so i picked up a wheel cylinder and put it on and the brakes still acted the same. so i was looking at it and i found out the problem. the parking brake is to tight where the brakes mount. i found this because i unhooked the parking brake and put everything on and the drum slid right on. so my question now is how do i get the parking brake loose enough to work. i have it al the way loose at the front. it seems like it is frozen in the back because it wil not budge. can i leave the parking brake unhooked or will that cause problems since the truss is attached on the left side to the parking brake.

 

Well, if your state doesn't require a yearly inspection for a brake-and-light safety sticker, you can live without your parking brake...unless you use it a lot and live in a really hilly place. If so, you need to replace the short cables on both sides of the truck that connect to the brake shoes. There are four cables in the parking brake system: the once that runs from your pedal back to the main cable; the main cable that runs around the frame in a U-shape; and the two short cables that connect to the brake shoes, one on each side. The short rear cables connect to the main cable at a little slotted clamp. So, bad news is you've got to take the shoes off again. Disconnect the end of the short cable from the brake arm behind the shoes, then compress the little spring arms on the cable anchor and push it out of the brake shoe housing, then remove the clip that holds the short cable to the truss, and then separate the end of the short cable from the end of the main cable...it will just slide out of the connector. You have to loosen the main cable tension a lot to get to the connector and it lies up on the frame rail. Make sure you study the the connectors and tensioners on the main cable before you start, so you can get it back together right. All of these components are up under the frame where lots of crud settles, so this is a dirty job...wear some eye protection. The service manual in the FAQ section shows you how to do all of this, and there's a video or slideshow on the Web somewhere but I have lost the link. I found it by Googling "replacing Dakota parking brake." It's a big help if it's still up. Can't remember what I paid for both short cables, but it was less than $50. It's not a hard job, but just takes time, patience and a logical approach.