Handbrake cable shortening

morris · #1 16th July 2011, 18:39

Evening all, me again with yet more questions.

Just finished getting my handbrake lever and Y piece cable guide installed.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58068042@N07/

What is the best approach for shortening the cables? I've measured my donor ones up and they're a good 60-70 cm too long. The strengthened bit of the cable has steel end caps that fit into the trailing arm and butt up against the Y piece at the other end so this part probably needs shortening to size but then the steel bits need to be retained somehow. This would still leave an excess of cable at the lever end and I'm reluctant to cut this end off as the theaded part is pretty useful. I've seen Patrick's solution using a modified bold and grub screw but I don't have the facilities to go down this bespoke route.

I guess another option is to just leave them as is and find a way to loop them around the rear sub-frame to take up the space though this would be pretty messy

Also I found that the existing threaded rod that is on the lever end of the cable is too long to actually fit though the Y piece. I guess this can be cut down quite a bit though.

GreatOldOne · #2 17th July 2011, 15:10

I bought a brand new cable from BMW, and it fitted without changing the length of the cables. All I did was chop some of the threaded adjuster that bolts into the handbrake off.

http://www.greatoldone.co.uk/Gooster...uspense_2.html

MartinClan · #3 17th July 2011, 16:14

I used standard E30 handbrake cables but I had to shorten mine. I think most others have as well.

The best way to cut them is a sharp cold chisel and a smart whack with a hammer onto something unyielding. Don't try cutting with a hacksaw as the cable just frays.

I made up some new ends from 8mm rod, threaded at one end and a hole drilled up the centre to take the cable. Marlin suggest crimping the new ends on but I didn't have much luck with this and silver soldered mine.

Robin

peterux · #4 17th July 2011, 16:58

I shortened my inner steel handbrake cable at the rear end, per Marlin instructions. You make up a new ferrule and then squash it in a vice. It's worked OK so far without any failures. (With hindsight, silver soldering would be better) I don't think I needed to shorten the outer sheath at all. I think I must have positioned the 'y-tube' by the length of the standard length outer sheath. I found with a bit of 'wiggling' I could get the handbrake end through the tubes without any modification.

Mine are drums at the back, bit I think the principle is the same.

You can just see the new ferrule in this picture...

Rear wheel hub and brakes by marlinpeter, on Flickr

Handbrake guides by marlinpeter, on Flickr

morris · #5 19th July 2011, 21:29

After a lot more thought and listening to the advice I've decided to go down the "cut the rear end off and create a new loop with an aluminium ferrule" route like it actually says in the instructions. I didn't like the idea of the alteration being in a place I couldn't easily access when something goes wrong but, after thinking about it, I realised that all the cable is doing is taking the tension of the spring which wants to release the shoes. Given that your using a lever in the brake mechanism itself the tension on the cable is not actually that great at all so the chances of the ferrule giving out are very slim.

I had a crack at modifying the outer sheath of one of the cables last night and have made quite a tidy job of it. My new brake shoes and spring kit turned up today so I'm just waiting on the ferrules and I should be able to move forward on this one. I'm not making the cut in the wire rope itself until I've got all the bits I need though.

Thanks for the help, some photos by the weekend I hope

NigelB · #6 19th July 2011, 22:01

Are you able to modify the rear end of the cables on the E36 set up. It's a very different actuating mechanism than the one shown in the pictures, and reffered to in this thread. On the E30 I believe there are drum brakes on the rear so the foot brake and handdbrake used the same shoes. The E36 uses disc brake on the rear with the handbrake shoes acting on the inside of the disc and an actuating mechanism at right angles to the shoes.

No pictures to help unfortunately but let me know how you get on.

I used the standard 325 cables without cutting them down but looped over the suspension arms. See http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlinb...in/photostream. It may offer you an alternative approach.

Nigel.

morris · #7 19th July 2011, 22:20

Ah right, I can see how you did it now. When you said you didn't modify them it really had me scratching my head as they are so long compare with what is necessary.

The E36 ones are no different in principle really, in the drum brakes the shoes just serve dual purpose with the main brake being activated by the cylinder at the bottom I guess. All I plan to do is snip off that swaged on lug at the wheel end of the cable, get the length right then loop back the cut end to form a replacement for the lug with a new ferrule swaged/crimped back on. If it goes wrong I guess I'll be sourcing new cables but I figure it's worth a try. It'll make more sense once I've done it and I can show you before and after pics

denniswpearce · #8 20th July 2011, 08:02

All very interesting, as I thought I had an E30 based car, but the rear brakes are obviously from an E36 as I have discs on the rear which as Nigel describes and the pics from Goo shows has shoes inside the the disc drum.
Thanks guys.

GreatOldOne · #9 20th July 2011, 08:31

E30's did have discs at the rear, depending on what model you had. 316s, 318s & 320s didn't, 323's and 325s did. As did the M3, IIRC.

So you get a hybrid drum / disc at the rear - shoes on the inside, pads and calliper on the outside... but no hydraulic cylinder acting on the brake shoes, just the hand brake cable.

denniswpearce · #10 20th July 2011, 09:14

Thanks Jason, that answers that one.
Dennis

peterux · #11 20th July 2011, 19:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by morris

After a lot more thought and listening to the advice I've decided to go down the "cut the rear end off and create a new loop with an aluminium ferrule" route like it actually says in the instructions.

Ian,
just one point , my home-made ' ferrule' was made of a bit of steel bar. Not sure if aluminium would be strong enough. I presume from what you say you need a loop on the e36 cable end. I presume your referring the the Marlin instructions so maybe when its a loop, aluminium will be strong enough.

And just to confirm Jason's point, mine are only drum brakes because my donor was a crappy 2.0 litre engine. I've got a complete set of 325i wishbones, brakes and drive shafts of another 325i lurking in my garage. Something to do when I've run out of other more important jobs!! (ebay is a dangerous place

)

regards all,

Peter

Sorton · #12 22nd July 2011, 11:54

As I needed new cables anyway (for my E30 build) I bought shortened ones from Marlin. All they do is chop off a length at the wheel end and compress on a new eye similar to the original. They fit it by using a grooved block in a vice and a BIG hammer.

morris · #13 22nd July 2011, 23:12

Here's what I've done to one of my cables

It seems to work ok though I got the length too short by about an inch.

I think I will get a proper lug like the original fitted at some point before the car hits the road but this will do for now.

Also, can anyone confirm whether I should have some bolts in these holes. I couldn't find any amongst my pot of donor parts and RealOEM is not clear either. I think M8 is right but when I've test fitted some they seem slightly too wide