Hot Rods Crimping an end on a parking brake cable

I went with 2001 blazer cables on my 79 trans am for rear disc brakes.
I was able to get parking brake housings for the left and right side.
the whole thing is set up and ready for new cable ends.
The blazer cables had to be cut to length
Now I need a new steel ends crimped into them.

the original end is 3/8 outside diameter
5/16 inside diameter
That crimps into a 1/8 wire rope e brake cable

I’ve found crimpers that would do this. There’s a lot of those. A Niccopress will do it and some of the ones at Lowe’s or Home Depot would work.

my problem is finding the steel ferrule. ‘I’ve found copper and aluminum. But I don’t want to use those due to galvanic corrosion.
I don’t want to weld them due to brittleness of the wire rope.

I’d like to crimp it back on there like it was. With a steel end

If there is a company that can crimp new ends on. I’ll send them out. I’d rather do this.

so far I’ve not found a solid solution. I have seen this has been an issue over the years. And people come up with ways of rigging it however they can. I don’t want to rig it. I’d rather have it done correctly

 

Try a rigging supplier. Or marine hardware is Stainless Steel. https://www.uscargocontrol.com/collections/plain-ball-swage-stainless-steel-t316

 

I borrowed a crimp tool from a garage door guy....

also since I have a lathe I can make whatever steel ends I need.

You probably can too, if you have some bolts, a hack saw, a vise, and a drill.

It may look like rocket surgery, but it's not really.

 

we have a mine/industrial supply company that has a wire rope department...they have crimped multiple things for me over the years and I have also been known to silver braze a ferrule on the end of a cable.....

 

Are you just talking about a straight ferrule,? 3/8 OD and 5/16 ID would only give a .031 wall thickness. Are you sure about your dimensions?

 

I use a push rod,cut it to size and weld the end..leaves a nice finish.strong

 

Do you have any motorcycle repair shops near by? Not a dealer, but repair.
I’ve had MC cables shortened before, issue might be the material you want to use for the end.

 

Garage door repair place, been there, done that.

 

Go to your closest over the road van trailer repair shop , they make roll up door cables !!!

 

That's where I would start.

 

McMaster-Carr has stainless ferrules:
https://www.mcmaster.com/products/cable-ferrules/wire-rope-compression-sleeves-1~/

 

Industrial wire rope co , is where I’d go if you can not get it clean enough to braze it on

 

Do you have automotive brake specialists that can do that ?
I just gave them dimensions and had them make up a complete new cable. Probably the cheapest part I ever had done to my car and I sleep at night assuming that it was done correctly, and not going to fail in an emergency because I banged the crimp on with a hammer.

Or an engineering place…..
.