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1980 - 1986 Bullnose F100, F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks Discuss the Early Eighties Bullnose Ford Truck

Parking Brake Pedal Return Spring?

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Old Oct 22, 2016 | 07:05 PM
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Parking Brake Pedal Return Spring?

Greetings All,

Does the parking brake pedal assembly have a return spring? Recently my parking brake pedal started drooping down a couple of inches when released. Even if I lift the pedal, it droops back down.

The rest of the pedal operation seems unchanged, i.e. it has the same amount of travel, effort required, etc.

Is the spring on the cable the only thing that raises the pedal? I looked all around the pedal assembly and didn't see any place for a spring.
 
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Old Oct 22, 2016 | 07:27 PM
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Make sure your shoes aren't sticking, cables aren't binding, and shoes are adjusted properly to the drums. If that's all good, you'll need to tighten up the adjustment on the cable equalizer near the rear tire on drivers side. It's probably a ball of rust, but heat and penetrating oil will help.
 
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Old Oct 22, 2016 | 07:43 PM
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Originally Posted by cadunkle
Make sure your shoes aren't sticking, cables aren't binding, and shoes are adjusted properly to the drums. If that's all good, you'll need to tighten up the adjustment on the cable equalizer near the rear tire on drivers side. It's probably a ball of rust, but heat and penetrating oil will help.
I would say that is right as I don't remember a spring on the pedal assy. but can check the one I have out of the truck to make sure.
Dave ----
 
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Old Oct 22, 2016 | 07:53 PM
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The pedal assembly has a clock spring inside and the cable has a pair of return springs on the outside of the frame rail beneath the driver.
 
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Old Oct 22, 2016 | 09:00 PM
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Originally Posted by ArdWrknTrk
The pedal assembly has a clock spring inside
Perfect, exactly what I needed to know. I'm planning to pull the pedal assembly and investigate further.

Any idea if that clock spring is available separately? Or was it only sold as part of the pedal assembly?
 
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Old Oct 22, 2016 | 09:54 PM
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I don't think the spring is a 'part'. The assembly is $200 from LMC iirc.
 
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Old Oct 23, 2016 | 01:39 PM
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Originally Posted by ArdWrknTrk
I don't think the spring is a 'part'. The assembly is $200 from LMC iirc.
Assuming the spring broke off at the bend on one of the ends (the most likely place), is it possible to rebend that end and save some money? Would it (the spring, not the money) hold up reasonably well?

Any metallurgists out there? Should I heat, bend, and then quench? Or let it air cool? Or maybe bend it cold?
 
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Old Oct 23, 2016 | 01:50 PM
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Karl,

IIRC the small clock spring in the pedal assembly is what returns the release handle and has nothing to do with the pedal itself returning to an "off" position.

The pedal itself is sprung by a much larger spring on the driver's side behind the cab, it's where the single cable from the pedal gets distributed to the two cables that lead to the rear wheels. I used to have some good pictures of that at one time but crawl under your truck right behind the front door and take a look at that stuff, it's mounted to the frame rail.

As others have said, you might also pay attention to the cables themselves as they'll rust to the sheaths if left unused.
 
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Old Oct 23, 2016 | 02:30 PM
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Originally Posted by ctubutis
Karl,

IIRC the small clock spring in the pedal assembly is what returns the release handle and has nothing to do with the pedal itself returning to an "off" position.

As others have said, you might also pay attention to the cables themselves as they'll rust to the sheaths if left unused.
Thanks for the info. I'm probably getting ahead of myself anyway. I need to crawl underneath and check the cables first. I always use the parking brake, so if the cables are binding, at least it's not from inactivity...

I need the truck for the next two weeks so don't want to start tearing it apart and then put it all back together while waiting for parts. I guess I should just wait until then before taking anything apart.
 
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Old Oct 23, 2016 | 02:34 PM
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Old Oct 23, 2016 | 03:17 PM
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The return spring for the handle is a compression spring concentric with the handle shaft.
​​​​​​​It is retained by the bushing where the handle meets the body.

eta: maybe the clock spring I'm thinking of has to do with the pawl.
I do know that I replaced the assembly when i asked my buddy to *tack* the pivot pin in place and he decided a full penetration weld (both sides) was the answer.
​​​​​​​this ruined any temper and any chance of opening it up for repair.
 
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Old Nov 12, 2016 | 08:44 PM
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Update: I finally had some free time to pull the parking brake lever assembly this afternoon. I'd been so busy rioting in downtown Portland the past few days and have barely had any free time. I'd been hoping to loot a new flat screen TV but I wasn't fast enough.

On my '84, the only spring in the lever assembly was for the ratcheting pawl, hidden in the top left corner of this picture:



Actually, there's a second spring to retract the release handle (on the shaft). There was no spring to retract the pedal itself, nor any provisions that I could see. The pedal retract force comes entirely from the 3 springs on the cable run. (1 spring at each rear wheel, and the third spring at the tension adjuster)

Curiously, the 3 mounting fasteners are all metric. I hate when SAE and metric fasteners are used together.
 
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Old Nov 12, 2016 | 09:04 PM
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Sorry for not getting back sooner.
I did check my assy and found the same as posted above.
Dave ----
 
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