Yep, it's the real fsm, and yep, it will download just fine.

 

[WES1977]

For those of you who don't know what phosphoric acid is.

I couldn't get the cable off of the bell crank cause the pin is rusted tight. Sledge hammer and screw drivers, and pb blaster were no match. So I soaked it 20 hrs in this

 

[WES1977]

results after wiping with a paper towel and did manage to get it off with a screw driver afterwards.

Oh and that stuff is not dirt.


now i'm going to soak the whole thing cause now I can't get the other pin out.


I do reuse the stuff alot