Rear brakes are backwards?

Thanks, but won't this make the rear parking brake cables too long?

Thanks for your help.

I'm not exactly sure how to respond to this without the ability to post a picture or drawing.

My brakes have several different looking components compared to photo's in the article you referenced. These are probably unimportant details. But, the rear parking brake cables from the equalizer to the drum appear to be the proper length with spring type hangers off the frame to enter the drums from the rear.

The current cables are rusted and need to be replaced. Curious, that, I don't find a different reference # at the autoparts web sites for long bed or short bed.

If that is true, then mine are incorrect. I have over the years come to be suspicious of "always" and other such absolutes :)

My goal is to get the best working brakes possible. The brake shop wanted $700 to install new drums, shoes and wheel cylinders. I did the job for $150 in parts. The brakes work well now, except for the disconnected parking brake and the bypassed bed height sensing valve. I found several interior parts missing and would like to approximate the correct configuration as closely as possible.

Thanks again for your help.

From: "L.W. ("ßill") Hughes III" Subject: Re: Rear brakes are backwards? Date: Saturday, October 02, 2004 10:53 PM

What exactly are you work>

You also have backward axles almost. Cherokees have a spring over axle setup, you have a spring under with a load leveler for the rear brakes.

When buying Cherokee rear brake shoes, the emergency brake lever comes disconnected unlike other makers that come with the part already fixed onto the proper brake shoe.

This is so the lever can be installed either on the trailing or leading shoe depending on if you have the Cherokee or Comanche.

The adjusters need to be installed correctly though I think....

Hard to put in words, but when you go in reverse and hit the brakes, the pads shift in a reverse rotation. This rotation pulls on the cable to the star wheel adjuster and pulls it up in the air. When you let off the brakes, the spring pulls the lever down onto the star wheel moving it outward to adjust the brakes.

I believe the star wheel and associated parts are totally independent of the emergency brake parts and need to be on the back shoe like in any normal brake.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

"Stephen R. C>

It sounds like the backing plates are on the wrong side. This can only happen if both plates were removed at the same time, then put back on the wrong side. This could not have happened at the factory.

You know what, I think you probably need a factory shop manual to accurately assess the problem you think you have.

I can't imagine why the brake cables would go around to the back of the vehicle in their approach to the brake drums, but that cold be correct. My brake cables come in to the brake assemblies from the front. You described the brake cables as not being stretched, and if they were supposed to come from the front but came from the rear instead, they would most certainly be short.

I said earlier that the backing plates were on the wrong side, but I am not so sure I was correct when I said that. I can say without equivocation that Haynes and Chilton are both notoriaously inaccurate when it comes to things like this, and the FSM is by far the more reliable source of information. The FSM will run you about $80, give or take, but the information is well worth the added cost as compared to Haynes and Chilton.

Even in the Cherokee it is almost if not totally impossible to lock the rears. They have the proportioning valve set that way. The Haynes even mentions it as well for the CJ's. They started out doing it in the 70's for safety reasons.

I don't mind. Locking the rears is a fast way to do 360's down the road.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

attnews wrote:

I've got the FSM for the MJ covering your year (published July 85 with updates thru 1988) and it is perfectly clear: the parking brake lever is mounted on the REAR shoe. The maual doesn't have a clear picture of the cable entry, but on my 88 (also long bed, but 4wd) the cable entry holes face the front and I've never seen one face the rear on anything. I've got to go with Bill here: someone put the brakes together bass-ackwards. I can scan and send you a copy of the diagrams if you need them.

Good luck on the cable, BTW. I broke one and wound up doing some creative fabbing with a Chevy cable and a swaging tool

I bought this vehicle about 10 months ago. 155,000 mi on the odometer. I was told that the brakes were fairly new. They are about the only thing that worked well, but it was easy to lock up the rears on anything other than perfectly dry pavement. I found that someone had installed air shocks on the rear and completely replumbed the brake lines bypassing the bed height sensing valve. It has been an almost almost daily driver for my son to go 3 miles to work and back. About two months ago the left wheel cylinder was leaking so I undertook the brake job now under discussion. When I got the brakes apart there was a parking brake lever on the left (on the leading shoe) but none on the right. Neither strut (bar) was present. The adjusting screws were present but frozen up. There were no self-adjuster levers or cables. I got the brakes back together without hooking up the parking brake cables which are toast anyway. Funny thing, the brakes seem very well proportioned now with no locking up noticed on wet pavement. Haven't had any ice yet in Ohio.

"attnews" wrote in message news:fMW7d.479593$ snipped-for-privacy@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...

A scan or picture would be much appreciated. Please note the correct email address is snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com.

If you do bypass it, find a straight, deserted road to try it out on - then go hook it back up. That long, light weight rear end is gonna do two things, both bad. It will try and come around to see where you are going and it will lockup with very little effort. BTDT - forgot to hook the arm back up and it was tied in the full load position.

There is an adjustment procedure in the FSM for that linkage. I've got mine set pretty close so I can actually get the rear end to come close to locking - close enough to leave visible marks on the pavement

- but > My '87 comanche long bed's brake proportioning valve was missing its link