emergency/parking brake cables

I've been searching but haven't found anything on making up brake cables at home. Years ago we would use garage door cable with ends you could "hammer" on. Does anyone know of a home grown method short of buying a kit? Kit's OK but I kinda like doing it from scratch. Tim

 

I generally use something from the salvage yard,most of the ones I have used came from Granada's & Mavericks. HRP

 

HRP: As luck would have it..I'm trying to replace the ones on my Maverick rearend (in the cabrio). I can get exact replacements but they may be too long and would prefer one that loops from one wheel to the other rather that two separate cables like the stock ones. Some one will have the answer.

 

I bought cable from McMaster-Carr and swedged ends on from CRS. Drilled a hole thru CRS small bar stock and hit it with a hammer. Been on for 15 yrs or so and use the e-brake every time I park. Has never slipped.

 

Basically this is what I do with the Maverick/Granada emergency cables. HRP

 

I will look into this..thanks.

 

Check out some of the supply houses for early Mustang. New replacement cables as well as the front end connection parts are available and not that expensive. the hole in the CSB works well.

 

Napa used to have a cataloug that listed cables buy overall length,conduit length,and end type.

 

This is the way I went for my truck. I went online and looked through NAPAs web site where you can find all the specs for your setup. I just ordered some because I can't find much of anything in the salvage yards here.

 

There are also stamped steel couplers that the swaged ends fit into to make the two cables act together, and they are factory parts as used on the Ford Explorers in the 90's. Once you have your two cables made up you can get one to mate them, and the opposite end accepts the same cable end that comes from the brake operator.

 

I don't care for the Lokar set up with the block with set screws to hold the cables. And it does not pull with a balance bar to equalize tension like an OEM system. I get the handle from U-pull it and modify it work like OEM. Some times you can use cable clamps to make junkyard parts work.


Ago

 

64/65 falcon had a cable like that and I do have a new one in garage somewhere.

 

You can make the ends in your garage with a oxy/acetylene torch and a home made mold. If I can explain the mold it is real easy. Start with a flat piece of steel, from the edge measure in 1/2", center punch. This will be drilled to the size you want the slug to be, do not drill all the way through. With a grinder, die or 4 1/2 cut a grove for your cable to lay in that is approximately in the center of the vertical hole that you drilled. Square the end of your cable, put some solder flux and heat. Get a couple of wheel balance weights. Hold cable in center melt wheel weights into hole, reheat to make sure you have a good bond. Let cool and you are done.

 

Some great help.......I actually looked at some cable at lowes today. they also have aluminum swedge ends you can crimp/hammer on. I still have the part of the old cable that went through the backing plate. I can re-use the springs and fitting and likely make my own. When I get to that point I will try to remember to take pics of what I do and post them. I have my work bench cleaned up and covered to begin ***embling the bottom end of my 283. When thats done I will go to the cable deal. Thanks to all. Tim

 

I have a question about front cables, I'm using the stock car rear cable as I'm running a banjo rear. The front cable is going to have to be made from scratch. Will a regular cable, some crimp on ends and 2 pulleys be ok?. I know stock front cables have the heavy covering which I ***ume is so the cable doesn't flex, but I can't find lengths for the front cables. It's going in a '28 Tudor with an early Studebaker handle (?) on the left side of the pedals (next to the cowl side). It's going to need to do a couple of 90 deg turns and is fairly short.

 

I have used sttock cables. I just cut the cable to the correct length, get a piece of the correct sized rod for the end piece drill a hole for the cable to go into, and use the MIG welder to weld the cable to the slug. I have never had a problem doing it this way

 

As an example the top tension cables in my 66 Fairlane convertible were not available reproduction. To solve the problem, long time ago now, I bought some bare cable and lead fishing sinkers, drilled a hole through the centre of the sinkers to feed the cables through. I then soldered the OEM ends on the cables and then did the same to the sinkers at predetermined location, problem solved. They were there for years and were still OK years after I sold the car. Admittedly they didn't have the tension that a handbrake would be subjected to as it was a lot smaller diameter cable.