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My 77’ is a manual trans and so the parking brake is important for it. However it is loose as hell, and I mean with it on i can push the truck by hand. The equalizer bar is how you make it tighter, but the nut on it is both rusted on, and no more adjustment left.
The proper way to fix this is to replace the cables, as they are probably stretched out, but it is pretty expensive and i am broke.
I was wondering, is there a way to hack it to make it tighter? I was thinking like putting a nut or something between the equalizer and end of the brake cables.
(the yellow piece is the nut or something else that i am talking about)
The emergency brake cables are just that, cables. I don't think they would stretch much. More likely than not, your rear brakes are out of adjustment, or worn out. Check that first. My pickup's adjusters never have worked very well, and I've had it for 25 years, 500 k miles. Every time I change the oil, I readjust the brakes, it makes a huge difference in the parking brake. Good luck.
I've used drill bit depth stops to take up slack in choke and throttle cables. But I'm not sure that little set screw would hold in this case, considering how much force is used to pull those cables. If it's not working anyway, might as well try it. Measure the cable diameter, and get on McMaster Carr's website to order the correct size depth stops.
How would you fit a nut over the end of the cable?
Dorman makes a cable shorter but I did not have much luck with it but may give you a clue to make something.
I used a pipe nipple and looped the front cable thru it to take up the slake.
Use heat on the nut, get it red hot and see if it will come off. If it starts and gets tight heat it back red again may need to do that a few times to get it free.
Dave. ----
The dorman brake cable shortener is a great idea. However, would some of these work? If so, I could pick them up at the local hardware store rather than having to order the cable shortener.
I could fit it around the end of the cable and synch it down, as long as i find the right size.
I will also check the brake shoe adjustment when I redo the brakes, the next project. I'm going to replace the wheel cylinders, springs, master cylinder, and the shoes if I have to. Any tips? Its my first time doing brake work. I know the basic process but if anyone has info that made it easier for them, please share.
Here is the Dorman part.
The hook part is backwards. The nut fits on the other end, cable goes across the 2 round parts and the hook pulls the cable down between them to make the cable shorter.
Thing is the side plates are heavy gauge sheet metal and can bend,mine did and why I had to come up with something else.
Dave ----
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