I went to put on the parking brake in my 1995 Ford F150 the other day and heard a snap. The pedal will now go to the floor with no resistance and has to be lifted by hand instead of spring returned upon release. It isn't working as a brake at all. Anyone have any ideas? I am all for a do-it-yourself job if possible! I can't even find a good illustration anywhere to go by.

 

Luckily it sounds very simple.

The e-bake cable has probably just snapped.

There are a few pieces, so you should only have to replace the broken one.
Start under the pedal and feel the cable. (looks like an aircraft cable) that will exit into the firewall. Follow the cable under the driver's side of the truck rearward. It will follow the frame until it gets split before the rear axel. This is where it breaks most often. If you find no break, follow the two ends toward each rear brake. If there is still no break, you will need to remove the rear brake drums and inspect where the e-brake cable attaches to the e-brake actuator arm that attaches to the rear brake shoe. It will enter the brake backing plate and there will be a spring on the cable between the backing plate and the actuator arm. This is the spring that returns your pedal back up, if it is working.

I hope this helps....if you need more detail...feel free to email me.

Good luck....the parts are readily available through places like NAPA auto parts and the like, but sometimes your local Ford Dealer is the cheapest place.

 

Simple is my favorite kind of problem to fix!