pulled the console today to see if I could take the slack out of the hand brake and came up with this fix. there was a gap between the tag on the lever and the cable holder, so I cut a bolt and fitted it in the gap and glued it in. it's kind of a "shade tree" fix but it works.



any thoughts?

 

Have you checked to see if the recall repair has been performed on the ebrake? its a safety recall, so if it hasnt been done its still in effect.

 

there was a recall on this?

 

something to do with the ebrake yes.

 

NHTSA Recall No. 00V349 / Ford Recall No. 00S37

http://mon.garage.free.fr/mustang200...tins/00S37.pdf

 

had another issue with the back brakes that is now resolved, hand brake is now better but not great, must just be a mustang thing I guess...

 

Not sure what to make of that.

What are you trying to do?

 

just trying to get my hand brake to hold on a hill without pulling the lever out of the car lol it's good enough now I guess. not sure why they call it an emergency brake when it would never stop the car

 

You probably need to either replace the cable or tighten it. They stretch over time.

 

If your rear brakes are in good shape and the calipers engage/disengage properly, you probably have a cable problem.

In addition to stretching, another common issue is that after several years, they can get seized up. This is probably why it feels like you need the power of God to lock 'em.

When I replaced my cables, I found that the cable guide brackets at the rear sway bar had worn through the cable sheathing. This allowed the metal core of the cable to get corroded. The same thing can happen if they get pinched against the frame/body anywhere along their length. I've even heard of cables coming into contact with the driveshaft.