parking brake questions

my 72 cj5 has no parking brake, its missing everything from the equalizer forward. after searching and reading old posts i have decided that it should have a pedal and not a handle. correct?? also will the pedal assembly and cable from a 76 an later work?

 

Yes and maybe. I expect you would have to adapt the pedal assembly to the mount to the body, but the design of the pedal is basically the same. The connection to the rear brake drums is probably different, since the rear axle is different and the brakes are different.

Have you tried to get the parts for a '72? I'd make a good effort to get the cables, rather than assume that the '76 cables will work. A lot changes between '72 and 76 - almost everything except the exterior sheet metal. The pedal is something of a commodity item though - I'd think you could make almost any pedal assembly from a GM (?) vehicle work.

 

i have a pedal on mine from a 76-up rig. that is mounted and it is ok. but i have a d300 rather than stock d20. i guess the d20 has a spot to route/mount the cable to it, this was something that was worked around, don't remember how. my ebrake doesn't really work good/at all, this i think will be addressed with fixing/replacing my rear brakes, as i just found out i don't have any rear brake movement when hitting the pedal. once i fix them, i think the ebrake assembly i have with the newer model pedal will be fine. just different mounting is all. i was in fact considering going to a hand-brake assembly just to have a little added control on it when in steep situations, just a thought, i've never heard anything for or against it.

 

Before I bought a CJ I'd never had a pedal e-brake.
I've found it an absolute pain in the a** on a vehicle with a manual transmission.
Four pedals to juggle between two feet.
If you ain't got the pedal, don't buy one, go to a hand-brake.

 

I think the hand-brake is a great idea, but- any ideas on what to use? when did jeep stop using a hand-brake?

 

The TJs all have hand brakes. Most foreign cars have them too. Its just a matter of fabrication to make them fit the CJ.

 

All of the cables (including the release cable) are available new. If you want to go original, the only used part you would have to source is the pedal assembly. No fab required.

 

keep us posted on what type of hand break and parts you use if you go that route. as said above many cars have them, all tj's and yj's have them (i believe).

good luck.