Explorer disc parking brake....

[mjonesjr]

Anyone who has swapped in an Explorer rear disc axle and hooked the parking brake up, let me see how you did it.

 

[mjonesjr]

For anyone interested, I may have figured out a solution to making the stock parking brake cables work with the Explorer disc parking brake.

I have not done it yet, but I am gathering the parts to do it.

If you use the Lokar Rear Brake Clevis Kit for an Explorer 8.8 and cut the end off the stock parking brake cable, then feed the cable through the hole in the clevis and use a cable crimp to hold it in place. It may take some trial and error to get the brakes to hold tight, but I think this will work.


Lokar Clevis Kit:

Hooking it up like this after cutting the stock end off and removing the spring.

I will report my findings once the parts come in and I get this done.

 

[Ranger97XL]

shweet I plan on doing this swap once i get outa school, I got stuck in my front yard the other day

 

[RangerSVT]

I unhooked my ranger cable from the first clamp on the vehicle side, and then hooked up the explorer cable to it. Take a measurement between the left and right cables where they hook into each other, then take the bracket that bolts to the leaf spring eye bolt and modify (cut, add a piece to correct length)it to where it needs to be. I just added a 2 inch spacer to the right side cable and it seems to work okay, until I get another explorer donor to get the right measurement.
SVT

 

[crawlin91]

bumping this thread up for more pictures of a solution

 

[AllanD]

I unhooked my ranger cable from the first clamp on the vehicle side, and then hooked up the explorer cable to it. Take a measurement between the left and right cables where they hook into each other, then take the bracket that bolts to the leaf spring eye bolt and modify (cut, add a piece to correct length)it to where it needs to be. I just added a 2 inch spacer to the right side cable and it seems to work okay, until I get another explorer donor to get the right measurement.
SVT

Your solution is the one I've prettty much settled on, simply making my modifications to the connection between the "main" cable that comes from the pedal to allow stock, unmodified Explorer parking brake cables to be used,

the cables that rust and freeze are the REAR cables and being able to replace them with off the shelf parts is greatly prefferable to any other solution.

AD

 

[4.0B2]

I really have to get my e-brake back connected up.... thanks for bumping this! i forgot... lol

 

[kryptonitecb]

I've been meaning to do a write up on this but this will do for now. I'm using explorer brake cable to the axle with the stock ranger cable spliced into it before the bracket. Pick up the in line connector and put the explorer brake lines into it. On the front side shorten the ranger cable till it is tight. Not to tight that your e-brake pedal is to stiff or to soft. This will take some time and patience to play with it till it is the right feel for you. The cable that goes into the bracket from the passenger side caliper will be to long to engage. So pick up about 6 inches of conduit from a hardware store. On the front side use a nut to secure the conduit to the explorer L bracket mounted on the frame. Then route the passenger brake cable through the conduit to the explorer brake line adapter. Little by little cut the conduit to size till the passenger e-brake engages all the way.

As a foot note make sure that the adjusters for the e-brake shoes are set before you start this or you will be adjusting for the play at the caliper also.

I'll try to get this setup as a real write up one day so that other people don't have the problems I did.

Sent from the road while ignoring traffic

 

[legoms013]

I just shortened the adapter thingie, and used the explorer lines. I also added a small piece of 1/2" copper pipe to the end of one of the lines down by the bracket that acts as a spacer to take up some slack. And welded a square washer to the leaf hanger. Easy as butter

 

[crawlin91]

legoms013 I like it!

 

[AllanD]

as one note on PIC #2...

when using wire rope clamps (shown in the left background)
you should always as a practice install the clamps so that the cast part of the clamp
is against the "standing part" of the wire, and the U-bolts should be against the looped back free end.

the U-bolts tend to crimp the wire and if you crimp the standing part of the wire you severely weaken it, if you crimp the free end is doesn't really matter.

It's good to see that three clamps are used, but it should also be remembered that the clamp nearest the loop should not be tightened as much as the others.



AD

 

[kryptonitecb]

I had it looped back like you mentioned but had to redo it to make adjustments. The plan is to eventually have cables made to the correct length.

Sent from the road while ignoring traffic

 

[AllanD]

I see absolutely nothing wrong with your use of wire clamps.

I'm just sayong that from the pic it appears your clamps are on upside down relative to the wire.

Not real critical on something that is only stressed as much as a parking brake cable
but there's a right way to do it and you should always make it a point to "Do it right"
even when it doesn't matter.

http://www.fdlake.com/wrclips.html

I just replaced the 15' Tow chain I carried around in my truck for over a decade.
Because I'm getting old and lazy and I had a spare piece of 3/8" STAINLESS STEEL
wire rope that is just as strong but <20% of the weight of that damned chain.

And not nearly so damned noisy when it starts sliding around in the back of the truck