Making your own Emergency Brake Cable Assembly?

[maddmaxx1949]

Before I get pounded by the ones saying "Just get a new one its only 100$ and piece of mind" I'll say that yes, that's the main plan.However, I like to make things myself for the learning experience. Partially driven by cost savings, mostly driven by the "I like to build stuff mentality has led me to this question. I was curious if anyone had made an Emergency Brake cable on there own. I ran over the one on my car and stretched to the point it's unusable.

 

I found some threads where there had been some retrofitting but I'd like to try this from scratch for fun. One of the aircraft parts website had alot of good cable and housing options as well as some linkage I think would work. Just wanted some opinions, suggestions, etc. I might be able to resuse the housing since I only stretched the cable

[Plymouthy Adams]

while making your own from scratch is not improbable....it is just not really that necessary.  One can grab a wrecking yard cable for cheaper than air craft cable locally given you can find that.....and simply modify it to work on your vehicle.  I have fabricated plenty in this manner...they easy to adapt.  Modern mopar cables into the mid 2000's was a fit to originals handle of the 40's

[Sniper]

I pulled the end off the Ebrake cable on my 300 years ago during a panic stop.  The parts store fix it kit, essentially a stop that bolted on, pulled right off when I tested it.

 

Hopefully your source has a better idea on that.

 

 

[maddmaxx1949]

All fair points. And Yeah I was thinking some kind of crimping mechanism or something, not sure yet. Right now it's just some thoughts getting tossed around inside this mystery brain of mine. Obviously reliability and safety is the main focus which Is why I'll likely end up with a prefabbed cable anyways. I was also thinking of changing the under dash mount to a floor mounted ebrake because I like the position a whole lot better.

 

[allbizz49]

I'm not sure if they're the same but I'll send you mine from my 49 Plymouth for the cost of shipping. 

[Conn47D24]

Find a local wire rope shop and have a new wire, with crimped ends installed in your housing.  

[Dodgeb4ya]

I want that good H-Duty crimping machine....something I don't have and want! ?

[Plymouthy Adams]

be great for putting in watch crystals......

[LazyK]

28 minutes ago, Dodgeb4ya said:

I want that good H-Duty crimping machine....something I don't have and want! ?

what??? I thought every shop had one

[Conn47D24]

It was way cool to watch.

Different sized insert forms from small on the ebrake cable to huge for rigging.

$20.00 

 

Worth checking out if your housing is in good shape.

 

[maddmaxx1949]

5 hours ago, Conn47D24 said:

 

Worth checking out if your housing is in good shape.

 

 

It looks to be in fairly good shape though I do have a spot where it's wore flat from rubbing somewhere maybe on the crossmember or something.

[Conn47D24]

Mine had the same flat spot.

 

I found online somewhere the fabric sleeve that slides over and replace that as well.

 

Came out beautiful

[John Reddie]

I remember back when I had my '48 Dodge in 1960 the speedometer cable broke. You could buy a universal fit repair cable that was longer than an original and pair it up with your old one. It came with a little swedging piece and an end that fit into the speedometer. You cut the cable to length and swedged the new end on in a vice. It worked good - but on an ebrake cable, I would want a super strong connection. Does anyone remember those speedo cable repair kits?

John R

[desoto1939]

12 minutes ago, John Reddie said:

I remember back when I had my '48 Dodge in 1960 the speedometer cable broke. You could buy a universal fit repair cable that was longer than an original and pair it up with your old one. It came with a little swedging piece and an end that fit into the speedometer. You cut the cable to length and swedged the new end on in a vice. It worked good - but on an ebrake cable, I would want a super strong connection. Does anyone remember those speedo cable repair kits?

John R

John: About 5 years ago I have the entire tool and the blank inner core and the tool to square the ends and also the various outer cable and then ends that attached to the outer core.  I sold that entire unit at Hershey.

 

But yes I remember the tool that you are talking about.  The tool also had the catalog that told you what parts to use to make a coble for any speciic car or truck.

 

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

[kencombs]

13 hours ago, desoto1939 said:

John: About 5 years ago I have the entire tool and the blank inner core and the tool to square the ends and also the various outer cable and then ends that attached to the outer core.  I sold that entire unit at Hershey.

 

But yes I remember the tool that you are talking about.  The tool also had the catalog that told you what parts to use to make a coble for any speciic car or truck.

 

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

Was that a typo or a really cleaver mix of cable and cobble?  Either way is a really descriptive term for a cable that was 'fixed' not quite right!

[desoto1939]

typo should have been cable.

[Tooljunkie]

For you cable cobblers out there,a company called absco has universal cable kits. 

[kencombs]

This subject makes me start thinking (dangerous) about what I'll do when I get to that point.

 

Many of us, me included, have a small hydraulic press.  Mine is a 20T HF version.  If one had the necessary after crimping dimensions for the ferrules it should be possible to make an upper and lower die set to do the crimp using that.

 

I've seen something similar where a guy was modifying cheap cable/rebar cutters to crimp instead of cut.  Just my grinding or milling the correct shape into the jaws.

 

A press could be more consistent and allow one to do bigger sizes.

 

Thoughts?

[maddmaxx1949]

Probably wouldnt be difficult with the press. I do not have one or I'd be using it. But even a single ferrule smashed with a hammer on the end of a cable is remarkably strong. I've seen coyotes break snare cable before that ferrule comes off and they pull way hard than my baby man arms ever could. I wouldn't feel bad using a parking break with one I set like that. Especially if you double it up. I feel its harder to find the appropriate sleeve than actually building it. Could try a hand swager too however I wouldn't trust those as much. (but thats solely based on experience with the hammer smash trechnique.)

Edited August 4, 2021 by maddmaxx1949