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ok so on my ranger I have replaced all rear brake equipment I replaced the passenger,driver & intermediate parking brake cables my e brake still isn’t getting tight enough to engage my intermediate cable is 31” which is for my truck 6’ bed seems like I need at least a 30” intermediate cable Because the one I have now seems like an inch too long.
I don’t wanna change my front e-brake cable it seems like a royal pain to do. I called my local parts store they said they don’t sell a 30” cable for my truck.
What else can I do to tighten the cable up? I have to have it my truck is a manual and I’m trying to get it too pass state inspection
Have you verified that the star adjusters are properly adjusted? If they aren't you'll never get the parking brake cable to engage fully. The drums should drag slightly when not engaged.
If everything else is in order there is a last resort option. A universal brake cable slack adjuster can be used to tighten up a stretched cable. They go on an exposed section of cable and bend it to shorten the length. They do cause some damage to the cable over time though so again, last resort only. They cost about 5 bucks online. Just google them.
Have you verified that the star adjusters are properly adjusted? If they aren't you'll never get the parking brake cable to engage fully. The drums should drag slightly when not engaged.
If everything else is in order there is a last resort option. A universal brake cable slack adjuster can be used to tighten up a stretched cable. They go on an exposed section of cable and bend it to shorten the length. They do cause some damage to the cable over time though so again, last resort only. They cost about 5 bucks online. Just google them.
soni bought the cable adjuster and it still didn’t help the issue
Have you held out Parking brake release handle and pumped the parking brake pedal?
Thats how you adjust it, you should feel it get tighter as you pump the pedal.
The pedal mechanism should tighten up and it also expands the Star wheel adjustment so brakes shoes are at correct distance from drums
The star wheels on all rear brake systems adjust when you back up and apply the brakes OR use the Parking brake, they can NOT adjust when going forward and using the brakes.
People that park on the street, so don't back up much, or don't use the E-brake, will often notice rear brakes don't seem to be working well, couple of pumps of Parking brake pedal will fix that
Ford used different Parking Brake pedal mechanisms and cables over the years so having the year of your Ranger would be helpful for more specific information
Have you held out Parking brake release handle and pumped the parking brake pedal?
Thats how you adjust it, you should feel it get tighter as you pump the pedal.
The pedal mechanism should tighten up and it also expands the Star wheel adjustment so brakes shoes are at correct distance from drums
The star wheels on all rear brake systems adjust when you back up and apply the brakes OR use the Parking brake, they can NOT adjust when going forward and using the brakes.
People that park on the street, so don't back up much, or don't use the E-brake, will often notice rear brakes don't seem to be working well, couple of pumps of Parking brake pedal will fix that
Ford used different Parking Brake pedal mechanisms and cables over the years so having the year of your Ranger would be helpful for more specific information
no I haven’t done that and my ranger is a 2002 edge 4.0
The star wheels should never be left turned closed all the way, after installing the rear brake system but before putting on the drums turn each star wheel "out" at least 1 full turn.
If left closed they can jamb closed, so arm can't move them when backing up or using park brake pedal to adjust them "out"
Then before putting wheels back on pump parking brake to adjust the star wheels, so make sure they are tightening the brake shoes
And just a general heads up, there is a LEFT and RIGHT star wheel, they are not the same, one is reverse threads, if you swap them then e-brake will never get tight, and rear brakes in general will not work well.
The star wheels should never be left turned closed all the way, after installing the rear brake system but before putting on the drums turn each star wheel "out" at least 1 full turn.
If left closed they can jamb closed, so arm can't move them when backing up or using park brake pedal to adjust them "out
Then before putting wheels back on pump parking brake to adjust the star wheels, so make sure they are tightening the brake shoes
And just a general heads up, there is a LEFT and RIGHT star wheel, they are not the same, one is reverse threads, if you swap them then e-brake will never get tight, and rear brakes in general will not work well.
i may have have them mixed up Bc I dropped them and they scattered I lost track which one goes on what side so I will switch them and see what happen
But I did remove the intermediate cable and I pulled on the rear cable and the park brake shoe engaged so I think most of the problem is cable not tight enough
When the arm pushes down on the star wheel it should unscrew making shoes wider, tighter to drum
Adjust the star screws out so drum barely goes on, then you can adjust the rest of the way with e-brake pedal
i got a shorter intermediate parking brake cable it’s hooked up but now I can’t get the part of the cable (shown in pic) to go back onto the parking brake shoe any ideas on this?
The lever is located behind the rear shoe, you pull back the cable's spring to install lever onto the cable.
The lever then attaches to the rear shoe up above axle hole level, it uses a C-clip
There is a metal cross bar above axle hole level that is part of the parking brake system, as cable is pulled tight the lever moves toward the center and, via the metal bar, pushes front shoe out to press against brake drum, the pivot point of the lever(on rear shoe) then pushes back shoe out against drum, to make both shoes tight against the drum
The lever is located behind the rear shoe, you pull back the cable's spring to install lever onto the cable.
The lever then attaches to the rear shoe up above axle hole level, it uses a C-clip
There is a metal cross bar above axle hole level that is part of the parking brake system, as cable is pulled tight the lever moves toward the center and, via the metal bar, pushes front shoe out to press against brake drum, the pivot point of the lever(on rear shoe) then pushes back shoe out against drum, to make both shoes tight against the drum
Ok so I got everything hooked up correctly I got the tires on and tried to drive it but seems like the brakes are holding the truck back. The adjusters are all the way in every thing is right
Ok so I got everything hooked up correctly I got the tires on and tried to drive it but seems like the brakes are holding the truck back. The adjusters are all the way in every thing is right
can you take a pic of the brakes with the drum off? They cant be "right" and sticking so bad they hold the truck back. (No offense intended)
If you were able to get the drum on, then shoes are not too tight
New shoes are not perfectly arc'd to match drums, so some light rubbing will be heard for a week or so, but will NOT slow the wheel down, i.e. dragging brake.
The whole brake assembly is free to move/pivot on the top mounting stud above the slave
There are flat spots on the back plate that can be greased LIGHTLY that allows easier movement of the assembly
This prevents shoes from rubbing when no brake pressure is applied.
Test if there is pressure at the rear brakes when pedal is up
Turn engine on so you have power assist, pump brake pedal several times
Turn engine off
Loosen bleeder valve on a rear brake slave, there should be NO PRESSURE
If you get a squirt of pressure then there is another problem in the system
Test other rear brake the same way
Flexible brake lines can break internally, so no leaks, but it acts like a valve and doesn't release pressure, causing brakes to rub, this is more common on front brakes.
Rear ABS valve/module can cause this holding of pressure
Master/proportioning valve can as well
If the old rear shoes were worn down on one side much more than the other then it could be this pressure release issue was a problem before you replaced the shoes
Have you held out Parking brake release handle and pumped the parking brake pedal?
Thats how you adjust it, you should feel it get tighter as you pump the pedal.
The pedal mechanism should tighten up and it also expands the Star wheel adjustment so brakes shoes are at correct distance from drums
The star wheels on all rear brake systems adjust when you back up and apply the brakes OR use the Parking brake, they can NOT adjust when going forward and using the brakes.
People that park on the street, so don't back up much, or don't use the E-brake, will often notice rear brakes don't seem to be working well, couple of pumps of Parking brake pedal will fix that
Ford used different Parking Brake pedal mechanisms and cables over the years so having the year of your Ranger would be helpful for more specific information
What does it mean if the pedal doesn't ever tighten up while holding out the cable?
06-22-2018
