Parking brake cable question?

[In The Ten Ring]

OK....so I took the advice from last night and removed the strut and strut spring from each drum. BINGO the shoes move closer together and BAM the drum slides right on!

So.....I get under the truck and look up at the cable. The cable is sheathed in a flexible sort of tubing at the back and at the front, exposed over most of the middle, and has a connection of sorts very close to the rear coil springs.

How can I find out where the trouble is so I can replace this mug?

Diagram put up by a helpful member:



*A local garage wants $65.00 to replace each cable even when I supply the parts!

[TBONE1964]

If you look at the diagram from the LMC catalog, you will see item number 5. It does not say what number the other side is but you need #5 for the left and #? for the right. That is usually the piece that is froze up because the cable runs though the inside of the sheathing. One end of that goes through the backing plate and hooks to the parking brake linkage inside the brake drum. The other side hooks to a connector.

If you look at item #12 that is where the adjustment is made. You will need to back the adjustment off all the way and then remove the cables from the connector on both left and right side. getting the other end out of the backing plate is the tricky part. You will have to squeeze the tabs in. The best way I have found to do that is to take a boxed end wrench and slide it over the end of the cable and the wrench will push all three tabs in at the same time. Then you can just pull the old cables out.

I would bet this is where you need to start and is the most common problem with park brake cables.

I know if you are a novice that this may seem a little confusing but hang in there, you have plenty of help here to get you through this.

[In The Ten Ring]

Thanks man and the last words, those of encouragement, went a long way with me.

OK....next question.

I'm not a huge fan of LMC....is there a better supplier to get this stuff from? *Now if LMC will work for these parts, then I'm game.

[midniteblues]

try a small hose clamp on those brake cable tabs. the wrench sounds good also.

on the cables i have pulled them out and threw them in my oil drain bucket overnite. submerge them an let'm soak for awhile then pull them out an hang'm above the bucket too drip off.
when there done drippin wipe'm down and clamp the solid part(the collar on the sheathing) in a vise an keep pulling back an forth till they are free.
this could be hard or it can be easy depending on how bad they are.
its allways worked for me even though i had some on a 77 that were a bear too get loose. i had too hook a slide hammer too it an really yank back an forth on the cable.

of course this is only if the cable isnt frayed or damaged and your workin on the cheap
i have gotten new ones from rock auto at a decent price an they fit great fyi.

[Daner]

Originally Posted by midniteblues

try a small hose clamp on those brake cable tabs. the wrench sounds good also.

on the cables i have pulled them out and threw them in my oil drain bucket overnite. submerge them an let'm soak for awhile then pull them out an hang'm above the bucket too drip off.
when there done drippin wipe'm down and clamp the solid part(the collar on the sheathing) in a vise an keep pulling back an forth till they are free.
this could be hard or it can be easy depending on how bad they are.
its allways worked for me even though i had some on a 77 that were a bear too get loose. i had too hook a slide hammer too it an really yank back an forth on the cable.

of course this is only if the cable isnt frayed or damaged and your workin on the cheap
i have gotten new ones from rock auto at a decent price an they fit great fyi.

I do the same thing only with diesel fuel. Works great.

[TBONE1964]

Originally Posted by In The Ten Ring

Thanks man and the last words, those of encouragement, went a long way with me.

OK....next question.

I'm not a huge fan of LMC....is there a better supplier to get this stuff from? *Now if LMC will work for these parts, then I'm game.

I only use LMC because there catolog has good reference pictures. I am not much of a fan of them either. For parking brake cable try Rockauto like midniteblues suggested or even a local auto parts such as Napa or Autozone may be able to order them for you.

It may be worth a couple hours of your time to see if you can free up the ones you have but again like midniteblues stated, if they are frayed, they are junk.

Good Luck.

[Lattimer]

If they have them, Rock Auto will likely be the best source.