86 1/2 ton shortbed Ebrake equalizer questions

[naphtali5725]

hey guys,
here's the thing

my truck was a longed from factory, but it was swapped to a shorted frame by the PO, so i have E-brake issues/questions

can someone post pics of the E-brake setup on 84-87, especially the equalizer connections , and pics of the ends of the cables, so i can see what the connection points look like so i can verify i have right parts...

i ordered all parts from this page for the parking brake... pedal, cables, etc. etc.

i know this is wrong equalizer connection, it would only pull one cable... but that's how it looks in the LMC catalog... i know i'm missing something...


pic of pedal assembly:

[ont_guy_38]

You have the piece I have circled on there?

[naphtali5725]

Originally Posted by ont_guy_38

You have the piece I have circled on there?

yes i do...

[ont_guy_38]

Maybe it's not tight enough? Looks to be hanging a bit low. I know that setup can be a bit fussy.

[naphtali5725]

Originally Posted by ont_guy_38

Maybe it's not tight enough? Looks to be hanging a bit low. I know that setup can be a bit fussy.

if you look at that last pic on the first post, you'll see that when you press the brake pedal, only that bottom cable will tighten up... i need some pictures of a working setup there at the equalizer

i hope i don't have the wrong part number cables on the rear or something, but the part numbers match the catalog pic

[ont_guy_38]

I can get a picture tomorrow when it's light out if I remember...lol.

[naphtali5725]

Originally Posted by ont_guy_38

I can get a picture tomorrow when it's light out if I remember...lol.

LOL thanks!!!

[Greenlee]

I had similar problems when I was putting my truck back together. I couldn't find the right parts to connect the front section of cable to the section in back at the axles. I ended up ordering a new cable from O'Reilly's. The new cable is one piece all the way back and replaces the all-thread looking piece/equalizer. There is a different part number for long bed vs. shot bed. I got the wrong cable on the first attempt. My e-brake works great now.

[Oldriginal86]

From the 1987 service manual: To adjust parking brake, jack up rear of vehicle and put on stands. Safety First!
1- Loosen equalizer nut.
2- Set parking brake 4 clicks.
3- Adjust equalizer nut until wheels rotate forward with a moderate drag.
4- Release brake, rotate wheels. There should be no drag. Done
Your system looks to be correct by the picture in the service manual.
The way it works is, right side cable sheath is anchored to the frame and pulled first along with the entire left side cable. Once the right cable has tension but not completely tight the left cable sheath is anchored to the equalizer won't pull further forward. At this point the equalizer will pull the left cable tight. Looks like the adjustment is just too loose by all the thread showing. On my truck I have very little thread left on the adjustment.

[ont_guy_38]

I think it is too loose also.

[naphtali5725]

Originally Posted by Oldriginal86

From the 1987 service manual: To adjust parking brake, jack up rear of vehicle and put on stands. Safety First!
1- Loosen equalizer nut.
2- Set parking brake 4 clicks.
3- Adjust equalizer nut until wheels rotate forward with a moderate drag.
4- Release brake, rotate wheels. There should be no drag. Done
Your system looks to be correct by the picture in the service manual.
The way it works is, right side cable sheath is anchored to the frame and pulled first along with the entire left side cable. Once the right cable has tension but not completely tight the left cable sheath is anchored to the equalizer won't pull further forward. At this point the equalizer will pull the left cable tight. Looks like the adjustment is just too loose by all the thread showing. On my truck I have very little thread left on the adjustment.

man i wish i had some pics of it installed correctly instead of a barely visible diagram in the service manual...


i'll take more detailed pics of it from both sides, i'll post later

shouldn't both the left and right cables be pulled at the same time by the equalizer?????

i have the shorter front cable...the one that connects to the E-brake pedal, i used the one for a shorted.

[naphtali5725]

Originally Posted by Greenlee

I had similar problems when I was putting my truck back together. I couldn't find the right parts to connect the front section of cable to the section in back at the axles. I ended up ordering a new cable from O'Reilly's. The new cable is one piece all the way back and replaces the all-thread looking piece/equalizer. There is a different part number for long bed vs. shot bed. I got the wrong cable on the first attempt. My e-brake works great now.

do you have part numbers for the cable? pics?

[naphtali5725]

here are some pics, of my cable ends, and how it goes together from what i can tell from the service manual, and the LMC catalog diagram...


first pic... right e-brake cable end

2nd pic... left e-brake cable end with cable connector

3rd pic... same left cable end

4th pic... cable end from the front cable that attaches to the e-brake pedal

5th pic... this is how it "looks" like it is assembled in the service manual/LMC catalog... when you push the e-brake pedal, it will pull the black cable that is attached to it by the connector... which pulls the left brake cable... but looking at the pic, how the hell does it pull the right cable with the adjustor???? it looks like it will only pull the black cable, not the adjustor cable... i'm confused... something just doesn't make sense to me how that right cable can be pulled

[naphtali5725]

the thin black part of the cable shown here, connects to the front cable to the e-brake pedal
when that is pulled, it applies the left brake, and since the cable is clipped into the equalizer, it will only pull that cable...
how does the righ cable with the adjuster get pulled? the way it looks here, the adjuster cable can't be pulled

[Keith Seymore]

I can get some pics of my '87 shortbed when I get home.

K

[naphtali5725]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

I can get some pics of my '87 shortbed when I get home.

K

thank you soooo much Keith, this thing is driving me crazy LOL


can you also get a pic what cable goes where on the rear bracket too? thanks man!!

[Greenlee]

Here is a pic of mine. The new cable replaces everything back to the clip (#5) in the diagram.

[naphtali5725]

i have that new front cable.. it runs from the pedal back...
can you take some pics from the end of that cable all the way back to how it connects to the left and right cables to the wheels??

i still think i am missing something

[Greenlee]

I guess we have different problems. I was missing the short section of cable or whatever goes in the middle. There was an all-thread section at the end of the cable from the brake peddle and I didn't have whatever that connects to. The new cable replaced all of that.

I didn't have to do really any adjusting. I just connect the two cables with the clip and took the slack out of the line and the emergency brake worked.

[Greenlee]

Originally Posted by naphtali5725

i have that new front cable.. it runs from the pedal back...
can you take some pics from the end of that cable all the way back to how it connects to the left and right cables to the wheels??

i still think i am missing something

I will take another pic.

[Greenlee]

[naphtali5725]

Greenlee, thanks man, that's how i have mine setup, just don't see how both cables are pulled at the same time, but then again i'm a high school drop out LOL

[naphtali5725]

i connected everything like the diagrams i looked at.

adjusted per the service manual, and what Oldriginal86 posted.

here are the pics... i hope it's right now...


the 1st pic, where the thin black cable runs thru the equalizer... that hole is a little sharp... seems like it will scuff up/wear the coating on the cable... opinions?

[naphtali5725]

one more...

[naphtali5725]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

I can get some pics of my '87 shortbed when I get home.

K

Hi Keith, did you get a chance to get a pic of the E-brake setup?

Kind regards,