Yep. It's a common mistake for a newbie.

 

Even Mobile Oil says you're not very bright-

How does an emergency brake work?

https://mobiloil.com/en/article/car-...ncy-brake-work

 

x2. The chances of that parking brake even holding up for an emergency situation are slim to none.

 

for
p-a-r-k-i-n-g.

OP, if your vehicle has ABS, you'll need access to a factory scan tool to properly bleed the system.

 

No, it's not. It's the oversteer lever

A properly maintained and adjusted parking/emergency brake will stop you in the event of a complete hydraulic failure like torn brake line. My parking brake works perfectly because I took the time to 1.) adjust the rear drums and 2.) Adjust the parking brake cables.

Here's a link to Cruiser54's drum adjustment picture. Sadly, I can't figure out how to link to the actual image so it's small and hard to read but here's the link...

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/g/picture/3363767

The only time using the parking/emergency brake might be an issue is at highway speeds. In that case, the torque converter is typically locked. Using the brake pedal immediately and automatically unlocks the TC, using the parking brake does not. Not exactly sure what damage that could cause, probably none but if you were to completely lock the rear axle it may cause the engine to stall. Of course, a catastrophic capsizing of your Jeep is also possible when using the parking brake at those speeds.

 

I'm really trying not to get involved in this silly off track discussion, (honest) but if you lose your hydraulics and need to slow your jeep down before you hit something, are you going to refrain from using your parking brake because that is what it's called and ideally used for?

I don't think calling it an Emergency brake, whether that is what it was designed for or not, is going to lead someone into doing something stupid. People do that all on their own.

Basically calling it an Emergency brake is telling someone as a last ditch effort to slow your car down if you lost your primary brakes is to use this lever. It's not telling anyone to use it in tandem with your primary brakes or use it instead of using your primary brakes. You are exaggerating the negative connotations of calling it an emergency brake greatly.

 

Marketing people are not known for being very bright. Those are the people who post those kind of things.

 

Of course not. That would be stupid. You do whatever you can with whatever you've got in an emergency.

I'd even use a liter of Coke to put out a fire, but I'm not going to call it a fire extinguisher. I've peed on a fire, too, but I don't call that a fire extinguisher, either.

Anybody who did so would be stupid.



You just contradicted yourself and made my point. Using the wrong name gives people wrong information.

 

I'm sure the brake was only designed for parking. I'm sure if your brakes went out and you were about to run into something, you'd use it to slow down and eventually stop.

All that aside, I don't think mine would be super effective as a parking brake on an incline if my transmission slipped out of gear - because it is doing almost nothing.

Out of all the cars I have had (67 Mustang, 70 Mustang, 73 Ford quad cab long bed pickup, 86 Aerostar van, 86 Mitsubishi Montero (ie the Dodge Ram Raider), 2000 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup, 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup, 99 Ford Ranger, 2001 s10 pickup, 2000 Mercury Mountaineer, 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and this 2000 Cherokee XJ), this is the ONLY car where the 'parking' brake made no appreciable difference if engaged while the car was rolling.

 

Are the parking brake cables even functional? A lot of times, due to lack of use the cables seize up, then when peeps do a brake job they just let them hang.

 

It's not wrong information. Either name is correct. They have been used interchangeably for as long as the automobile has existed. Arguing about it is ridiculous.

Has the OP mentioned whether he has ABS or not?

 

Actually they used to be labled "Emegency" brake. Probably due to lawers it isn't now.
As to their use, I've never used them because it wasn't an "emegency".
In days long ago they would have a tendency to stick in the "on" posistion, I therfore relegated them to "Emegency use only".

 

I tend to call it an e- brake most of the time but I do use it when parked. Anyway, I'm having a similar issue. No leaks no crimped lines. When I roll forward and stomp the pedal a couple times it seems to get tighter but when rolling back it stays the same. Brakes do lock just the pedal has to b pressed almost all the way down. Not seeing any bleeders in the rear for some reason. No ABS on mine.

 

Jesus people. Just call it a handbrake.

 

Back to the topic at hand...

I live in an apartment community where working on cars is prohibited, which makes in depth work impossible. But I did drive out to a store parking lot and checked a few things out.

Note: no ABS brakes; no visible leaks around the wheels or lines; no change in pedal firmness when pumping pedal, either with engine on or off.

Backing the car up repeatedly and stopping (both with pedal, and additionally with hand brake) did not cause the brakes to adjust. I jacked the car up, got under it and manually ratcheted up the star-wheel on each side. I never heard the brakes rubbing significantly when I spun the tire/wheel on either side, even after a good dozen or more 'clicks' on each wheel's adjuster.

I was afraid of doing it too much, so I thought I'd test drive it before doing more. It did seem to stop better and the pedal seemed a little firmer.

The hand brake cable was loose. I tightened it up a little, and now the handbrake DOES have some tension on it, and does slow the car, and prevent it from rolling when on an incline in neutral. It does not cause an immediate stop of 'lock up the wheels' (as someone mentioned) when moving.


Since I don't have a place to work on it, I guess I will have to pay some shop to examine the rear brakes and see why the adjuster mechanism is not engaging properly. A shame, since I paid a shop to do this and replace all the hardware just 6 or 7 months ago.