1990-1999 Jeep Cherokee Parking Brake Problems and Adjustment

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

On a 1990-1999 Jeep Cherokee (XJ), the parking brake does not have its own brake. It uses the rear drum brake shoes, pulled on by cables. So nearly every parking brake problem on these Jeeps comes from the rear drums: shoes that have drifted out of adjustment, seized self-adjusters, or stretched and rusted cables. The factory fix is always the same order: adjust the rear shoes first, then set cable tension. Never the other way around.

How the XJ Parking Brake Works

The factory service manual describes the XJ rear brakes as a self-centering drum design with a primary and a secondary shoe, an anchor at the top, and a single double-acting wheel cylinder. The service brakes push the shoes out hydraulically. The parking brake does it mechanically.

Inside each drum, a parking brake lever is attached to the secondary shoe (the 1993 manual shows it held on with a washer and U clip), and a parking brake strut with its own spring sits between the shoes. When you set the lever in the cab, a cable pulls on that shoe lever, the strut pushes against the other shoe, and both shoes wedge against the drum. Under the vehicle, the front cable meets an equalizer that splits the pull evenly to the left and right rear cables. The manuals put the adjusting nut on the threaded end of the cable at that equalizer/tensioner.

The part that matters most is the self-adjuster, a threaded star wheel between the bottoms of the shoes. As the lining wears, the adjuster lengthens a notch at a time to keep the shoes close to the drum. The 1984-1991 manual states the rear shoes adjust automatically as the brakes are applied while the vehicle is backing up. If you rarely brake hard in reverse, or the star wheel is rusted solid, the shoes drift away from the drum. Then the parking brake lever has to travel a long way before anything happens.

Symptoms and How to Diagnose Them

R1 Concepts lists a low or spongy pedal, pulling to one side, scraping or grinding noises and long parking brake lever travel as the common signs of drum brake trouble. Brake dust building up inside the closed drum and corrosion that sticks the adjuster are the usual root causes. On a Cherokee that sat for years or spent winters on salted roads, expect both.

A quick test: on a level surface, set the lever and count the clicks. Then block the front wheels, raise the rear, release the lever and spin each wheel. A wheel that spins freely with the lever set, or drags hard with it released, points you to that side.

The Factory Adjustment Procedure

The Jeep manuals are clear that cable adjustment is the last step, not the first. Tightening the cable to make up for shoes that are far from the drum pre-loads the parking brake levers inside the drums. That can hold the shoes off the adjuster and cause rear drag. The factory sequence, summarized from the 1984-1991 and 1993 manuals:

1. Adjust the rear brake shoes first. Inspect the cables for fraying, kinks and seized sections before going further.
2. Cycle the parking brake. Apply and release it five times to seat the cables.
3. Set the lever in the fifth notch, then raise and support the vehicle.
4. Measure cable tension. The factory used a parking brake adjustment gauge (tool J-34651 in the early manual) on the cable. The 1984-1991 manual calls for 50-55 in-lb on the gauge, and the 1993 manual lists 50 in-lb (6 N-m).
5. Turn the adjusting nut at the equalizer until the gauge reads in its specified range.
6. Cycle the brake five more times and recheck. Make sure both rear wheels turn freely with the lever released.

Most home mechanics do not have the factory gauge. The practical version is the same idea: with the shoes properly adjusted, take up cable slack at the equalizer until the brake holds firmly partway up the lever's travel, then confirm there is no drag with the lever down. If you need a lot of thread at the equalizer to get a hold, stop. The problem is inside the drums, not in the cable.

Getting the Rear Shoes Back in Adjustment

With the drum off, the star wheel sits at the bottom between the two shoes. Phoenix Systems' drum brake guide recommends turning the adjuster until the shoes just start to drag, so the drum spins by hand with slight resistance but does not lock. Back it off slightly if the drum will not go back on over the shoes. Penetrating oil is better than force on a frozen adjuster, and both sides should be set evenly.

If the star wheel will not turn, take the adjuster out, clean the threads, apply a thin coat of high-temperature brake lubricant and reinstall it. Put the left-side and right-side adjusters back on their own sides, because they are threaded differently. Check that the adjuster lever and its spring are in place. A missing or bent lever means the adjuster can never work, however many times you back up.

Then let the self-adjusters finish the job. The 1993 manual says to drive and make one complete forward stop followed by one complete reverse stop, repeated 8-10 times. The earlier manual calls for 10-15 firm reverse stops with forward stops in between. Adjust the parking brake cable only after this.

Drum size is not the same across the whole XJ run. The 1993 manual lists a 9.00 in (228.6 mm) drum with a 9.050 in (230.00 mm) maximum refinish diameter for Cherokee, while the 1984-1991 manual lists a 10.00 in drum for its Cherokee/Comanche/Wagoneer group. Go by the maximum diameter cast or stamped on your own drum, and replace any drum that is over it.

What to Replace at the Same Time

• Shoes, in axle sets. If lining is thin, contaminated with oil or fluid, or glazed, replace both sides. See our rear brake shoes.
• The hardware kit. Return springs, hold-down springs and adjuster parts on a 25-year-old Jeep have usually lost tension or rusted. A drum brake hardware kit is cheap insurance, and weak springs are a common reason the adjusters stop working.
• Wheel cylinders. Peel back the dust boots. Any wetness means brake fluid is reaching the shoes, and soaked shoes will not hold even when adjusted right.
• Parking brake cables. A cable that will not slide freely in its sheath after soaking and working it should be replaced. A seized cable is the usual cause of a parking brake that holds one side only or will not release.
• Front pads. The front brakes do most of the stopping. When the rear is apart, check the fronts too. We carry the EBC Greenstuff 6000 front pad set for the 1990-1991 Cherokee 2.5L 4WD and the EBC Yellowstuff front pads for the 1997-1999 Cherokee 2.5. Confirm the fitment notes on each listing against your Jeep, or browse all brake pads.

How Hard Is the Job?

Adjusting the cable at the equalizer is a 20-minute job once the shoes are right. The rear drum service is a moderate DIY: basic hand tools, a brake spring tool and a drum brake adjusting spoon make it much easier. Do one side at a time so the untouched side is a reference for how the springs go back. The hard parts on an old XJ are rust-welded drums and seized cable ends. If a drum will not come off, the shoes may have worn a lip into it, so back the adjuster off through the access slot rather than pounding on the drum. When finished, torque the wheel lug nuts to the value in your owner's or service manual, then confirm a firm pedal before driving.

If you are replacing a lot of rear parts at once, our full brake parts catalog has shoes, hardware and hydraulic parts in one place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Cherokee parking brake lever pull all the way up?

Almost always because the rear shoes are far from the drums. The self-adjusters are stuck or never got enough reverse stops. Adjust the shoes first. Tightening the cable alone just hides the problem and can make the rear brakes drag.

Can I adjust the parking brake without removing the drums?

You can set cable tension at the equalizer under the vehicle, and the shoes can be adjusted through the access slot in the backing plate. But if the lever travel is long, pull the drums and check that the adjusters actually turn. A seized adjuster will not fix itself.

How do I make the XJ self-adjusters work?

They adjust during reverse braking. The 1993 factory manual calls for one complete forward stop then one complete reverse stop, repeated 8-10 times. They only work if the star wheel is clean and free and the adjuster lever and spring are present.

Why does only one rear wheel lock when I set the parking brake?

One cable is seized in its sheath, or one side's shoes are much farther out of adjustment than the other. The equalizer can only split the pull evenly if both cables move freely.

My parking brake will not release. What should I check?

Check the lever's release mechanism in the cab first, then whether each rear cable retracts when released. Rusted cables and weak shoe return springs are the usual causes. Do not drive with a dragging rear brake. It overheats the shoes and drums quickly.

Sources

1. Jeep Cherokee (XJ) 1984-1991 factory service manual: Brake System - self-centering drum design, reverse-braking self-adjustment, parking brake adjustment sequence with 50-55 in-lb gauge reading, drum diameter for that group
2. Jeep Cherokee (XJ) 1993 factory service manual: Brake System - parking brake lever on secondary shoe, strut and springs, forward/reverse stop adjustment 8-10 times, fifth-notch and 50 in-lb (6 N-m) cable adjustment, 9.00 in drum and 9.050 in maximum refinish
3. R1 Concepts: How do self-adjusting drum brakes work - star wheel operation, dust and corrosion as failure causes, symptoms including excessive parking brake lever travel
4. Phoenix Systems: How to adjust rear drum brakes with self-adjusters - manual shoe adjustment to light drag, penetrating oil on frozen adjusters, adjust both sides evenly