2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Parking Brake Control unit help

[C.Wood]

'98 3500. When I activated the E brake I heard a sound like a big spring unwinding. After that, the E brake would not engage (no ratchet sound when applying the brake and the pedal would not stay down).

Ordered a whole new parking brake control. It came with a piece of bent wire in a hole which I figured was for shipping (no installation instructions).

I installed the new parking brake control unit. When I pulled out the wire, I heard the same big spring unwinding sound and the "new" unit now acts like the old failed unit.

The E brake cable is O. K.

How bad did I screw up? And what can I do to fix the problem?



Mr. Bumble standing by...

 

[Bob4x4]

'98 3500. When I activated the E brake I heard a sound like a big spring unwinding. After that, the E brake would not engage (no ratchet sound when applying the brake and the pedal would not stay down).

Ordered a whole new parking brake control. It came with a piece of bent wire in a hole which I figured was for shipping (no installation instructions).

I installed the new parking brake control unit. When I pulled out the wire, I heard the same big spring unwinding sound and the "new" unit now acts like the old failed unit.

The E brake cable is O. K.

How bad did I screw up? And what can I do to fix the problem?



Mr. Bumble standing by...

the pin you pulled out was to make the cable easy to install I vaguelly remember helping some one else that did the same thing many years ago

 

[C.Wood]

Parking Brake Problem

The problem turned out to be the failed ball end of the right rear parking brake cable.

The parking brake control unit will not operate properly (won't ratchet when the pedal is depressed) if there is no tension on the mechanism from the parking brake cable. This led me to believe the problem was with the parking brake control unit.

The pin I pulled positions the plates in the parking brake control unit so that it is easier to install a new cable into the unit.

Even with new cables installed, the parking brake control unit did not start working properly until there was sufficient tension on the parking brake (new) cables.

The failed cable did not seem to be defective. I could pull on it and it was solid.

(what was left of the little ball connection on the end caused the cable to stop when pulled).

Look for extra slack in the parking brake cable to diagnose this problem.

Don't think the parking brake control unit (the pedal and mechanism) is defective because it won't ratchet when the pedal is depressed.

I hope this report saves someone some time in the future.