Sticking e-brakes

Dutchy · **Posted:** Fri Apr 06, 2007 5:56 am

Every 8- 10.000 Miles my e-brakes get stuck with low mpg's and a hot rear axle as a result.
My local garage has to use a crowbar and a sledge hammer to get the rotors off and a blow torch to clean the scissors shaped mechanism that moves the e-brake pads.
It seems that this scissors shaped item is the reason why the brakes get stuck every time, they are rusted and totally stuck so that the little spring that makes this mechanism move back in the non braking position is not capable to move it back anymore.

According to my local mechanic it is a design fault and he has never seen it happen so often on any car/4x4 before.

I did some research on the internet and I found a lot of KJ owners with the same symptoms, only nobody seems to have found the answer and dealers can't find it either and blame rotors/drivers/tyres while I know for 100% that it is the e-brake.

Is there a solution to this, is there a TSB out on this?

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:10 am

Well - I did a search and found your post from last Jun when this happened.
there were a couple of threads saying the brake calipers were sticking and this one

http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=7931&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=rear+brake+dragging&start=0
where they mentioned
TSB 05-001-04 - but no details on it

although for the most part sounds like folks have taken it in to the dealer, they replaced a few parts and continued on.

Dutchy · **Posted:** Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:56 am

Thanks ATXKJ!

In my case it is the e-brake and in the treads you found for me there was one guy who had the same issue, he cleans the e-brake once a year and lubes the mechanism with no-stick and that keeps him going for one year.

That's exactly what is going on with my KJ only it keeps me going for 10 Months.

There should be something out there as taking the e-brakes apart and cleaning them every 10 Months is something you expect on a 1950's Austin and not on a modern 2003 KJ.

Anybody?

Dutchy · **Posted:** Fri Apr 27, 2007 7:25 am

I think I found the problem if anybody is interested.

The e-brake leaver gets rusty and sticks due to water ingress into the e-brakes.
So when you live in an area with a lot of water on the roads or when you do fording you will encounter this problem sooner than normal.

The solution is to clean the leavers in the brakes and grease them every year or change them for new ones which come without grease but are coated with paint to protect them.

jdumont · **Posted:** Fri Apr 27, 2007 12:29 pm

So is this only on KJs with rear disk brakes?

Dutchy · **Posted:** Sat Apr 28, 2007 4:57 am

I'm not sure but as the 2002 model has drum brakes at the rear I think the e-brake is different too, lucky you!

jdumont · **Posted:** Sat Apr 28, 2007 9:19 am

Yea thats kinda what i figured. Hopefully we're right.....

Sticking e-brakes

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