So, like the title suggests, the park brake won't engage. Someone told me that it siezed up. Does that sound right to anyone? I really don't know much about this subject, so forgive my ignorance. I can pull out on the lever as far as I can, but nothing. Its like someone cut the line (which isn't the case) So, I guess my queastion is, what could the problem be and how would i go about fixing it? Any help is appreciated.

 

It may be as simple as the rear brakes need adjusting.
If you haven't adjusted them in a while that, most likely, is the problem.
You probably have a relatively low brake pedal position when you apply the brakes and your front brakes are doing all the work.





Fred

 

Crawl underneath your truck and check the cables out. There is a lever that the front cable connects to. Maybe it's seized? There are also two cables at the rear, that go in through each brake backing plate. Make sure they are OK and that everything moves freely.

More than likely though, you'll find that the above suggestions to adjust your rear brakes will fix your problem. If not, your parking brake cables might have stretched. You can tighten them up using the adjusting nut on the lever that the front parking brake cable connects to under your vehicle.

 

Common East Cost problem

The Bell Crank (the lever arm where the cable connects to the back of the brake drum) rusts SOLID.

Lift and stabilize the truck
check that the PB cable is slack
Go at it witha BFH

THEN

a) Order new parts from the dealer
OR
b) Disk brake conversion with Trans Brake

 

that's what happened with mine, the bells are rusted solid. i tried getting them to break free, to no avail. it's a PITA when i'm trying to do certain things, like load/unload a boat and need to get out to adjust something. putting it in reverse just isn't good enough to hold the truck and a 20 ft. boat on a steep angle, haha.

 

My 3rd gen 4Runner has bellcranks behind the drum backing plates, but my 2nd gen 4Runner does not. The parking brake cables on my '93 just go right through the backing plates and connect inside (hidden by brake drums), so seized bellcranks wouldn't apply in that case. I don't know what the setup is on the same vintage truck, though.