74 Cj5 Parking Brake

I need to install a parking brake. I have the original 74 foot pedal but the release handle was broken. I know I can get one online. I also have a 76 and newer one too. My question is, I have a set of cables (front, rear right, and rear left) from an 83 CJ5. I know that the front cable for a 74 goes straight down the middle and the right and left rear are the same length, but can I make the ones that I have work with some minor fab since for the 83 they go down the left side and the right cable is longer than the left.
Thank you in advance guys.

 

For 1974, the two wheel cables are the same length, which means that the equalizer is in the middle of the Jeep. From '76 on, the left cable is much shorter than the right, which indicates that the equalizer is moved to the driver's side. The cable to the pedal will also be shorter due to this change. The cables mount to the underside of the body. Clearly you will need to fabricate the mounting points if the later calbes were to be made to fit. I don't know if the cables meant for the AMC 20 axle will work with Dana 44 backing plates - you'll just have to try them.

However, the right parts are available aftermarket - why not just use the right parts? The wheel cables are Jeep 999980 and the pedal cable is 999978.

 

Thanks for the reply Tim. I had the cables for the 83 and was hoping to make them work. I also have a 79 CJ7 and know exactly what you mean. There is a welded metal plate on the drivers side which the pedal cable attaches to and just past it there is another plate welded to the side of the frame that the wheel cables attaches to and the equalizer joins them.
I have a reproduction intermediate body on mine and was looking today and there is nowhere to attach the pedal cable to like the original body had. I have since sold the original body to someone and do not have access to look at the attachment point. I still have the little braces that attach the wheel cables to the frame.
I cannot remember exactly where they attach. I think it is a cross member toward the rear of the frame. Is that correct? They are a little hump with a screw hole on either side to hold down the cable.

As for the backing plates, I was sure that the AMC 20 and the Dana 44 shared the same backing plates as long as they were not the 11" ones because I know they share the same brake shoes. My rear axle is a Dana 44 out of a 86 CJ7.

 

The parts book shows the same drawing, pre or post 1976. The '74 bracket has a PN, so it seems it's a part separate from the body.

Too much snow for me to look at my Jeep right now.

I think you may be mixed up about the brake sizes. The V6-era Jeeps had 10"x2" brakes from Wagner. Starting in '72, the '74 era has 11"x2" Bendix brakes. These continued through 1976 with the AMC 20, when at some point (1977 earliest) Jeep started installing 10"x1.75" drums on the rear to complement front disk brakes. These appear to be Bendix brakes. With the different size, the backing plate, lever and linings will be different from 1974, and the '74 cables might not fit.

What size shoes does the CJ-7 axle have? If they are 10" x 1.75", then it may be better to use the the '83 cables because they are more likely to fit the '86 backing plates.

 

I believe they are 10" x 1.75".
I will try my luck at it and see what I come up with.
Thanks again Tim