Parking brake cable disconnected

[EJLJL]

Hi all, first post here, I recently noticed when I pull the parking brake handle it seems very loose, like it's not even engaging. I looked under the rear wheels and see the driver's side cable unhooked! This is a completely stock JLU.

I released the brake handle to create slack in the cable and I am unable to pull the hook enough to attach it back, i'm about 1/4" away from getting it to hook. Even when pulling the tab it hooks onto I can't get it close enough to attach. Ideas?

TIA!

Sponsored

 

[limeade]

Three possible fixes:

Take it to dealer and hopefully they will re-attach it via warranty. But I like to fix stuff myself so.....

Put a screwdriver through the hole in the e-brake attachment and pull it out as far as you can. While holding it out, put a pair of locking pliers (vise-grips) onto the stem as close to the back plate as possible so it stays out. Hopefully, you can then pull the cable just far enough to slip the hook into the hole.

If you still don't have enough slack in the cable, then you're going to have to create slack at the brake adjuster bracket, which is under the rear part of the center console. The quickest and least intrusive way is to remove the bolts from the rear of the console, one on each side, which are hidden underneath a small squarish trim piece. Once you get these trim pieces off, remove each bolt and lift up the rear of the console carefully until you get resistance. If you lift it too far, you'll probably break something at the front of the console. The harder and more intrusive way is to remove the whole console, which gives you plenty of room to work, but takes longer.

Use a flash light and look under the console and you will see a shiny metal bracket which has two slots on the top and a piece of all-thread stock with a nut pointing towards the rear of the jeep. This is the e-brake adjuster bracket. Using a deep well socket, some extensions, and a ratchet, turn the adjuster nut to the left to loosen the adjuster and this will create slack in the e-brake cables. There's not a lot of room with only the rear of the console lifted up, but it is doable. Make sure the e-brake handle is down and count how many times you turned the ratchet (lefty loosey/righty tighty) to loosen the nut. When there's enough slack in the cable, you can then re-attached the cable at the axle.

Once the cable is back on you can remove the vise-grips and you're probably going to need to tighten the adjuster since there might be too much slack. Tighten the adjuster nut the same number of times you counted when you loosened it. You will then need to verify your e-brake cables aren't too tight and may need to loosen/tighten from where the nut was originally.

To check, place the rear axle on jack stands so you can spin each tire. As you spin the tire, the e-brake shouldn't be dragging (do this with the brake handle down). You should be able to both feel and hear any e-brake drag and the tire won't spin freely. If you do have drag, and this part works best with someone in the cab, loosen the adjuster nut until there's no drag. You want it adjusted right at the point before the e-brakes start to drag. It will probably take a few sequences of tightening and loosening to figure it out. Verify this on the other tire and you should be good to go. I would then activate the e-brake handle to verify it's working and feels similar in resistance to how it was before the cable became detached.

If you have the e-brake cables too tight, you should be able to quickly realize it after your first drive. The e-brake shoes will be dragging, which will cause the rear rotor assemblies to get super hot and you'll be able to smell the overheated brake shoes.

 

[EJLJL]

Update, took the JL to the dealer and they fixed it under warranty. I jump in, and here's how careless the technician's work was. Handle is crooked, and loose nut sitting on the shift boot

 

[four low]

Handle is offset for hand clearance when lever is down, from the factory.
Extra Nut, now that's a Question

 

[Rhinebeck01]

Update, took the JL to the dealer and they fixed it under warranty. I jump in, and here's how careless the technician's work was. Handle is crooked, and loose nut sitting on the shift boot

@EJLJL

That E-Brake is as it should be... as designed.... all JL's E-Brakes are like that.

Nut laying there.... yes, Tech should have cleared that out of there.

Hopefully, that nu,t was not a nut he forgot to fasten something with...

Were it me, I would stop by the dealership and ask to Please, talk to the tech that did the work.
I would show him the nut that was found and ask did your JL, not need it... is all well in there... Ask politely ... do not accost the guy/tech. He will understand your concern.

 

[EJLJL]

Late update: took it back and had them double check everything, including making sure the cables weren't cinched down too tight and wheels were still free wheeling as they should when parking brake is not engaged. I was friendly and so was the service writer so all was good. They did apologize for leaving a random nut in there, they verified everything under the console was tidied up properly and the nut was not left off from something. Bonus was that it wasn't a wasted trip, the part for the recall arrived sooner than expected so they performed that as well!

Sponsored