Broke E-brake rod off floor pan on LTD LX

[zak]

I would like to get my LTD LX back on the road for winter (has brand new Dunlop 5000 all seasons), and I recently replaced a couple of e-brake cables.

Problem is that the third time I applied them, the vertical pin that holds the equalizer, right underneath the drivers seat floorpan area, snapped over.

ANyone with experience or guidance on how to repair, I could use some advice. I have already started spraying the seat bolts with penetrating oil . . . . zak

[paul78zephyr]

When my wife (then girlfriend) bought our 1978 Mercury Zephyr in April 1983 (with 85,000 miles on it) I had discovered that the vertical axis pivot rod for the e-brakes on the car had been repaired by welding of the floorpan. And whoever did this fix had done a VERY good job as we have never had any trouble with this part in the 22+ years (and now 200,000+ miles) that we have owned it. I think its was very common problem on Fox bodied cars, especially in the 'salt-belt' areas with winter weather.

Im sorry I do not have any nitty gritty info on how to do the fix as it was done already when we got the car. All I can say is find someone who knows how to weld and is experienced with floorpans.

Good luck,
Paul

[LTDScott]

Geez. No idea, man. Like Chuck said, you'll probably have to have someone weld it on.

[FuturaGuy]

I had the same thing happen on my Futura long ago. A co-worker with a metalworking lathe at home made a headed pin slightly longer and the same diameter as the original and welded it to a 3/32" thick plate about 3 inches square. I had that welded in place to the top side of the floor pan and it hasn't budged in 15 years.

I found a good way to keep the brake cables from rusting. Before I installed them, I put a double layer of electrical shrink tube, about 3/4" in diameter, around the brake cables. With a propane torch, they shrank down tight around the cable housing. Run the cable back and forth in the housing and put plenty of grease on it. The cables haven't seized yet even after 15 years in New England.

[Dean_T]

OOO, that's a bummer! Now you got me paranoid. I'm going to check all mine. I know my parts chaser had a broken E-brake cable the PO had clamped together...

Wish you luck,

Dean T