Bought a '99 XLT 2wd 5spd a couple months ago as a beater/fishing/hunt truck. It runs great and I have done a couple things like front end joints, tires and some other little stuff here and there. Since I bought the truck the parking brake has not worked. I recently purchased new cables from the equalizer to the back wheels and all new hardware, wheel cylinders, shoes, drums and all that to "overhaul" the rear brakes. The parking brake still doesn't seem to work like it should. I can adjust the barking brake adjuster so the parking brake does work, but then the shoes drag. It seems like the cables aren't pulling enough, but the parking brake pedal is going to the floor, with little resistance. I have seen a couple ways the cables have been routed, and not sure if mine are, or if I have the correct cables. when i engage the parking brake, the cable on the right rear "the worst" moves 1 inch. and just makes resistance on the drum, but still easyish to turn by hand. If i manipulate the cable, it tightens up, like it isn't being supported enough under tension and looses its pull when the parking brake is being engaged. I bought all the same manufacturer stuff, Advance Auto/Carquest Wearever line of parts. Should be all 10 inch brake stuff w/o hd suspension.

I am not sure if the routing that in there previous was correct, and would like to see what a working setup is supposed to look like. Any assistance with this would be appreciated.

 

Welcome to the forum

Have a read here and see if your Parking brake setup is the same as this one: https://www.ranger-forums.com/genera...spring-156624/

Rangers had SEVERAL parking brake setups over the years

There is a self adjustment on all Parking brakes, hold out the parking brake release handle and pump the parking brake pedal
If it gets "tighter" then OK, you can not over adjust it, if it doesn't get "tighter" then there are other issues

 

Thanks a lot. I viewed this picture on a google search as well, and think im going to try it out. I believe the image shows the cable routed behind the right shock...mine is definitely in front of it. I'll play with it tomorrow.

 

Got the parking brake working real nice. I rerouted the cables, to the image RonD provided except I omitted the pretzel by the left leaf hangar...with no avail. The ebrake still sucks after the reroute. I did some measuring and studying of the system and found that ford made a super simple system way more complicated than necessary. Anyway, after probably 20 hours total working on the rear brakes in an effort to get the ebrake in operation, I decided that something in the system was too long, or stretched. I chose to cut the intermediate cable in half and added a turnbuckle. take up the slack and surprise surprise, that ebrake works. Pedal goes about 2/3rds of the way to the floor and **** stiff. No brake drag and truck doesn't move at all. I'm not sure what is too long, but the turnbuckle and clamps cost me about $9, so i'll ride with it as long as it lasts.

 

Nice work

Thanks for posting the FIX

 

No problem #RonD, I feel that some kind of adjustment mechanism should have been designed into the system, but it is what it is. Although relatively simple, I am not sure if the cables i bought were just too long or if the intermediate or forward cables were stretched with time. Who knows, but this would be a budget fix for those who might need it, to pass inspection or for someone like me, who has no inspection but likes the parking brake operational. I had a 5 speed silverado about 10 years ago that would mosey its way down the driveway in the night due to weak parking brake. Kinda embarrassing