The brake lever sits in the center console of the Jeep Cherokee. The emergency brake cable runs under the Jeep and attaches from the bottom side, joining the two rear cables with the single front cable. While failure of the lever assembly is not common, the ratcheting gears inside the handle and the locking mechanism can fail. Those parts cannot be serviced individually. You have to replace the entire assembly to fix a problem with the lever or the components inside it.
Raise the front of your Cherokee off the ground with a jack. Position a set of jack stands under the frame to support the Jeep. Slide under the Jeep and locate the parking brake equalizer, which is directly under the parking brake lever.
Remove the nut from the tension rod with a wrench. Slide the equalizer off the tension rod. Remove the front cable from the tension rod and lay it aside. Slide out from under the Jeep. Open the passenger's door so you can access the center console and the brake lever.
Open the center console. Locate the two screws at the top edge of the trim panel that extends from the top of the console to the front of the brake lever cutout. Remove the screws with a Phillips screwdriver.
Pull the brake handle up then lift the rear of the trim panel up several inches. Slide the trim panel back to release it from the front of the center console and lift it off the brake lever.
Locate the electrical connector on the brake lever switch near the bottom of the brake handle assemble. It is on the driver's side near the back of the assembly. Pull the connector off the switch and set the connector aside.
Remove the two retaining bolts from the brake handle assembly with a socket and ratchet. Lift the assembly out of the console and remove it from the Jeep.
