Good job! How bad was it to do? Maybe 2 hours.

 

Maxbaby, your post was awesome! Saved me a ton of time because I couldn't find these procedures anywhere. Not even my Haynes manual. And for not being a mechanic, you wrote the steps out as well as anyone could have hoped for. Awesome job!

However, while I have fixed my broken front cable, I figured out why I broke it in the first place. I believe the parking brake components going to the rear wheel(s) are frozen. When you push on the parking break with your foot, you can feel the initial slack in the cables tighten, but then nothing. It just stops, and if you push further, you'll break the cable at the connection point for the front and rear cables about halfway down the van on the bottom. Believe me, I've already done this!

I noticed that the levers that are attached to the rear brakes and the parking brake cables don't move at all when the cables are tugging at them when I'm pressing the pedal down. Stupid question, but, should they move? I'm assuming they should move pretty easily. I don't know if they're frozen in place or what. This is my new dilemma with my van. By the way, it's a 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT, 3.8L V6 with disc brakes all around. Any help would be nice. I'll attempt to post a picture of the back of the rear brake assy.

Pics here:

http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/...9681e0646g.jpg

http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/...b31fc7a96g.jpg

 

The first question i have is... when you place the transmission in neutral, and then apply the parking brake, is it holding the vehicle from moving? Yes, those levers that you show in the pictures should move, but it won't be some easy-one-finger-pulling movement. I have drum brakes in the back myself so i will defer to anyone else to clarify or correct me on your disk brakes. If you can't get the parking brake to hold, even partially, then I'd think maybe they've seized up and would need to be disassembled and cleaned up.

I found some more information that may assist you...
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/dodge-c...-2006-dgc.html

 

Hello, Gene A here. I'm new to the forum and trying to figure out how to ask a question. I have a 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan with front disc and rear drum brakes. The Parking brake pedal would not hold the car from moving and would pop into its resting/unactivated position on it's own. I installed all 4 new cables, new brake shoes, and a new Parking brake pedal assembly. The drums were checked and within specs for diameter. The pedal stays down OK now but does not hold the car from moving forward. While under the car, I can grab the exposed wire from the pedal assembly and pull it down. It's as if the spring in the pedal assembly needs to be wound up another turn. Does anyone have any ideas on how to fix it?

 

If you have installed an all-new pedal assembly, then I think you just haven't properly adjusted the parking brake. Otherwise, that pedal assembly will likely be the problem.

 

Thanks Maxbaby . I figured this out thanks to you.
My cable broke at the pedal and the spring jumped off as well. So with screwdriver and pliers I wound the tension back on and hooked the spring in place. Then winding the mechanism to the optimum position for cable slack and clamping in place as suggested. l hooked up the cables with ease with the whole thing just sitting on the floor. This simplifies the process release the spring and bolt back in.
Getting the assembly back on was tricky. Getting it onto the stud mount I resorted to bending the stud to the right a bit as I had a tight fit and had pryed it off in removal.

Thanks to the posters on this site I can DIY nearly anything with my van.

 

Thanks Maxbaby - your instructions helped me get the e brake off, but I cant move the clock spring. I have a 2006 GC w/stoNgo, and the correct front cable - mine broke at the equalizer, so the tension on the clock spring is slack. I'm using the old cable to try to pull and tighten the clock spring, as I cannot attach the new cable without getting some tension on the clockspring to move it around to the correct position to insert the new cable. BUT, the clockspring wont move! I've got the ebrake in 'off' position. Is there something else I have to release before I can move the clock spring? Another post said it could be done by hand, but I dont see how. I've also read conflicting posts about whether the self-adjuster needs to be manually locked out on different years and models. Any additional info would be appreciated.

 

This is awesome! I have the pedal assembly, with broken front cable, removed and nothing broken yet. I am waiting to source the replacement part and some warm weather to reinstall.