E brakes not working

rizzicon · Jun 10, 2012

I pull on the Emergency brake lever and my brakes don't hold. I took the tire off and looked at the brakes. I do have brakes, lol. I can see them move when I pull on the handle. So I know the cable isn't broke, but they don't connect or hold. They could be full of dirt or some thing. Is there away to free them up or clean them so they move more freely? Thanks for any help. :thinking:

Forever jeep95 · Jun 10, 2012

rizzicon said:
I pull on the Emergency brake lever and my brakes don't hold. I took the tire off and looked at the brakes. I do have brakes, lol. I can see them move when I pull on the handle. So I know the cable isn't broke, but they don't connect or hold. They could be full of dirt or some thing. Is there away to free them up or clean them so they move more freely? Thanks for any help. :thinking:

It probably just needs to be tightened, follow the E-brake cable and there should be a tensioner somewhere. I'm not sure where it is on the JK though, hope that helps!

highoctane · Jun 10, 2012

There is a place to adjust it behind the brake rotor, through the backing plate.

Write up from Project JK.

http://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-write...enance-emergencyparking-hand-brake-adjustment

wayoflife · Jun 11, 2012

highoctane said:
There is a place to adjust it behind the brake rotor, through the backing plate.

Write up from Project JK.

http://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-write...enance-emergencyparking-hand-brake-adjustment

yup, that'll help you get the job done but, i can tell you that it's almost easier to just pull the drum off, adjust the star wheel by hand, put the drum back on and repeat until you get a good fit.

Smizar · Jun 12, 2012

I'm sure glad WOL chimed in because I thought I was missing something, in 30 years of playing shade tree mechanic I've never seen disc brakes that need to be adjusted... Lol I almost looked... Do they make JKs with drums?

wayoflife · Jun 12, 2012

Smizar said:
I'm sure glad WOL chimed in because I thought I was missing something, in 30 years of playing shade tree mechanic I've never seen disc brakes that need to be adjusted... Lol I almost looked... Do they make JKs with drums?

the rears are disc but are also part drums for the e-brake. it has a standard set of shoes and a star wheel adjuster.

Smizar · Jun 12, 2012

I'll be darned.. A guy learns something new everyday... Now I need to tear into it and check it out...

rizzicon · Jun 25, 2012

Perfect, that sound like the problem. Thanks to all.:rock:

loscann48 · Sep 3, 2013

Reviving this post with the same problem. I have the same problem on a 2010. Noticed it the week I bought ny Jeep, but dealers hours did not work with my schedule so O decided to live with it. 5 months later and no longer under warranty, I decided its time to fix this myself. Read the write up and think I can get this done, my only question (probably a noob question), do I need to do this to both sides or is it just one side? My wife's Volvo is so much easier. (remove boot on e-brake lever, tighten with open end wrench, done in 1 minute).

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cmlrc · Sep 3, 2013

You want to do both sides, and if possible adjust them as equally as you can. By that i mean if you go ten clicks on one side do the same on the other.

loscann48 · Sep 4, 2013

cmlrc said:
You want to do both sides, and if possible adjust them as equally as you can. By that i mean if you go ten clicks on one side do the same on the other.

Thank you.

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pacountryboy · Sep 4, 2013

loscann48 said:
Thank you.

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Also if you end up taking the rear drum/disc off, and realize you still have good pads. You might want to check the metal parking brake lever and the actuator. Mine we're completely rusted and seized up which prevented my e-brake from working. after using antiseize and have everything adjusted it was like new.

loscann48 · Sep 4, 2013

Would it make any sense that sometimes the e-brake grabs better than others. Sometimes when I pull the lever I get resistance and it stops 3/4 the way up, other times when I pull it, it just easily goes all the way up. Seems no rhyme or reason to it. Some days it holds my jeep at the top of my driveway while I run to get the mail and other times it won't.

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jnabird333 · Sep 4, 2013

Definitely do both sides at the same time... Like Eddie mentioned earlier I think it's easier to adjust them be simply pulling the drum/rotor off. Another advantage to this is the visual inspection. If you get in the Mud this will fill and could be the cause of poor operation. (This was the case for me)

pacountryboy · Sep 7, 2013

Yeah, Mine acted the EXACT same way untill it got to the point of not holding on a very very slight incline. the arm and lever that the cable connects to going into the drum was completely seized up. after i broke them loose and gave them a good coat of grease and adjusted my pads it was like a brand new brake.....the shoes were almost new so it must have been seized for a while.

Army_Vet · Sep 7, 2013

cmlrc said:
You want to do both sides, and if possible adjust them as equally as you can. By that i mean if you go ten clicks on one side do the same on the other.

This is good; and bad advice all in the same sentence.

You want to do both sides is good, you want them to be set equally; but just because you turn it 10 clicks on one side, does not mean it needs 10 on the other. Please look up the proper way to set up the brakes, and do it that way.
Almost all drum brake setup is done with a feeler gauge.

Easiest way I have found do do it, is to run them down till they are tight and you can't turn the drum. Then back them off one click at a time till you can barely hear them "scrub" Do both sides the same way, then test to verify it holds.

"Scrub" when turning them you will hear and audible "skiss" "skiss" "skiss" "skiss" as you spin the drum around.

Rocco · Nov 9, 2015

loscann48 said:
Would it make any sense that sometimes the e-brake grabs better than others. Sometimes when I pull the lever I get resistance and it stops 3/4 the way up, other times when I pull it, it just easily goes all the way up. Seems no rhyme or reason to it. Some days it holds my jeep at the top of my driveway while I run to get the mail and other times it won't.

Sent from my ADR6400L using WAYALIFE mobile app

I have this same problem on my 2011.

I had my dealer adjust it at least three times prior thinking that was the issue. When I explained the 'sometimes it grabs sometimes it doesn't' issue, that's when he said that the EBrake has a 'clutch' system and that would need replaced (=$$$$$). I'm no mechanic, but I've never heard the word Clutch when talking about an Emergency brake.

Anyone know anything about that? If it is 'self' [repair/replace]able?

Rocco · Nov 9, 2015

Rocco said:
I have this same problem on my 2011.

I had my dealer adjust it at least three times prior thinking that was the issue. When I explained the 'sometimes it grabs sometimes it doesn't' issue, that's when he said that the EBrake has a 'clutch' system and that would need replaced (=$$$$$). I'm no mechanic, but I've never heard the word Clutch when talking about an Emergency brake.

Anyone know anything about that? If it is 'self' [repair/replace]able?

OK.

After I posted this I did a bit of Googling and found the following video...Not sure when I'll have time to try this so if anyone beats me to it let me know how it works!

jeeeep · Nov 9, 2015

Rocco said:
I have this same problem on my 2011.

I had my dealer adjust it at least three times prior thinking that was the issue. When I explained the 'sometimes it grabs sometimes it doesn't' issue, that's when he said that the EBrake has a 'clutch' system and that would need replaced (=$$$$$). I'm no mechanic, but I've never heard the word Clutch when talking about an Emergency brake.

Anyone know anything about that? If it is 'self' [repair/replace]able?

it's similar to the lever like when you raise your seat. it's if a set of gears that catch when you pull up on the brake handle. sometimes they catch sometimes they don't because the mechanism that's supposed to grab the gears is stripped or the 'catch' mechanism is loose. calling it a clutch makes it more expensive
you beat me to it with video too :2thumbsup:

Rocco · Nov 18, 2015

Rocco said:
OK.

After I posted this I did a bit of Googling and found the following video...Not sure when I'll have time to try this so if anyone beats me to it let me know how it works!

I keep forgetting to share this, but one of the posted videos shows him pumping the brake to get the torsion spring to work, after he installed the bungee cord.

I took a wild guess BEFORE I tore my center console apart to see if pumping the handle would fix the break all by itself.

And sure enough it does. Granted, I have to pump it a few times every week-n-a-half or so to retention that spring, but it works.

E brakes not working

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