Do you have this type or the other? The cable wraps around a drum.

 

Not this one Chris. On mine the Cable simply hooks on to a cut out on the lower part of ratchet.

The part I found lying in the footwell unattached to the pedal mechanism looks nearly like a silver paper clip that someone has untwisted. I assume it some how attaches to the ratchet and prevents the cable dropping off. But I just can't see how or where it attaches (and I'm a mechanical engineer! &#129315.

Thanks again.

 

Folks - Volvo's parking brake shoes are special in the following way. A typical brake shoe has a half arc of brake shoe material that is a constant thickness...about 3/16" thick or so. On a volvo xc90 each brake shoe has a section that is ground flat symetric to half way along the arc. I bought new aftermarket brake shoes and they just would not hold. I then went to volvo and bought brake shoes and the only difference was the flattened surface half way along the arc. Like someone ground it off. I learned this from an INDIE Repair shop. The shoes work great with the flat spot on them.