Parking Brake System: Description and Operation

The parking brakes are operated by a system of cables and levers attached to the rear brake secondary shoes. The rear drum brake shoes serve as the parking brakes. The shoes make contact with the brake drum surface by a cable and lever mechanism attached to the secondary brake shoe. A strut installed between the primary and secondary shoes maintains shoe position when the parking brakes are applied. The front parking brake cable is connected to the parking brake pedal and to an intermediate cable. The intermediate cable connects the front cable to the rear cables. The parking brake pedal assembly is mounted on the driver side cowl panel. The front cable is directly attached to the assembly. The pedal assembly contains a spring loaded, ratchet-type mechanism to hold the pedal in the applied position. A cable and spring are used to release the ratchet mechanism and return the pedal to normal position.