My ranger's parking brake hasn't worked since i bought it. The pedal goes all the way down with ease, then releases all the way up when you pull the release handle, like normal. I looked under the cab for the cable and it looks like it's very loose. It's visible standing 10 feet from the truck hanging about 3 inches below the door. I used my logic to figure that there is probably a curved "track" that the cable is supposed to stay in, to keep it tight (like a tensioner), and has somehow popped out of this track. I've looked under there for this imaginary track and i cannot see anything of the sort. I've looked up diagrams and such but cannot figure out why my cable hangs so loosely. With the brake up the rear wheels spin freely, no brake shoe drag, and with the pedal all the way to the floor I feel a SLIGHT drag as if the mechanism in the drums is working. What should I do or look for?

 

I don't think the 1999 had an adjustment on the cable like the older rangers did, i.e. long threaded rod on the equalizer.

And no there is no slot or track that the cable runs in.

Try hold the brake release handle out and pump the e-brake pedal several times and see if it starts to work.

'99 should have an automatic tensioner on the e-brake cable pedal as well, and this could be broken if cable is hanging down that much
Rear drum brakes have a self adjusting wheel for the E-brake, it will self adjust only when you back up and put on the brakes, so if you park on the street most of the time then they never adjust.
Using the e-brake also adjusts them

 

Where is this automatic tensioner so that i may look to see if it is broken?

 

On the e-brake pedal

 

ahh. im gonna go outside and work on some of these issues.

 

This rusty spring just hangs loose. It's hanging off the e brake cable. Where does the hanging end connect to?

 

Maybe this will possibly help???


Hope this helps! I need to try it on my own truck. I wonder if the "Brake Drum Hardware Spring" she mentions is for a '94 Ranger, or??? I also sorta wonder if something I might come up with at the local hardware store might not work???

Jimmie

 

Doesn't look like a factory spring, looks like a DIYer just wanted to hold the cable up higher.
End of that spring rusted off and it broke

 

Ive seen that video, but it doesnt state that the "fix" is for a sagging, nonfunctional e brake. so i don't wanna tear into the drum. I'm very hesitant to do things like this.

 

On my 2000 Ranger, there's a spring close to the front edge of the bed; almost at the part where the bed and rear cab meet (underneath). This spring had rusted on my Ranger, and I used a tie wrap as a temporary fix until I could locate a replacement at a hardware store. This spring did nothing in the way of putting any type of spring tension to the e-brake cable itself (as described in the video), but rather simply held up the main single cable sheath that runs along the frame as it traveled back to the rear where it then splits off into two, feeding the rear wheel/drums.

 

So what should i do?

 

I pulled my truck's rear wheels off today, and then the brake drums. The brake drums needed some tapping with a hammer, but came off surprisingly easy. There was still plenty of meat left on the linings. Pushing on the e-brake pedal barely made the lever move that pushes the shoes outwards, just like in that vid.

I put the truck back together, and went to the hardware store. Bought a really stiff spring, a half-inch shorter in length than the one that was on the bracket where the cable splits. Wrestled it on, and my e-brake works mucho better now. It will actually keep the truck from moving when it's stopped, and the e-brake/parking brake is applied. It wouldn't do this before...... I could see where wire, or some really strong zip-ties, or whatever, used in place of that stock spring would probably work as well....

Jimmie

 

I'm sorry to say but, i did the same thing but with no results. i have a 2000 b3000, the Manuel says that everything is self adjusting. but just like OP i had incredible amount of slack on my cable. as a result i replaced the rear cables,the rear shoes, and all the guts including new star adjusters. but even with all this work i have the same problem, and yes i adjusted the rear drums correctly!

 

there is also and adjuster on the inside cab pedal assembly

 

cab pedal adjuster i never herd of it? i have no clue how to adjust it then.

 

the mazda dealer where i had the truck serviced , stated the pedla assembly is where the final adjustments are made on the newer models