So im trying to get my e brake working. Kept breaking the ford replacement equalizer cable. The one off the handle that connects to the L and R cables. Anyways. today i was yanking on the cables with vice grips trying to see if the ebrake was working by hand and it isnt. The cables are new and move freely under the car and in the drum. I had my pops under the car and i was watching the cable inside the drum.

It pulls the lever thats attached to the rear shoe but does not move out the primary shoe to actually hold the wheel. I looked in my haynes manual and it looks like im missing a "link spring" that goes on one end of the ebrake bar (between the two shoes) im guessing the spring is there to keep tension between the bar and lever so theres no freeplay, which there is about 1/2 inch of free play.

Now, when the cable is pulled the lever is moved out towards the center of the drum, i took a flat head screwdriver and pushed the bar a bit further which pushed out the shoes and looks like it would hold the wheel.

Ive been fighting this for a while and cannot get this to work. The hardware kits at canadian tire, rock auto, late model resto, all do not include the link spring that i think i need. If u dont know what im talking about look in the haynes manual and the break down of the drum brakes. Im really trying to figure this out and i really want this to work.anyone whos been through this before help please?? Thanks

 

go to your ford dealer and buy one, or go to the wrecking yard. looks like someone didn't put in all the peices when the rear brakes were replaed.

 

actually i just came in from fixing it... made my own cable and equalizer. Those springs werent the issue. And they were not the primary secondary and adjuster spring btw..

 

so............ share with the group.

 

All I did was take a 1/8" cable I had laying around already with an end on it. Set up the tension on the handle installed cable & handle. Underneath used one of those loop things for steel cable through the equalizer and then 2 of the cable clamps (like exhaust u bolt clamps) That way i actually had my own adjustment to it. Worked for a while but have to pull up gently with foot on brake. Let off brake pull up some more and would hold. Was weird. Anyways my brother broke it a while back and am now trying to fix it again but screwed up the length of cable so said **** it its getting late. Will take pics when I fix it.