The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop AD e-brake cables (all trk.)

This is a place to vent, share success stories with getting these functioning properly. Most on my trucks have long been broken (4x6 e-brake) but the latest find, a 3/4 t. gmc has them intact. Intact but stuck! How in the dickins are these serviced and lubed? On a new set, for another truck, I sweated an adapter to a piece of copper tube, put a zerk fitting on it, and clamped a piece of hose over the cable sheath securely. With this, I was able to force lube through the housing but it was not easy. Any more ideas?

On my '48 1.5 tons, I cut out all of the factory cable stuff and replaced it with standard cable. No sleeves to freeze up or rust up. I just cable clamped some heavy cable to the levers coming out of the backing plate and then to the pivot on each side. Then ran one up to the lever from the pivot. Until all of the stretch is out of the cables, you may need to readjust it from time to time.
That's my cheap and easy fix, Scott

I got mine free d up with some heat. However, what I found is that if one end is detached from the mounting, bending it a little tends to break the rust bond inside because bending causes the inside to slide, to accomodate the extra length along the curve.

I believe Fritz talked about getting new cable made up using the old casings.

I'll try a heat gun and a little bending. My '48 also has the lever outside the backing plate, and that truck (gmc 350) has never had a problem. It's the half and 3/4 ton trucks where the cable dives inside the backing plate. Thanks for the ideas.