emergency brake operation

[Brad]

Silly question but how is it operated...Looks to me like the one on my '52 is stock.  Should it just pull out from the dash and lock in place? To release: pull a bit, twist and slide in? My handle twists but doesn't pull out. Just trying not to break something as I figure it out.

[athawk11]

Brad,
You're exactly right regarding function. 

There is a cable attached to the back of the handle.  The cable travels through the firewall, and held in place with a firewall mounted bracket. It then travels down and through another bracket attached to the top of the transmission crossmember.  It finally attaches to a lever on the back of the brake drum.  There are a number of places the cable can bind, but most likely, the inner cable is rusted solid to the outer cable cover.  You may be able to clean and free up your original.  If not, replacements are available.

Tim

[Quebec Jeep]

There should be a spring on the lever at the drum. It release the brake shoe and retreive the cable.

I tried to find pictures of the spring and the only one I found is here;

http://www.cj3apage.com/index/My_1950/installing_a_pto_behind_an_overd.htm

On the last pictures, Jonathan use a very looonng one and obviously non standard but it show how it work.
Normally, without the overdrive, the spring is attached to frame near it.

[1955CJ-5]

I took my e brake cable out, gave it a good soaking of Aerokriol and it worked fine for about a year...then one of the strands of the cable broke inside the housing and it is totally jammed and useless...I ordered a new replacement for about $25 but haven't installed it yet....debellajeepparts has NOS but they are expensive...

To release it from the handle remove the clamp on the engine side of the firewall and work the cable towards the rear of the jeep until the ball releases from the handle...

[Brad]

Thanks guys. I will try to free it up and go from there. Kinda figured it was stuck but didn't want to force it.

[Steve R]

Does anyone have pictures of the emergency brake cable brackets/clamps after the cable comes through the firewall? Would love to see what I am missing and how to replace it/them all the way to the brake at the rear of the transfer case. Can't find this anywhere else. thanks

[1955CJ-5]

These might help...the firewall clip can be seen well below where I'm pointing.

And we had some discussion about the clip on the side of the bell housing...I used a clip, but some have threaded the hole and used a cable clamp..

I cannot find a picture of the crossmember mount...yet..

[Ryan_M]

Here you go. Cross member mount installed:



And up close:

[Steve R]

Thanks, that helps. I think there is an initial mounting and clamp on the firewall next to the air cleaner but I can't figure out just where it is (I have.... unconnected... what looks like the clamp sold for this at several places). Also curious about the length of the return spring at the transfer case brake. Seems like it must be around 18 inches long and that can't be right. W

[1955CJ-5]

There is a hook that is used along with the spring...I didn't have an exact measurement so I made one that gave about the right tension...

[Steve R]

[/img]Thanks. That is one spotless undercarriage. Just got back from a machine shop that has my trans and transfer case. Had a 46 2a (column shift).  Crawled under it to see the emergency brake hook-up and looked at the firewall. Think I get it now.

[1955CJ-5]

As you face the front of the jeep the cable routes down the right side of the engine and bellhousing, and it fastens to the right side(again as you face the front of the jeep) of the crossmember very close to the transmission rubber mount and then crosses under the TC to fasten to the e brake lever....The jeep is over in storage or I'd get another picture...you'll figure it out once you see it..