GGGRrrrrrrrrr! This is not my morning! It's the wife's league bowlibg day but when she got ready to leave she discovered her ride had a right front flat in the driveway. So I fired up Tom Dually and ran her to town to the bowling alley then back home to fix the flat.

I pulled up in front of the house shut her down and pushed down on the Parking brake felt the usual resistance build as I pushed it toward the floorboard and then near the end it just collasped all the way to the floor with a bang.

Now it's stuck in that position and I can't release it by pulling the park brake release lever or by trying to pull it back up by hand. I still haven't fixed the flat so will go back out and work on that while waiting to see if anyone has any ideas or maybe has had this happen to them?

Thanks in advance. I take back what I said about this not being my morning...Sometimes my mouth speaks before my brain engages. I'm having a good day.

 

I've had my cable break a few times. Its pretty easy to take off and inspect.

 

I got nothing for you Clay... sorry. Is the brake actually on?

 

Glen, thanks. I just got the flat off and am ready to take it in to be fixed. Apparently this sounds like the cable snapped? So even if the foot lever is stuck to the floor that means I can probably drive it to town with the flat as the cable won't be engaging the brake?

I guess if it rolls in neutral it would be okay to ignore the light and foot lever? Then when I get back and finish with the flat I'll climb underneath .....tho I don't have a clue what I'm looking for. If somebody would like to walk me through fixing this when I get back it would be much appreciated. I suppose I'm going to have to go to Shucks, Napa, an auto parts store or the Ford dealer for a replacement cable?

Can anyone in the know suggest what tools I may need for this fix? I'm going to go get the flat tire fixed so I can concentrate on this when I get back. Thanks, Glen.

 

Sorry Chase ...crossed posted. No I don't think so. I'm parked on a steep down hill and it rolls in easily in neutral. Thanks for the thoughts, Bud. I'm off to get the flat fixed before momma gets done bowling!

 

With the pedal down look at the top of the parking brake assembly, there should be a hole that the end of the cable snaps into. The pin may still be there as normally the cable will snap right at the pin.


To lift the pedal, simply pull the handle and pull up on the pedal.

Only tools I needed for replacement was a set of pliers. Install the pin into the pedal assembly first with the pedal down, then pull the pedal back up to connect it in the coupler under the truck.
I bought the cable at the dealer.

 

Can you pull the pedal up by hand when you release the lever? There are three sections to the cable. Mine broke right at the pedal. You will have to pull the pcm to change the cable at the pedal. I ordered from NAPA who ordered from the dealer. Just need to know which section.
Just remembered that right after I changed the first section the second one broke. You should order both to be safe.

Edit: I had to pull the pcm to change the brake lever not to change the cable. I got confused.

 

Looks like I had better check my cable if they break right at the top there.

 

On the 3 SDs that I drive I use the e-brake all the time.
Only broke one cable though.

 

Okay, got back from fixing the flat and honey do's. I was able to get the ER brake pedel back up like you said by picking up on the pedel while pulling the release. Now i find that the cable broke right where the swedged pin is attached in the pedel. Basically it pulled out of the swedge.

The swedge pin fitting in the brake lever has some bulging spurs (where the cable pulled out) that doesn't allow me to get the pin out. Is it okay to pound it out with a drift pin? Or would I better off trying to file the bulges off so I can get it through the hole? I don't want to bend something in the mechanisim.

After I get that out I don't understand how the new cable will pass through the guide that allows the cable to pass through the firewall/floor? I'm assuming the replacement cable will have fittings swedged on each end? The guide going through the floor looks to be size of the cable diameter only?

I'm thinking this maybe isn't going to be as easy as I first thought. Help?

While waiting I'm going to see if I can get the cable pulled through from under the truck.

EDIT: Oh wow, from under the truck how do you thread the new cable through that guide tube? Will the new cable have new ends/anchors that I attach after threading it through the guide?

 

Okay after getting the replacement part I can see that the part the cable slips through is called the cable guide tube. Duh...Ford guy told me that! And it is a part of the whole assembly. It doesn't come off the cable. It has a flange that looks like it will fit the hole in the floor/firewall.

So I guess I just go out and pull, yank or whatever it takes and the old one will come out. Then I guess I just try to insert the flange into the hole vacated by the broken one.

Wish me luck.

 

Good luck!

 

Okay.....I'm a little flustered....I can't figure out how to get the old cable guide out. I've just spent the last 15 to 20 contorting every which way I can and pulled, pushed and yanked. It's a mystery to me how it all came out with just a pair of pliers?

GGRrrr I'm gonna try some bigger vise graips and maybe a crowbar! Just kidding.....

 

on my 2001 there was a wire clip under the the truck were the cable goes up through the floor.

 

Four letter words! Lots of them!