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2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Parking Brake Fix! How to post photos?
- Thread starter SRath
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Nate, don't feel like you just got spanked by the "professional driver". I don't use my parking brake either. While it maybe true that if you leave your trans in high gear the vehicle might move, in low or reverse you couldn't "DRAG" that thing down a hill from a stop. It's remarks like that the "professional driver" made that stop people from offering different ideas on a subject.
Mountain home Idaho is a nice place so keep smilin'!:-laf Maybe "professional driver" should have a look at his clutch. Don't sound like it's holding to good.
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH what a fire storm this is gonna start!! :-{}
EnjoyOo.
Yet another vote for having functional parking/emergency brakes. I only drive manual transmission vehicles, and I consider having a working parking brake mandatory. My CTD gets left in gear AND with a parking brake set. Always.
IIRC, one of my Jeep club tech inspection points is to have a functioning parking/emergency brakes regardless of transmission type.
Unfortunately, using the brakes apparently doesn't always ensure that they work. Some good friends of mine near Chicago used to have a small Mercury sedan with a stick (don't remember the model unfortunately. ) Had to be towed in to the shop with a stuck parking brake, and yes, they did use the brake every time the vehicle was parked. According to the Ford/Mercury mechanics, it was a known issue with these vehicles, and they saw it frequently.
IIRC, one of my Jeep club tech inspection points is to have a functioning parking/emergency brakes regardless of transmission type.
Unfortunately, using the brakes apparently doesn't always ensure that they work. Some good friends of mine near Chicago used to have a small Mercury sedan with a stick (don't remember the model unfortunately. ) Had to be towed in to the shop with a stuck parking brake, and yes, they did use the brake every time the vehicle was parked. According to the Ford/Mercury mechanics, it was a known issue with these vehicles, and they saw it frequently.
I leave my MANUAL in gear all the time, and only use my E-brake when on a decent sized hill or pulling a trailer. My tires would probably slide before they roll, but in defense, the info given above is accurate, just delivered by someone that has had bad, firsthand experience, so until it happens to you, take it with a grain of salt.
I use my parking brake every time I start my rig with an auto transmission. I put the transmission in neutral after I start it to get the transmission system "Primed" up so to speak because they do not fully circulate oil in park. I like to have it go into gear under pressure rather than drag into gear from the park position when it is cold. I have the BD valve body but it doesn't pump in park either.
I have had gassers with manual trannies in low gear roll away from me because the engine compression wouldn't hold. I have yet to see a diesel do that so far.
I have seen many rigs get dragged down hills in many different conditions while in gear and the parking brake applied. I do not think that srath has been around the block enough times or at the boat dock enough times.
Another note to srath is that being in gear and or park will hold way more than any park brake on a light duty automotive vehicle "You are talking about semi tractor brakes which set park brakes on almost every axle" which isn't a good comparison. I have yet to see a cable operated park brake that could be set hard enough to hold much of a load. Most can barely hold the vehicle alone.
All this said there is still no excuse for not keeping them in good working order for what little they do. Not to mention they are a safety item that needs to work on every vehicle if safety checked by a trooper.
I have had gassers with manual trannies in low gear roll away from me because the engine compression wouldn't hold. I have yet to see a diesel do that so far.
I have seen many rigs get dragged down hills in many different conditions while in gear and the parking brake applied. I do not think that srath has been around the block enough times or at the boat dock enough times.
Another note to srath is that being in gear and or park will hold way more than any park brake on a light duty automotive vehicle "You are talking about semi tractor brakes which set park brakes on almost every axle" which isn't a good comparison. I have yet to see a cable operated park brake that could be set hard enough to hold much of a load. Most can barely hold the vehicle alone.
All this said there is still no excuse for not keeping them in good working order for what little they do. Not to mention they are a safety item that needs to work on every vehicle if safety checked by a trooper.
Last edited:
My '96 Dodge Ram Parking Brake Fix
This post is for owners of early 2nd gen trucks like my '96 that have the annoying at best, and dangerously ineffective at worst, parking brake pedal that won't stay down when set and/or won't stay set at all (like mine was).
It is intended only to share my personal solution for the problem with members who need it or are just sincerely interested in improvements to our trucks. If your parking brake makes you happy the way it is, or you have a newer truck that does not have a problem, or if you simply don't believe in using parking brakes, this post is probably not for you.
It is what it is. Nothing more.
But it works well. And it costs virtually nothing. The R&R of the pedal assembly is the hardest part and is 99% of the work. So if you can do that, you can do this fix.
It does require one spot weld. If you don't have access to a welder, or if the instructions leave you confused, I'll be happy to do the entire mod for you for free if you send me your parking brake pedal assembly and pay for return shipping.
Please understand that this solution does not fix your rear brakes if they are the problem. It fixes the parking brake pedal on models with the same miserable design my '96 had. Dodge later changed that design (I don't know exactly when), and that alone should tell you something about how it (didn't) work.
My solution is very simple to do and makes the pedal stay where you set it. It will hold better, no longer pop off, and will no longer return to the top position when set; leaving you unsure of whether it is set or not, driving with your brakes on, or parking with them off.
Your shoes and drums and their mechanisms and adjustment must be right for any parking brake to work. Adjusting your parking brake cable slack is part of the process after reinstalling the pedal. The entire modification is easily reversed to stock if you don't agree it is better.
My parking brake was as bad it could get and would not stay set reliably, yet my rear brakes were fine. My engine compression alone would not hold the truck in all situations. Putting it in gear and shutting off the motor to exit the truck for even a brief moment was a pita, as was having to use wheel chocks all the time. I had to find a solution; and I did. The parking brake is great now. Better than new.
The parking brake pedal stays where I put it. Happily, so does the truck now...
[I have included some suggested R&R instructions for the pedal assembly. Some guys won't need that. Others might find parts of it useful. Please bear in mind that I did this fix many months ago and did not write notes on the R&R part and removing and reinstalling my pedal assembly may have been a little different since I already had much of my interior removed for other reasons. Improved instructions, feedback, and suggestions from those who do this mod are most welcome. "Thank you!" to Joe G. who did this mod very recently and suggested some changes to the R&R instructions and encouraged me to repost it. ]
Parking Brake Pedal Removal (suggested tips):
1> Under the driver's side of your truck is the parking brake cable adjuster. Loosen it completely and get all the slack you can for the front cable.
> It helps to use plenty of penetrating oil on the threaded shaft.
> If you can, use a dremel-type rotary tool with a wire wheel brush on it to clean the threads as much as possible first.
> You will need a pair of vicegrips and a 13mm wrench. The threaded shaft is too long for a normal deepwell socket, so a ratcheting boxend wrench really helps!
> Use the vicegrips to hold the adjuster yoke from turning.
> Use antisieze when you reassemble. You will be adjusting your parking brake here when finished.
2> Remove the parking brake pedal assembly.
> You will need a 13mm socket (preferably a flex socket) and some various extensions. A really long one helps.
> Make a note or take a photo of how the wiring bundles around the parking brake pedal assembly are routed. You want them the same way later.
>There are two nuts on the firewall and a bolt in the kickpanel. The top nut is hard to get to and I removed my knee panel from the dash to help.
>There is also a tiny clip that holds the release handle cable to the pedal frame. Remove it and the release cable ball end. Remove the brake light wire.
>The parking brake cable housing itself is held in the hole in the pedal frame with spring-type fingers. Squeeze those fingers down and remove the cable housing. (Get the pedal assembly unbolted and down on the floor first, where you can work on it. )
>Remove the lead-ball end of the cable from the parking brake mechanism. Leave the cable in the truck.
> As an alternative, you can leave the cable with the pedal assembly if you think it will be easier. But you will need to completely disconnect the adjuster end and pull your carpet back to get to the screw holding the cable to the floor where it passes through.
> Play with the stock assembly enough to understand how it works. Push the pedal down and operate the release. Watch how the center section operates and how the pedal "freewheels" independently. Note how little tension is placed on the ratchet holding/release mechanism. It is an ineffective and ridiculously overcomplicated design and you're going to change those things.
Actual Modification:
Look at the photos, particularly the one showing both the stock assembly (on the right) and the modified assembly (on the left).
Focus on the center section and spring and compare them to each other.
The stock configuration has the big spring winding clockwise out from the center.
It is anchored on the inside to a bent metal tab.
The modified version has the spring flipped over and winding the opposite direction.
It is anchored on the inside to the new "anchor" bolt you are going to install in the center plate.
Both have the outer end hooked on the same stock pin, only in different directions.
(and those few simple changes are the entire modification in a nutshell!)
The other photos give some different angles and closeups. The extra empty hole drilled in the center plate of the modified assembly was just an experimental hole as I was figuring out how much tension to put on the spring. Ignore that empty hole. More is better.
Step by step:
> Remove the spring by hand. It has low tension and comes off easily.
> In the close-up photo, note where I drilled a 1/4 inch hole in the top center plate. Do the same now. It does not need to go through the bottom plate nor does it need to be in exactly the same spot, but try to get it close.
> Cut a 1/4 inch bolt to length so it just reaches through the hole to the bottom plate, as seen in the close-up photo.
> Put it through your hole nice and straight and spotweld the head to hold it in place.
> Put the spring back on flipped over so it winds the opposite direction (counterclockwise from center) from stock and so the hooked inner end hooks over the bolt you just installed. Hook the outer end over the same pin it was on originally.
> The original bent-tab inner anchor, seen in the photos, does not seem to get in the way, but you can flatten it down if you want to.
> Play with the pedal assembly a few times; pushing the pedal down and then releasing it.
Note the changes in the function of the center section and pedal. It will now stay down when set and snap back when released. Also note how the tension of the spring now provides a firmer positive engagement of the ratchet holding/release mechanism. Much better!
(That's it. You're done with the modification! Now you can just reinstall. )
Reinstall and Adjust:
1> Reverse the removal procedure to reinstall the parking brake pedal assembly. Be careful of wiring that runs through your kickpanel to the door and any other wires in close proximity.
2> The final step is to adjust your cable slack under the truck. I like mine so the pedal goes 2/3 to 3/4 of the way down when fully set hard. Make sure the brakes release fully, too. If you run out of adjuster threads, you probably need to adjust your brake shoes using the star wheel inside the drum. Or you may need new shoes and/or drums. That is a different job and is just a straighforward normal brake job.
3> Your parking brake pedal will now stay "set" in whatever position you put it in until you release it.
The spring will put tension on the ratchet assembly to help hold the engagement; something important it did not do before.
The pedal will pop back to the top only when released, and will do so visually and firmly.
I hope this works for everyone else as well as it is working for me. If you have any questions, problems, suggestions, or criticisms (now that you have tried it), please let me know. If you don't have a welder or other equipment, I will be happy to do the modification for you if you can send me your parking brake assembly.
Scott
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This post is for owners of early 2nd gen trucks like my '96 that have the annoying at best, and dangerously ineffective at worst, parking brake pedal that won't stay down when set and/or won't stay set at all (like mine was).
It is intended only to share my personal solution for the problem with members who need it or are just sincerely interested in improvements to our trucks. If your parking brake makes you happy the way it is, or you have a newer truck that does not have a problem, or if you simply don't believe in using parking brakes, this post is probably not for you.
It is what it is. Nothing more.
But it works well. And it costs virtually nothing. The R&R of the pedal assembly is the hardest part and is 99% of the work. So if you can do that, you can do this fix.
It does require one spot weld. If you don't have access to a welder, or if the instructions leave you confused, I'll be happy to do the entire mod for you for free if you send me your parking brake pedal assembly and pay for return shipping.
Please understand that this solution does not fix your rear brakes if they are the problem. It fixes the parking brake pedal on models with the same miserable design my '96 had. Dodge later changed that design (I don't know exactly when), and that alone should tell you something about how it (didn't) work.
My solution is very simple to do and makes the pedal stay where you set it. It will hold better, no longer pop off, and will no longer return to the top position when set; leaving you unsure of whether it is set or not, driving with your brakes on, or parking with them off.
Your shoes and drums and their mechanisms and adjustment must be right for any parking brake to work. Adjusting your parking brake cable slack is part of the process after reinstalling the pedal. The entire modification is easily reversed to stock if you don't agree it is better.
My parking brake was as bad it could get and would not stay set reliably, yet my rear brakes were fine. My engine compression alone would not hold the truck in all situations. Putting it in gear and shutting off the motor to exit the truck for even a brief moment was a pita, as was having to use wheel chocks all the time. I had to find a solution; and I did. The parking brake is great now. Better than new.
The parking brake pedal stays where I put it. Happily, so does the truck now...
[I have included some suggested R&R instructions for the pedal assembly. Some guys won't need that. Others might find parts of it useful. Please bear in mind that I did this fix many months ago and did not write notes on the R&R part and removing and reinstalling my pedal assembly may have been a little different since I already had much of my interior removed for other reasons. Improved instructions, feedback, and suggestions from those who do this mod are most welcome. "Thank you!" to Joe G. who did this mod very recently and suggested some changes to the R&R instructions and encouraged me to repost it. ]
Parking Brake Pedal Removal (suggested tips):
1> Under the driver's side of your truck is the parking brake cable adjuster. Loosen it completely and get all the slack you can for the front cable.
> It helps to use plenty of penetrating oil on the threaded shaft.
> If you can, use a dremel-type rotary tool with a wire wheel brush on it to clean the threads as much as possible first.
> You will need a pair of vicegrips and a 13mm wrench. The threaded shaft is too long for a normal deepwell socket, so a ratcheting boxend wrench really helps!
> Use the vicegrips to hold the adjuster yoke from turning.
> Use antisieze when you reassemble. You will be adjusting your parking brake here when finished.
2> Remove the parking brake pedal assembly.
> You will need a 13mm socket (preferably a flex socket) and some various extensions. A really long one helps.
> Make a note or take a photo of how the wiring bundles around the parking brake pedal assembly are routed. You want them the same way later.
>There are two nuts on the firewall and a bolt in the kickpanel. The top nut is hard to get to and I removed my knee panel from the dash to help.
>There is also a tiny clip that holds the release handle cable to the pedal frame. Remove it and the release cable ball end. Remove the brake light wire.
>The parking brake cable housing itself is held in the hole in the pedal frame with spring-type fingers. Squeeze those fingers down and remove the cable housing. (Get the pedal assembly unbolted and down on the floor first, where you can work on it. )
>Remove the lead-ball end of the cable from the parking brake mechanism. Leave the cable in the truck.
> As an alternative, you can leave the cable with the pedal assembly if you think it will be easier. But you will need to completely disconnect the adjuster end and pull your carpet back to get to the screw holding the cable to the floor where it passes through.
> Play with the stock assembly enough to understand how it works. Push the pedal down and operate the release. Watch how the center section operates and how the pedal "freewheels" independently. Note how little tension is placed on the ratchet holding/release mechanism. It is an ineffective and ridiculously overcomplicated design and you're going to change those things.
Actual Modification:
Look at the photos, particularly the one showing both the stock assembly (on the right) and the modified assembly (on the left).
Focus on the center section and spring and compare them to each other.
The stock configuration has the big spring winding clockwise out from the center.
It is anchored on the inside to a bent metal tab.
The modified version has the spring flipped over and winding the opposite direction.
It is anchored on the inside to the new "anchor" bolt you are going to install in the center plate.
Both have the outer end hooked on the same stock pin, only in different directions.
(and those few simple changes are the entire modification in a nutshell!)
The other photos give some different angles and closeups. The extra empty hole drilled in the center plate of the modified assembly was just an experimental hole as I was figuring out how much tension to put on the spring. Ignore that empty hole. More is better.
Step by step:
> Remove the spring by hand. It has low tension and comes off easily.
> In the close-up photo, note where I drilled a 1/4 inch hole in the top center plate. Do the same now. It does not need to go through the bottom plate nor does it need to be in exactly the same spot, but try to get it close.
> Cut a 1/4 inch bolt to length so it just reaches through the hole to the bottom plate, as seen in the close-up photo.
> Put it through your hole nice and straight and spotweld the head to hold it in place.
> Put the spring back on flipped over so it winds the opposite direction (counterclockwise from center) from stock and so the hooked inner end hooks over the bolt you just installed. Hook the outer end over the same pin it was on originally.
> The original bent-tab inner anchor, seen in the photos, does not seem to get in the way, but you can flatten it down if you want to.
> Play with the pedal assembly a few times; pushing the pedal down and then releasing it.
Note the changes in the function of the center section and pedal. It will now stay down when set and snap back when released. Also note how the tension of the spring now provides a firmer positive engagement of the ratchet holding/release mechanism. Much better!
(That's it. You're done with the modification! Now you can just reinstall. )
Reinstall and Adjust:
1> Reverse the removal procedure to reinstall the parking brake pedal assembly. Be careful of wiring that runs through your kickpanel to the door and any other wires in close proximity.
2> The final step is to adjust your cable slack under the truck. I like mine so the pedal goes 2/3 to 3/4 of the way down when fully set hard. Make sure the brakes release fully, too. If you run out of adjuster threads, you probably need to adjust your brake shoes using the star wheel inside the drum. Or you may need new shoes and/or drums. That is a different job and is just a straighforward normal brake job.
3> Your parking brake pedal will now stay "set" in whatever position you put it in until you release it.
The spring will put tension on the ratchet assembly to help hold the engagement; something important it did not do before.
The pedal will pop back to the top only when released, and will do so visually and firmly.
I hope this works for everyone else as well as it is working for me. If you have any questions, problems, suggestions, or criticisms (now that you have tried it), please let me know. If you don't have a welder or other equipment, I will be happy to do the modification for you if you can send me your parking brake assembly.
Scott
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Last edited:
I was mainly referring to the part where you mentioned that you had your truck roll away... . about leaving in gear since the park brake wasn't working so well. 
My Dodge is an auto. I use the park brake if I park on a hill, but otherwise I don't. I am used to having them freeze up and causing lots of damage (grew up in northern Maine and then lived in Alaska).
We have toasted the brakes on a few trucks at work because someone put the park brake on. 99% of the guys don't mess with the park brake, so no one is in habit of checking. Someone decides to click in the park brake and someone else gets in the truck. The pedal is up like you said, and then trucks often have wiring issues, so often the brake light often doesn't come on.
Combine a Cummins with 7. 17 gears in the diffs, and it's easy to not notice the drag of the park brake. I drove one far enough that smoke was rolling off the drums when I parked it!
My Dodge is an auto. I use the park brake if I park on a hill, but otherwise I don't. I am used to having them freeze up and causing lots of damage (grew up in northern Maine and then lived in Alaska).
We have toasted the brakes on a few trucks at work because someone put the park brake on. 99% of the guys don't mess with the park brake, so no one is in habit of checking. Someone decides to click in the park brake and someone else gets in the truck. The pedal is up like you said, and then trucks often have wiring issues, so often the brake light often doesn't come on.
Combine a Cummins with 7. 17 gears in the diffs, and it's easy to not notice the drag of the park brake. I drove one far enough that smoke was rolling off the drums when I parked it!
Last edited:
SRath
I don't mean to come off hardcore or negative or flame you.
I am a heavy equipment diesel tech and had worked in a truck shop for several years and have been DOT certified and trained to do DOT inspections and am hardcore about not signing them unless the safety issues are fixed.
BUT on automotive applications the park brake is only designed with just enough clamping force even if adjusted correctly to hold the GVW weight of the vehicle alone. Not the load that is also hooked to it.
On vehicles with rear disc brakes there is still a very small internal drum with shoes about 1/3 the size of normal drum brakes. This gives even less park brake holding power.
I don't mean to come off hardcore or negative or flame you.
I am a heavy equipment diesel tech and had worked in a truck shop for several years and have been DOT certified and trained to do DOT inspections and am hardcore about not signing them unless the safety issues are fixed.
BUT on automotive applications the park brake is only designed with just enough clamping force even if adjusted correctly to hold the GVW weight of the vehicle alone. Not the load that is also hooked to it.
On vehicles with rear disc brakes there is still a very small internal drum with shoes about 1/3 the size of normal drum brakes. This gives even less park brake holding power.
disc brake parking adjustment
I looked at a Dodge manual for my truck,and it mentions use of a caliper special tool that measures inside the brake drum---the drum/disc is like a top hat and the disc is the brim of the hat and the drum has expanding brake shoes inside the ''hat'' portion. There is some hope. The manual mentions using a star wheel to set the parking brake shoes just touching the inside of the drum. If that can be accomplished without removing the axle assembly. then I am in business. Thanks for your willingness to share a solution to the problem.
If I can get it fixed I will let you know.
I looked at a Dodge manual for my truck,and it mentions use of a caliper special tool that measures inside the brake drum---the drum/disc is like a top hat and the disc is the brim of the hat and the drum has expanding brake shoes inside the ''hat'' portion. There is some hope. The manual mentions using a star wheel to set the parking brake shoes just touching the inside of the drum. If that can be accomplished without removing the axle assembly. then I am in business. Thanks for your willingness to share a solution to the problem.
If I can get it fixed I will let you know.
Last edited:
Bingo!
Whether you believe in using it or not, engine compression will not help if the transmission slips out of gear somehow.
I am going to do the fix. Twice I have driven several miles with the P brake on towing a trailer. So far the drums have survived but it really shouldn't happen.
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Renew
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Subscription Status
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