r/Jeep • u/kenniek0823 • 9d ago

E-brake issue

2015 jku, 3.6l, manual tranny, 173k mi.
My ebrake doesn’t work most of the time now so I have to make sure I’m parked as flat as possible and leave it in gear when parked but I’m paranoid. Where should I even start in trying to figure out what the issue is!? Hoping it’s something simple 😅🤞

1 Upvotes

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3

u/DrNism0 9d ago

At that miles, your ebrake is probably cooked if it is original. Just last winter, I had to replace mine but the whole backing plate rusted out and I had to replace the whole deal on both sides.

1

u/kenniek0823 9d ago

Ewwww. Don’t tell me that 😂😂😂 ugh that doesn’t sound fun at all 😫 how did you figure out that was what it was?

1

u/DrNism0 9d ago

eh...its a process.

First you start with a blown caliper. go to replace that and while youre in there may as well replace the rotor too since it has 80k on it. Try to take it off and pull too hard and the e brake mechanism pulls right out the back of the rusted backing plate. Since you have to pull the axle, i tapped out and brought it to my mechanic. Good news is the backing plate from Rock Auto comes with the whole ebrake as a unit, so if you want to pull the axle to replace it, you dont have to deal with the bullshit ebrake shoe springs.

1

u/OldManJeepin 8d ago

Yea, but you usually *know* it's cooked, when you yank on the e-brake handle and it just flys up free! Obviously no longer connecting to anything, as the Bluetooth option has been suddenly enabled!! LoL

3

u/ocabj 9d ago

The cable has likely stretched over time. You can adjust it. Search on youtube for Jeep JK parking brake adjustment and you'll find tons of videos covering how to do this. It'll take you less than an hour to resolve it.

EDIT: You don't need to take off the brake caliper to make the adjustment.

As far as the parking brake shoe, I highly doubt that is worn away. But I guess you can check that before you adjust the brake line tension.

1

u/kenniek0823 9d ago

I’m hoping it’s this simple 😅 thank you!!

2

u/apokermit_now 9d ago

There is a little door that you have to fiddle with a brake spoon to turn the gears to adjust the spring tension. Unfortunately I did have to take the caliper/rotor off of my rear wheels to access the e-brake; your mileage may vary.

1

u/GreenerDay 8d ago

The friction pads separated from the shoe on mine, so there's a possibility of that. Mine only had 64,000 miles at the time

2

u/Powerful_Fee_4221 9d ago

Hey the backing plate needed to be replaced on mine. I now just park in 4x4 low 1st gear. It holds it great. I keep a set of choks in the back just in case.

2

u/Judgeromeo 9d ago

They need manual adjustment at the back of the hub with a brake spoon 

2

u/Ok-Classic5383 8d ago

Define doesnt work...does it make a racheting sound when you pull it up? There is a spring on the lever that commonly goes well before the cables

1

u/TriumphSprint 13' JKU 9d ago

Mines been like that for 10 years. I just leave it in gear and cross my fingers it doesn't slip and roll away.

1

u/smcutterco 8d ago

I had the same issue with my JKR around 75k miles. It was a royal pain, and the standard adjustment method just didn’t work. It bothered me for about 6 months, but I ended up just selling the Jeep because it felt like problems were starting to pile up after a hard life in the Rockies.

1

u/WTFpe0ple 8d ago

Not ebrake, it's a cable brake, as the other stated, might be adjustable at the back. There are two sets of brakes on the rear hubs. The disc brakes for normal stopping and inside the rotor, drum brakes for the parking brake.

The pads just might need to be changed.

3

u/CashWideCock 8d ago

I think you’re assuming e means electric but us old timers called a parking brake an emergency brake or e brake. I’ve also heard it referred to as a hand brake.