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Regarding the short left-side park brake cable on all brands I have ever had (many) , why is the bare exposed protruding section of cable so much longer than that of the right/long side ?
No matter which brand of cables, this is always the case; and, in most cases, the little cable-end nubbin thingie will be of entirely different design; as in one may be a perfect sphere and the other sort of a sideways barrel.
My thinking is they both should be equal in length; but, surely, there must be some good reason for the difference in length.
Surely, I am not the only person to notice these discrepancies in same-brand cables.
I used Wagner parking brake cables when I replaced mine a couple years ago. Both sides had the barrel type ends at the brake and more of a ball end at the yoke. I found that the long, right side, cable was slightly shorter. When parked in the holder the portion extending to the yoke didn't reach as far as the left side by about an inch. Making the yoke sit at an angle. I figured that cables stretch under load and longer cables stretch more because stretch is measured in inches per foot. Now after being installed for a few years I have noticed that the longer right cable is catching up at the yoke and the yoke is more vertical over time as cable stretch sets in. Most of the time we have our brakes set so they are under tension alot. Cables under tension stretch. A longer cable under the same load as a shorter cable will stretch more over time.
I used Wagner parking brake cables when I replaced mine a couple years ago. Both sides had the barrel type ends at the brake and more of a ball end at the yoke. I found that the long, right side, cable was slightly shorter. When parked in the holder the portion extending to the yoke didn't reach as far as the left side by about an inch. Making the yoke sit at an angle. I figured that cables stretch under load and longer cables stretch more because stretch is measured in inches per foot. Now after being installed for a few years I have noticed that the longer right cable is catching up at the yoke and the yoke is more vertical over time as cable stretch sets in. Most of the time we have our brakes set so they are under tension alot. Cables under tension stretch. A longer cable under the same load as a shorter cable will stretch more over time.
That makes sense and now you got me to thinking that maybe I have my question backwards and need to investigate and see which is the longer of the two.
Okay --- I just poked my head under there and I did have it backwards = the shorter cable is the longer of the two by a good 2-1/2"
I had been wondering about this length difference for several years and never considered the difference in cable stretch.
2-1/2" seems more than I had at first. I was thinking of using a piece off my old cables to even it some but decided not to. As long as your cables are securely in the yoke you're probably ok.
I see on Max's photos that even old originals have a slightly shorter right side, or top cable at the yoke.
When Ford made these trucks, or any trucks, they had a engineering spec on their parts. If the vendor's parts didn't meet the specs, they were sent back. That means you have a quality control person you pay to check the incoming parts to make sure they are correct.
What do you have now? Some huge company like Dorman contracts a place in China to make these cables. I am assuming they have some sort of drawing or spec as to how the part should be made, but maybe they only have the highlights? And then if something is a little off, is someone there to catch it? Or do they even care? Maybe the do catch it and figure "well, it will still work". Probably gets unloaded at the dock and nothing is checked before it's distributed to the stores.
The Wagner set I got was made in the US. They looked great out of the box and fit up perfectly. I know that Wagner has moved some manufacturing to china. Look before you leap and buy north American made at least.
Are you sure you got the right cables?
Someone ordered the wrong cables twice for my truck.
1 set was for a van forget what the other was for but also did not work.
Dave ----
Are you sure you got the right cables?
Someone ordered the wrong cables twice for my truck.
1 set was for a van forget what the other was for but also did not work.
Dave ----
Same numbers I have been getting for years; various brands; always same numbers.
Everything fits as it should.
I was just puzzled as to why one cable protruded so much more than the other, but BigBlue's theory about the cable stretch explained that to my satisfaction.
I don't sweat the parking brake cables on my vehicles too much. I make adjusters out of all-thread rod, equalizer bars out of angle iron, and use cable clamps for adjustments and cable splicing.
I don't sweat the parking brake cables on my vehicles too much. I make adjusters out of all-thread rod, equalizer bars out of angle iron, and use cable clamps for adjustments and cable splicing.
Your truck sounds like a true Hillbilly Hauler. Yeehaw! Amazing what you can do when you need to!
ordered the wrong cables twice for my truck.
