YJ's e'brake d.o.a.

[M G D]

Well before I tear the emergency brake assembly out of the cab thought I'd ask if anyone could suggest an easier route. Pulled it in to the drive-way tonight pushed down the e'brake and it wouldn't "catch" or hold. Chilton's is no help, can anyone explain how the rachet mechanism works? I can see the gear that holds the brake but not the piece that holds the gear. Anyone ever had to fix theirs... is there an ez fix like a pin that tends to drop out or just suck it up and R & R? Thanks for any help or suggestions. MGD

 

[SteelHeadz]

The ratchet mechanism is spring loaded to engage and lock the pedal on the position it's engaged to. If the ratchet is binding or the spring that pushes the ratchet lock is broken, it will fail to engage. The best way i know how to diagnose this is to remove the e-brake pedal assembly. To do this, crawl under the cab(driver side) and locate the cable equalizer where the 2 cables on the rear meets the one cable to the front. You should be able to unhook the single cable from the equalizer bar. Unbolt the pedal assembly. 2 bolts from the firewall under the hood, driverside and one under the dash by the release handle. After getting the pedal assembly loose, disconnect the cable from the pedal assembly and the e-brake light switch connector. If the mechanism is dirty and rusty, you might be able to clean it up and spray some rust penetrant while you work out mechanism back and forth to loosen it up. If the spring is broken, you will need to replace it. I don't know if those are serviced individually or as a unit.

 

[M G D]

SteelHeadz, Your description of possible problems and options to fix are excellent, I'll jump on it tonight and many thanks for your help. MGD

 

[tp=n=yj]

their was/is recall for e-brake if you check forjeep recalls

 

[TwistedCU]

their was/is recall for e-brake if you check forjeep recalls

Yeah I found out about that right after my first YJ rolled down a hill into a parked Chevy S10. They were releasing themselves.

Not sure if this would help the OP, but you should check with a dealership to see if yours has been done and if it is not too late. Maybe you'll get a free fix out of the deal.

For the record, my jeep annihilated the S10's tailgate, just a scratch on the old YJ (a 92). Advantage - Jeep!