parking brake change?

over2land · Apr 7, 2005

What year did the parking brake go from a foot brake to a hand brake?

My 88 MJ has the foot brake.

But, it's got a full length console with the spot (albeit not cut out) for the hand brake.

Can I swap to the hand brake assembly easily?

Eagle · Apr 7, 2005

No change.

MJs have the foot brake, XJs have a handle.

No, you cannot easily convert your MJ. You can do it, but not easily. (If it were easy, I would have done my MJ a long time ago. I hate foot brakes.)

over2land · Apr 7, 2005

Is it an issue because of the longer rear cables that would be needed?

Yucca-Man · Apr 7, 2005

Doesn't the 99+ use a footbrake, or do they route the cable up to the driver's side framerail needlessly?

90Pioneer · Apr 7, 2005

I have a hand brake in my XJ and know I sure would like it a lot more if it was a foot operated.

over2land · Apr 7, 2005

heh, I have a foot brake in the MJ and the YJ, but the TJ I had was a hand brake, and I liked it a lot more.

AZ Jeff · Apr 7, 2005

Yucca-Man said:
Doesn't the 99+ use a footbrake, or do they route the cable up to the driver's side framerail needlessly?

The XJ has ALWAYS used a handbrake, even on the later models where they rerouted the equalizer assy. over on the left side of the vehicle.

Yucca-Man · Apr 7, 2005

So the cabling goes to the framerail, and then back to the center? Okaaaaayyy....that makes sense

AZ Jeff · Apr 7, 2005

Yucca-Man said:
So the cabling goes to the framerail, and then back to the center? Okaaaaayyy....that makes sense

Yes, for some reason, on the newer XJ's, the cable from the handbrake lever routes over to the left frame rail, where it joins the equalizer assembly. The two cables coming out of the equalizer assembly then route separately to the two rear brake backing plates. The shorter cable goes directly to the LR brake, and the longer one goes across the axle to the RR brake.

I never understood the new PB routing scheme, but it seems to work OK.

Yucca-Man · Apr 7, 2005

Yeah, I've pulled the cables from the equalizer back, but never paid much attention to where they went forward from there. It wasn't my Jeep so I never drove it and paid no attention to the actual parking brake location. Seems like a lot of redesign work for only three years' use. That's D-C for ya though...

pxs · May 22, 2005

Sorry for bringing up an old message - maybe you guys have looked at it and seen. I'm wondering if i can convert my handle to the pedal.. I am an amateur operator, and that would free up a nice spot for my 3 radios.

How the heck did the police get their radios, etc in there?!
I haven't been able to find any pictures..
-Nick

UNCC_99XJ · May 22, 2005

Wow! I never knew so many others used their parking brakes as well!..LOL It's amazing how many people think the tranny is a giant kickstand....

ChicksDigWagons · May 22, 2005

pxs said:
Sorry for bringing up an old message - maybe you guys have looked at it and seen. I'm wondering if i can convert my handle to the pedal.. I am an amateur operator, and that would free up a nice spot for my 3 radios.

How the heck did the police get their radios, etc in there?!
I haven't been able to find any pictures..
-Nick

Well, the Police XJs had a column shifter instead of a center console shifter, that frees up ALOT of room.

Eagle · May 22, 2005

MJ automatics (except the Eliminators) also used a column shift. You might be able to get the parts from a junkyard. Not an easy swap, though. The column shifts use a different instrument cluster with a P-R-N-D-L indicator built in, so you would need that and whatever linkage makes it know what gear has been selected.

There's probably no reason you can't use an MJ foot brake in an XJ. Cable lengths might be an issue, but nothing a creative young man shouldn't be able to work around.

wilcharl · May 22, 2005

My old man had an 86 MJ (probley how i ended up with an XJ) anyways his 86 didnt have the PRNDL in the panel like the later ones, it had it behind the stearing wheel ... i know this was some GM Saginaw design and you would see it on some commerical vehicles and panel vans but if you grab ahold of one of those era ones you odnt have to worry about the gauge cluster

parking brake change?

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