1957 unable to pull parking brake handle | Ford Thunderbird forum club group 1955-2005 models

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1957 unable to pull parking brake handle

  • Thread starter Thread starter TbirdFan76
  • Start date Start date
TbirdFan76

TbirdFan76

Bronze Member
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Thunderbird Year
1957
I purchased my Tbird last year and haven't yet taken time to figure out why the parking brake seems frozen/stuck. I've been hesitant to try to pull to hard on the handle for fear it may set the brake and then not release.

Any advice on how to approach unfreezing the parking brake?

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My 57 Ranch Wagon had the same problem after 17 years sitting in my father's yard... It took me various years to get it to pass DOT inspections and Emissions in Costa Rica. The "hand brake" (parking) was also stuck. What I did was to get under the car, disconnect the cable (what is easy as it is just screwed into a "Y" connector with cables to each rear tire), then I lubricated the metalic rail (the one with the handle) and made it go back and forth until it felt loose. Then I went under the car and reconnected the bolt and nut to the "Y" connector and try the brakes. They won't get stuck as the parking brakes are no other than the same pads against the drum, using a pivot and a handle that raises the pads against the drum mechanically (not hydraulically).
 
From experience on my 57.
Start by getting under the car and disconnecting the front cable at the Y connector right at the X on the frame.
This will enable you to determine if the problem is from there forward or from there back to the individual wheel cables.
With the cable disconnected under the car get in the car and pull up on the E brake handle, if it still doesn’t move, my suggestion would be to source a new cable from any of the T Bird parts suppliers. It’s not a had job to replace that. If it does pull up easily then you are going to be looking at pulling the rear drums and either trying to free up those cables or having them replaced.
If you are not familiar with or capable of disassembly of drum brakes it would be wise to seek out a local service shop to do that for you. Any service shop would be able to handle that for you, it needn’t be a classic car specifically shop.
Hopefully this helps some.
Good luck
 
Mine was like that too. I used a small bottle of oil with a needle tip and got under the dash and put some drops of oil down the cable/sheath where the cable exits the sheath. Let it sit a few days, did it again, and then was finally able to pull the e brake on. Still takes some effort but at least I can do it. When I release it I do it slowly as the cable retracts back in slowly. I'm sure it could use more oil, one of these days I'll put some more in it.
 
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