Ive been seeing alot of posts about the E-brake taking to many clicks to hold the Jeep in place. Ive personally tried adjusting the E-brake pads, and while it helped some, it didnt do much at all. I believe you should still adjust the pads to make sure they are both applying the same amount of torque to each side, but this method works ALOT better.
Anyway, mine has been getting worse and since I live on a hill, I always use the parking brake. I could visually look down into the console and tell that there was slack in the cable because I could move the handle a good inch before the cable would move. I also asked my father to get under the Jeep and look at the rear brake mechanism to confirm the slack in the cable.
The first thing you need to do is to remove the lid for the center console, there are 3 screws that hold it on. Next, take the two screws out of the bottom of the container and two on the top toward the front of the box. Pull that out and you will be able to see the cable and the mechanism that SHOULD automatically adjust itself. Ive seen alot of posts saying the Liberty e-brake does not adjust itself, well, it should. I tinkered with the thing until I figured out how it works. Pull the ebrake up a few clicks, then grab the little tab(see pic below) while letting the brake handle back down. Be sure NOT to take to much slack out which would cause the rear pads to drag. Do this a couple times(If needed) until most of the slack is out of the cable. Its also best to jack up the rear end and check the pads to make sure there isnt any drag. If there is drag, Im not sure how to let the slack back out. The best way would be to adjust the pads at each wheel.
The tab is circled:
When you pull the ebrake up, that entire thing will move with it. When you hold the tab and let the handle back down, it will stay in place.
Max time: 15min
Here is the post I made that shows how to adjust the pads for each ebrake:
viewtopic.php?t=14757&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=adjust+emergency+brake&start=15It takes a max of 2-3 clicks now.
Good luck..
WOW...After changing all the e-brake parts and adjusting the brakes, my cable still would not tighten up the brakes.
Now after adjusting the handle per your post its GREAT! I will pass this along! Thank you!