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Looking for help with parking brakes


Noflers

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My number one concern is that the parking brake on my 99 2wd Ranger doesn't work, and since I love on a hill that worries me. Before inspecting the drum and pads I tightened the star wheel as much as possible, but only had limited grab and only on one side. I pulled the drum off the side that didn't grab and the pads were bald, but I also noticed that the pads didn't even move when I engaged the brake. I obviously need new pads, but do I also need the cylinder that sits between the two shoes?
 


JoshT

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That's the wheel cylinder, it is for your regular breaks not the parking brake. If it's not leaking don't replace it.

To me it sounds like you P-brake cable might be seized. Mine did that once on my older truck and I found a piece of something wedged where the cable exits the housing into the drum, once I got that out it proceeded to work fine. Might try to spray some penetrant into the cable housing from either end and work the cable to see if it loosens up?
 

Noflers

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I'll try that, but there is a wheel cylinder on the back brakes. I thought the back only had the parking brakes.

What should I use for a penetrating spray?
 

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Lot more there than just the parking brake. No offense dude, but if you didn't know that you might want to get a repair manual for the truck before you start messing with the brakes.
 

Noflers

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Well I'm more a 'do it to learn it' type of person. I got the front barakes done today, going to do the back brakes tomorrow.
 

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Well, brakes are pretty damn important and you should really buy a manual for ~$25,00. The life you save could be mine! There are pictures in there that will really help if you can't read. Also use your phone and take pics before and during taking it apart, those pics can really help when putting it back together.
 

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Well I'm more a 'do it to learn it' type of person.
That's all well and good for most things, but it is the absolute worst way to learn brakes. It is dangerous to just guess with brakes. I learned brakes that way and almost go into a number of accidents because of the things I didn't know.

Drum brakes look complicated, but really aren't that bad, if you have the right tools and know how things go. Take lots of pictures, and pay attention to the little details. It matters which shoe goes on the front and which goes on the back, it matters which way the springs and the adjuster face, stuff like that that may seem to be just a minor detail, not important if it's not exactly how it was, can make the system not work right, or worse yet fall apart.


When I was 17 I did the shoes on the back of my Ranger. I put them on backwards (rear shoe was in the front of the drum) and for 6 months every time I set the parking brake the adjuster pawl fell out and the brakes got screwy, just because I had the shoes not backwards.
 

96firephoenix

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I'd recommend buying the cables and just doing them all at once. I took mine to a shop when a wheel cyl blew, and the cables were so bad that they wouldn't release and kept glazing brand new shoes. They put a new return spring at the intermediate mount and new cables from there back (cable from the pedal looked brand new).

They work splendidly now.
 

Noflers

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I just finished doing the drum brakes. Those springs really are a mother f*****. Found out both star wheels were seized up. My parking brake still only works partially. My only guess is that the parking brake cables are stretched...
 

alwaysFlOoReD

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Did you check how freely the cables moved inside?
Yes, the springs can be a bitch without the right tools. For a while all I had were visegrips, not fun.
 

Noflers

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All I had were channel locks. Everything on the inside is pretty tight, but the cable running underneath the truck is loose.
 

alwaysFlOoReD

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I meant how the cable moves inside the cable cover. It would have to be disconnected from both the lever inside the drum and the third cable under the drivers door. If the inner portion slides back and forth easily then it's fine. On older ones the covering can get worn rubbibg on suspension and water gets in and rusts the cable. It's one of those things you should check while the brakes are apart. This is if the system is the same as the earlier rangers that I have experience with.
 

Noflers

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Ahhh, I see. Yes, the cable moves freely inside the cable housing.
 

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