The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Parking brake cable help

I bought two new cables from Jim Carter but they do not appear to fit. I know there has been many threads on this and I have read everyone. The problems I am having and finding any that actually fit for a 1950 3100 are:
1) The parking brakes sold are roughly 41". Mine originals are around 38".
2) The clamps that bolt to the backing plate has one that goes through to the end side of the backing plate and one that stays on the outside. My originals are sandwiched together and only go on the outside.
3) The length of the cable that has the spring on it where it attaches inside the drum is 2" longer than the original. This is causing a lot of slack. Slack that can be taken out if pulled on enough but at that point the spring is compressed and the threaded ended becomes to long where it attaches at the yoke. When let loose it just falls off the inside hook and if you try to turn pull on the cable nothing happens because of all the slack. (I am not sure how much this cable is meant to pull when the parking brake is compressed?
4)The new ones do not include the metal piece that goes inside the clamp.

So since most of the extra length is in the spring end I am just wondering how hard it may be to cut the spring and wire back two inches and buy a cable stay and see if that works or not. I think I am mostly wondering what I would need to crimp a cable stay and if the wire will fray beyond repair.

Thanks in advance.

On second thought...I would just need to cut the spring 2 inches and it would allow the cable to shorten but would lengthen it at the opposite end. I could always cut the threads for the yoke shorter and retrace the threads..I am assuming the starting position where the yoke attaches to the crossmember going across the frame is straight up and down?

This isn't a problem unique to you but it can be fixed. Your idea of cutting the spring and wire and attaching a cable stay is the answer. I have a 1969 rear end in my 1952 truck and I had to alter the parking brake cables slightly to make them gee and haw. Whoever made these cables evidently didn't have a good measurement from the start. If you or a friend own a Dremel tool, you can use the tiny cutting wheel to cut the spring. Then what you can do is to get some silver based or acid core solder, use that to bind the cable wires before you cut them (so they don't start trying to unwind) and cut the cable with either a grinding wheel or a hack saw with a fine blade. Please remember to neutralize the acid core stuff with baking soda and water so you minimize rust. And grease them a bit, too. Good luck.

You can see about the second thought. Maybe it will be different for you. Personally I found I didn't have quite enough adjustment room to pull that much cable backwards...if we're talking the same thing here. But I did try that.

Thanks Jon I think we are on the same page...if I am doing all this work I am going to return these as I can get them at half the price elsewhere. Is that rod suppose to be perfectly north/south when connected? How much pull does that rod receive, how much pull should the cables allow? Thanks

Yes, the rod is mostly vertical N/S when connected although adjustment is available there so it might lean one way or the other. The parking brake scheme is interesting. It has always seemed to me it was designed so that not a lot of pedal pressure is needed so when set up right even smaller folks would have no problem with it. There might be only an inch or so travel if all is adjusted correctly. I'll try to take a look later and see.

I had similar issues with the parking brake cables for my 1951 3100 although I didn't buy them from Jim Carter. My issue was that they first pair I got were too large to fit in the brackets on the frame. The second ones I bought from another vendor didn't fit either. I wound up buying a pair from LMC and they fit perfectly.
BTW, I don't think the replacements you got require that the two pieces sandwich the backing plates. I don't even think it's possible to get the one thru the backing plate. The cables from LMC bolted to the outside of the backing plate. But they don't carry them for a 1950 3100. The do have a repair kit, which is just the cable.

To add to Kevin's message you can always make your own replacement cables. I've done that before.

Ya...I wish my outer shell on my originals were in good shape so I could just fish another cable but they are in pretty bad shape. Yep LMC does not carry the cables for 1950. I sent these cables back and have ordered new ones expecting the same thing but at half the price. thank you