You guys are lucky, I have the opposite.
If I put my parking break on it won't release, the cable goes slack till I put some vice grips on the cable and hammer it back into the sleeve (towards the drub). I have replaced every part of the system, nothing fixes this.

 

+1 on the self-adjust. Hacking in another adjuster is just that - a hack. And won't address the problem.

FIRST thing to check -- do both rear cables work?

Separate from the parking brake issue, if the drum acts like it's out of round when you spin the wheel/tire, you need to turn or replace the drum.

 

Both rear cables on mine work. I spread the shoes with the E-Brake when I had the drums off. It released well too. I am going to take the mechanism off the truck and see how the dude works and if it just needs some adjustment or cleaning or spring re-loading? The Clymers manual I have discusses nothing about the unit and it's operation except changing the cables.

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So it looks like I can get the front cable and the foot pedal assembly out pretty easily to have a look. I can't see one thing about it while it is in the truck. I don't even see how you could remove the cable from the pedal assembly. Update tomorrow

 

Well, there is very little information out there regarding this entire set up from the pedal to the shoes. The parts department at our Ford Truck Center says he remembers people shortening the intermediate cable to correct the issue we seem to have. He does not remember people buying the pedal assembly to correct the problem. Looking at the pedal/ratchet assembly, there doesn't seem to be any way to disassemble it. Of course at this point I can't even see how you would unhook the front cable from it yet. I will know more about that tomorrow. I bought another intermediate cable just in case I lose it mentally and decide to "hack it" and install a turn buckle to fix it.

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I saw a thread somewhere with instructions on adjusting, or replacing the front cable. I can't remember where I saw it, but it was only a couple months ago at the most. Want to say it was when I was replacing one of the rear cables that was hanging up, I was having trouble getting the end back into the splitter thing where the two rear cables attach to the intermediate. I almost ended up trying to deal with the pedal adjustment, but then realized I could just hook up a ratchet strap to tension the rear cables enough to slip the intermediate one in.

Anyways... there is a way to reset the adjustment thing in the pedal assembly. It might end up being a pain in the *** though.

 

In a nutshell, have an assistant hold the release handle, then pull on the front cable under the truck, then have the assistant let go of the release handle. That puts the front cable in full slack, and allows you to connect the intermediate. Then you work the pedal and the release a few times, and the auto-ratchet mechanism in the pedal/release assembly adjusts the cable.

If I get a chance sometime this weekend, and if I don't forget, I'll scan and post the FSM pages.

But if the OP's rear cables are working, and the shoes are spreading, there's nothing wrong with the cables or the pedal. It's all doing what it should. If it's still not grabbing, then there's probably foreign matter on the drums or the shoes. And as said, the parking brake is not very effective against reverse motion.

 

So I got this dude off and the cable that is attached to the pedal has some chafing on it so I purchased a new one. I don't really think that has anything to do with the issue. What I did find was the clear rubber bumper that the "dog" hits when you release the brake was eaten away and could likely cause no reaction for the dude to catch on the ratcheting devise. The other thing is between the "dog'' and the ratchet there is a plastic "damper" of some sort that is now broken. Not sure if it was broken before I started looking at it but it is certainly broken and out of there now. Looking at the mechanism, it looks to me like it will still self adjust with out it. This thing may have just been in there to quiet the self adjusting mechanism or maybe not. I may take a drive to pick and pull and see if they have one on a parts truck. Will have it back together around 4:00PM Pacific Time.


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But if the OP's rear cables are working, and the shoes are spreading, there's nothing wrong with the cables or the pedal. It's all doing what it should. If it's still not grabbing, then there's probably foreign matter on the drums or the shoes. And as said, the parking brake is not very effective against reverse motion.[/QUOTE]



There is not going to be any foreign matter in my rear brakes, I just replaced the drums, shoes, springs, wheel cylinders and whatever else was not in correct working order. This is why I am on a quest to get the E. Brake working right. Just want it all to work right or at least as right as fomoco designed it to work!


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^^^^^ Whole assembly from a parts truck might be a worthwhile boneyard grab.

 

So I got the new cable on the pedal and the pedal installed on the truck. It definitely seems like there is more when I step on the E-Brake and the rears still roll free when released. Wont really know if they hold on a hill til tomorrow when I get it off the stands. I am hoping the problem was the "dog" not being triggered when the E-Brake was released. I think I will go to the Bone Yard and pick up a spare to have, maybe two!


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