E-brake cable

[Linda]

Help!! I trying to install my e brake , but it seems the cable is to long.I put the new cable along side the old and there the same length .I have the housing connected at the crossmember, so it doesn't  move and the cable has to much slack in it.I have the adjusting fork as tight as I can.what is the problem,do you take up the slack by cutting the cable?Need help, Al

[oldtime]

I suggest you upload a pic of cable if possible and perhaps more importantly provide the OAL of cable and OAL of cable sheath.

That way we can determine if correct cable is being installed.

[Linda]

The cable has a threaded rod on one end and a ball on the other end. It is 44 1/4 in long.The housing is 32 3/4 in long.I the ball end in the brake handle and the other threaded end to a threaded yolk that connects to the e-brake lever.I stabilized the housing to the tranny crossmember.should I stabilize the housing somewhere else.Iam having trouble posting a picture. Al

[stony]

Al:� here is mine, original I think.� Anchored at the firewall and transmission support.� Should be a hole in the support for bolt and clamp.� Looks like a little bracket bolted to the firewall for the upper clamp.� If yours is missing Walcks has one https://walcks4wd.com/emergency-brake-bracket-on-firewall.html

[Linda]

Thanks for the pictures, mine didn't  have the clamp on the firewall. I will give it a try,but if I clamp the housing at the cross member and at the firewall, how does that take up the cable slack?  Al

[stony]

A control cable needs to be held at both ends for it to work properly otherwise the sheath moves with the cable.  You need to have the cable slide through the sheath.

[oldtime]

Yeah I agree it needs the firewall bracket.

I do think that is the correct length of cable for the 3A.
Also there were  some shorter, earlier cables and longer later cables on the higher hood 3B's.

[stony]

Yeah here is an example:� your cable is 40 inches the housing is 30 inches.� You pull the handle out 3 inches to activate the brake.� If the firewall end of the housing is not anchored it my move 2 inches before the cable starts to move inside of it and you only get one inch of cable travel.� If thehousing is solidly anchored at both ends the cable will slide the full 3 inches inside the cable.� Yeah it is sometimes hard to visualize what is going on.� The only time you would not need to anchor the housing is if your cable was taut and used rollers to go around corners, but then you would not need the housing

[aboyandhisdog]

Al, FYI the M38 cable is a bit longer than the 3A cable as the routing is different.  Walcks or KW could probably give you the exact length.  But even a longer cable will work if anchored properly as described above.

[Linda]

Thanks for all the info. Iam  going to call walcks to see if that's the correct length . Iam also going to make a firewall cable clamp and see how it helps my problem. Al

[Linda]

Hi, I made the firewall bracket today and installed it. Problem solved!! Thanks for uploading the pictures,I looked at the walcks  version and made one something like it.My firewall didn't have any holes to show that there every was one.Dont  know,anyway thanks again. Al