Parking brake cables rubbing driveshaft

[Sn8kebitten]

The previous owner of my ‘96 Cobra disconnected the parking brake cables and when I messaged him to ask why, he said he thought they could be hanging up, but that I might reconnect them and see.

So I had a tech at the shop I work at reconnect them real quick during a tire balance, but the cables hang so loosely now that they rub the driveshaft unless I keep the handle extended all the way up, and even then they have no tension whatsoever.

I’m not familiar with how these work in the lever as I’ve never taken one apart before, so I’m just trying to find some info before I do. I read somewhere that if the cables are disconnected, then the handle/lever assembly has to come out and be manually rewound, which sounds rough.

Unrelated to those issues, the brake handle button has lost most of its tension so its spring rattles around like crazy to where basically if I’m not shifting, my thumb stays pressed on the button at all times just so it’s not obnoxious and it’s getting old lol. The button had this problem all through high school over a decade ago the first time I owned it and it’s only gotten worse. I doubt there’s a way to disassemble the handle and replace whatever is wore out in it, so does it seem like a practical decision to just replace the whole lever assembly with a salvage one that hopefully is in better shape than mine?

 

[Cobra Jet]

The problem is because on the SN95 Mustangs (94-98), the factory used a single inferior rivet to hold the ebrake cable bracket to the trans tunnel. For those who do use their ebrake daily, eventually the rivet breaks, allowing that bracket to sag (or come totally off). Because that bracket is sagging or totally off the trans tunnel, this causes the cables to sag onto the driveshaft because there isn't any tension holding them "up" anymore.

The fix is to remove center console and remove driveshaft; use a bolt to reattach the cable bracket back to the trans tunnel. Don't use any rivets... and make sure the bolt clears the driveshaft (don't have the threaded shaft of the bolt protruding down towards the driveshaft. If you must do it with threaded shaft down, make sure it's short enough that it will not cause ANY interference).

This common issue is why you'll see some SN95 94-98 driveshafts with a scoring mark about in the area of the middle of the trans tunnel - from the bracket or cables coming in contact with it while at speed.

At some point Ford fixed the issue with a better bracket or securing method because it's not really heard about after the 1998 SN95's.

Hope that helps.

 

[I_like_turtlez]

The problem is because on the SN95 Mustangs (94-98), the factory used a single inferior rivet to hold the ebrake cable bracket to the trans tunnel. For those who do use their ebrake daily, eventually the rivet breaks, allowing that bracket to sag (or come totally off). Because that bracket is sagging or totally off the trans tunnel, this causes the cables to sag onto the driveshaft because there isn't any tension holding them "up" anymore.

The fix is to remove center console and remove driveshaft; use a bolt to reattach the cable bracket back to the trans tunnel. Don't use any rivets... and make sure the bolt clears the driveshaft (don't have the threaded shaft of the bolt protruding down towards the driveshaft. If you must do it with threaded shaft down, make sure it's short enough that it will not cause ANY interference).

This common issue is why you'll see some SN95 94-98 driveshafts with a scoring mark about in the area of the middle of the trans tunnel - from the bracket or cables coming in contact with it while at speed.

At some point Ford fixed the issue with a better bracket or securing method because it's not really heard about after the 1998 SN95's.

Hope that helps.

What an incredible oversight. Imagine doing that after 100 years of building cars, a few more rivets would've cost them mere pennies..

As for the OP do whatever you have to, to get it fixed. Parking brakes are kind of important in a manual.. I would replace the entire assembly with used

 

[J.Rovirosa]

The problem is because on the SN95 Mustangs (94-98), the factory used a single inferior rivet to hold the ebrake cable bracket to the trans tunnel. For those who do use their ebrake daily, eventually the rivet breaks, allowing that bracket to sag (or come totally off). Because that bracket is sagging or totally off the trans tunnel, this causes the cables to sag onto the driveshaft because there isn't any tension holding them "up" anymore.

The fix is to remove center console and remove driveshaft; use a bolt to reattach the cable bracket back to the trans tunnel. Don't use any rivets... and make sure the bolt clears the driveshaft (don't have the threaded shaft of the bolt protruding down towards the driveshaft. If you must do it with threaded shaft down, make sure it's short enough that it will not cause ANY interference).

This common issue is why you'll see some SN95 94-98 driveshafts with a scoring mark about in the area of the middle of the trans tunnel - from the bracket or cables coming in contact with it while at speed.

At some point Ford fixed the issue with a better bracket or securing method because it's not really heard about after the 1998 SN95's.

Hope that helps.

I remember getting a recall notice for this years ago. Knowing that the console had to come out, I never took it in to have the fix performed. No issues with the parking brake ever...must be lucky I guess.