I'm seeking advice on this issue I'm having with my recently purchased 95 4runner. I pulled the parking brake yesterday and I heard a pop, and after that, the brake went limp. This morning I take out the panel covering the assembly under the steering wheel and there I saw that my e brake line was loose. I pull on the actual cord and it's actuating the white plastic tensioner/trigger behind it and it's on the track but it's still as if the line is too long or has stretched. I really hope it didn't snap somewhere downstream, but this seems unlikely as I was pulling on the cord pretty hard and it would still spring back. before yesterday my parking brake showed no sign of wear and it was working perfectly.

I'm inclined to believe the line isn't broken, and there is a way to fix it from the access I have in the interior, but I'm totally in the dark with this. any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

The front cable goes from the handle inside the vehicle to a bell crank under the vehicle. its about 1/2 way back, on the right side. From the Bell crank there is a left and right cable going to the rear wheels.
My guess is the front cable failed, but checking the cables at the bell crank should offer some insight.

 

almost certainly snapped the front cable. that’s why it’s limp; not stretched.

i don’t know how similar they are, but the procedure for my ‘87 is not awful, although the FSM is useless for it. i have an “upkeep thread” on t4r.org that details the procedure of removing and replacing the front cable.

parking brake front cable replacement

 

Egad, I HATE it when my cable goes limp. Very embarrassing!


It does sound like the front cable broke somewhere along it's length. I believe replacement is in order. That is, unless it came out of the connection to the pull handle. Then, if nothing broke, you might just need to put it back together.

Good luck!
Pat☺

 

And yet another thread drifts off to a miserable death with no input or conclusion.