E-Brake Cable Install Update
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Joined: Sep 1999
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From: Ventura, California
E-Brake Cable Install Update
Greetings,
I have been meaning to write and post this for a week now, but have been too busy. I finally got my e-brake working again. I had to order the forward cable from Atascadero Ford, in central Calif. ( FordPartsOnline.com ) because my local Ford dealer said it was an obsolete part. Anyway, installation was simple until I needed to attach the new cable to the connector coming from the rear cables. No matter how hard I pulled, I couldn't make them reach. I needed to pull the single cable that attaches to the rear two cables as hard as possible, while pulling down on the new cable as hard as possible, to allow the slack needed. Not easy by myself. I came up with a killer solution that worked great.
Below is a picture of a special tool that is used for removing a snap ring on certain types of steering wheels, so that they can be removed. I used this handy item to solve my problem.
The way the e-brake cables are set up, the two rear wheels each have their own cable, and they both attach to a frame mounted plate that measures about 6"x 2", just forward of the drivers side rear wheel. The two cables each have a press-in fitting (forgot the name, but they exist on each end of all of the brake cable sheaths) that secures them to this plate, and allows each cable end to extend 7 or 8 inches beyond (forward). The two cable ends fit into a plate, with a third cable going the other way (forward). This makes it so that pulling on the single cable applies equal pull on the other two cables.
Well, what I did was to use the steering wheel tool (minus the green adapter) by placing the ends (where the green piece is in the picture) against the frame mounted bracket, and adjusted the bolt in the other end so that it sat behind the middle of the bracket where the two cable ends meet the single cable. By turning the nut that sits halfway down the bolt, while holding the bolt head with a wrench, I extended the length of the bolt (from the rest of the tool). What this did was to move the metal bracket with the three cables in it forward, away from the frame mounted bracket, which slowly but surely applied the e-brakes. I continued to do this until the rear cables were 4" farther forward (each) than when the brakes were released. This gave me the slack I needed to connect the new cable to the cable that came from the plate with the rear two cable ends. Once it was all attached and installed, I backed off the nut on the steering wheel tool until it dropped out. I then applied and released the e-brake several times from the foot pedal, and all was good.
I spent at least 30 minutes on my back, under my truck trying to figure out a way of doing this. I thought about using vise grips on the cables, to hold them in place while pulling them out as far as I could, but that would only damage them.
I hope this all made sense. I really wish I had taken pics while I was doing it, but that wasn't tops on my list at the time.
Also, another trick I learned: the fittings on each end of the cable sheath, that press into a hole, and are held in place by three springed arms that extend out over the hole, and are a bitch to compress to remove from their hole, can be easily removed with a 12 pt. 1/2" box-end wrench. Slide the box-end of the wrench over the cable and onto the fitting, and press down. The wrench will retract all three of the springed arms, allowing the cable to pop back through the mounting hole.
Take care,
-Chris
I have been meaning to write and post this for a week now, but have been too busy. I finally got my e-brake working again. I had to order the forward cable from Atascadero Ford, in central Calif. ( FordPartsOnline.com ) because my local Ford dealer said it was an obsolete part. Anyway, installation was simple until I needed to attach the new cable to the connector coming from the rear cables. No matter how hard I pulled, I couldn't make them reach. I needed to pull the single cable that attaches to the rear two cables as hard as possible, while pulling down on the new cable as hard as possible, to allow the slack needed. Not easy by myself. I came up with a killer solution that worked great.
Below is a picture of a special tool that is used for removing a snap ring on certain types of steering wheels, so that they can be removed. I used this handy item to solve my problem.
The way the e-brake cables are set up, the two rear wheels each have their own cable, and they both attach to a frame mounted plate that measures about 6"x 2", just forward of the drivers side rear wheel. The two cables each have a press-in fitting (forgot the name, but they exist on each end of all of the brake cable sheaths) that secures them to this plate, and allows each cable end to extend 7 or 8 inches beyond (forward). The two cable ends fit into a plate, with a third cable going the other way (forward). This makes it so that pulling on the single cable applies equal pull on the other two cables.
Well, what I did was to use the steering wheel tool (minus the green adapter) by placing the ends (where the green piece is in the picture) against the frame mounted bracket, and adjusted the bolt in the other end so that it sat behind the middle of the bracket where the two cable ends meet the single cable. By turning the nut that sits halfway down the bolt, while holding the bolt head with a wrench, I extended the length of the bolt (from the rest of the tool). What this did was to move the metal bracket with the three cables in it forward, away from the frame mounted bracket, which slowly but surely applied the e-brakes. I continued to do this until the rear cables were 4" farther forward (each) than when the brakes were released. This gave me the slack I needed to connect the new cable to the cable that came from the plate with the rear two cable ends. Once it was all attached and installed, I backed off the nut on the steering wheel tool until it dropped out. I then applied and released the e-brake several times from the foot pedal, and all was good.
I spent at least 30 minutes on my back, under my truck trying to figure out a way of doing this. I thought about using vise grips on the cables, to hold them in place while pulling them out as far as I could, but that would only damage them.
I hope this all made sense. I really wish I had taken pics while I was doing it, but that wasn't tops on my list at the time.
Also, another trick I learned: the fittings on each end of the cable sheath, that press into a hole, and are held in place by three springed arms that extend out over the hole, and are a bitch to compress to remove from their hole, can be easily removed with a 12 pt. 1/2" box-end wrench. Slide the box-end of the wrench over the cable and onto the fitting, and press down. The wrench will retract all three of the springed arms, allowing the cable to pop back through the mounting hole.
Take care,
-Chris
