Locked Up E-Brake

[brwntom]

so yea, new problem here guys. yesterday morning went to go run around in my truck. Went to back down my driveway and the e-break was stuck, the peddle released and moved fine, but didn't seem to release in the drum. had to put a lot of power to the rear wheels to get it to move. What caused my e-break to do this, and how can I fix/prevent this?

Thanks for all the help

 

[Chris.S.]

What's the weather like where you are?

I've had mine freeze before, took to an underground parkade for a few hours to thaw...

 

[JeepRecoveryTeam]

yeap bet there was water on it. if there is then it will freeze up.

 

[DangeRanger302]

you know, i had some weird stuff happen to mine. when i first got my truck, someone had sprayed on a protective coating of this rubber/plastic stuff. they sprayed it on my return spring mechanism for my e-brake and i found that my e brake wouldn't release until that was clear. point being, try looking at your return mechanism, see if it was clogged with ice, or a coating, or just unhooked.

 

[gettle03FX4LevelII]

All three that i have owned locks up. both 94's and my 03 does it too. its probably rust in the e-brake you can get a new cable and replace it. i just go to the point where i just did not use mine unless it was necessary. It mostly did lock up in the winter though probably wet from the snow and just froze up. You can try WD40 on the cable and work the e-brake and see if that works. what worked for me to release it if it was stuck is to find were it goes into the drum and shake the cable and that usually made it release.

 

[wizkid00104]

Mine locked up because the retainers for the brake shoes disintegrated. If this is the case, get new spring retainers and a spring kit, do both wheels and save yourself the hassle.

 

[4x4RangerGuy]

If you're in cold weather, they're frozen up. Let them thaw, or take a hairdryer to the drum (this will take a while).

However, don't drive it. I burnt up my axle seals and rear brakes once because I thought the ebrake had released when it reality it was still frozen.

 

[feellnfroggy]

Are you sure it was the ebrake? After rolling for a while it would have thawed or burned up, in which case you would have smelled it.

 

[93_ranger]

i've had mine freeze up due to rust (good ol salt on the road) i replaced the lines and it ended up freezing up again. to unstick it get a vice grips and pull like hell forwards on the cable under the drivers seat along the frame rail. i eventually ended up removing mine all together and getting a set of chocks.

 

[97ranger4x4]

Yeh guessing by the snow on the ground in your picture. I would say it froze. I had it happen to my truck one time and it scared the shit outta me.

 

[Mark_88]

Mine used to stick quite often...I got into a habit of reaching under and yanking on the cable just below the driver's side door...helps if you have long arms...I could do it from my seat...

But, then again, having it fixed or thawed is always better...mine turned out to be the connector on the shoe was seizing up...I put on new shoes and used brake grease on the pivot shaft to keep it working better...in fact...that's why they make brake grease and if you don't apply it to the points specified (and a few that are not) then they will end up seizing again eventually...

 

[brwntom]

Thanks guys!! I am leaning toward the fact that they were just frozen because there was water on the roads from the snow melting and the ground still being frozen. Then it got below freezing that night. so mhmmness... plus i just wasn't driving through the 6" puddles, i was goin like 40-50 through em lol

 

[OilPatch197]

They usually freeze right before they enter the drum. I set my parking brake after a heavy rain, it got COLD and snowed. The next morning I drove 1/8th mile on snow covered road before I realized my brake was frozen! We loosened her up with a propane torch.

 

[ranger_mclaren]

Mine froze once when it still worked, i just reached under and yanked a couple times on it and it released a little more violent than what the others said but its fast and it worked!

 

[REDRUM]

been there too.

i poured a bucket of HOT water on the drums and that worked.

I stopped using the p-brake in the winter, had no problems since.