*Edit* The purpose of this thread is now: To find a source for a replacement *REAR* parking brake cable for a *LONGBED 4X4*. 87" is NOT long enough, the longest shown on the Rock Auto website for any Toyota Pickup '79-'83. Car Quest did not have it, and their lookup information on the computer was confusing and incomplete. If anyone knows about a parts store where a workable replacement for this model of truck has been found, let me know.

I was on Rock Auto and thought I ordered the right parking brake cable. It did reach although it reached better when routed through the inside of the rear shock. Actually, it only reached when routed through the inside of the shock as opposed to the outside of the shock that the old one was routed. Then, once hooked up, only one side engaged when I pulled the parking brake handle, and the other side had lots of slack! Is it possible I got the shortbed rear brake cable by mistake?

 

I ordered the 87" length, which is the longest one they stock, so I can't see how it would be a matter of being too short. I did try hooking it up, dicsonnecting it, and reconnecting it. It could be a matter of one of the legs of cable being crimped too long, which I could also fix.

The other thing that happened which should not affect the performance of he cable as it has, was that the rearmost hold down (the p-shaped cable holding clamp on the frame) the bolt stripped out on that. Still shouldn't be doing what it is doing on account of that minor detail.

 

Did you get what you ordered? I mean, did you measure your new cable to see if it was 87"" long.

Which brake is working when you pull the lever, the new one or the old one? They are independently adjustable so if you can take up the slack on the loose side it should work.

 

I guess that is the question- did I get the length I ordered. I got under there after installing and having problems and it did seem to measure out to that length, but I'll have to take it off one more time t be sure since it seems short. I had to route it inside the rear shock to get it to reach the pivot point, and it's pulling taut against and under the fuel tank along the main length, and not able to pull tight enough to engage the short part that reaches to the other side, which has lots of slack. I wish they'd put that extra bit of cable to the other side! Something's not right. I might have to weld repair the old adjustment stud and reinstall the old one.

 

tonight I'm going to get the new one off of the truck and compare it to the old one. Then, if the new one is too short, I'm going to see if I can reinstall the old one.

The reason for the new cable is that the threaded adjustment section broke while I was adjusting to take up slack. It still has a good amount of threads, and had quite a way to go until it would take up a significant amount of the lever pull... I was having to pull it really far to get the brakes to engage.

I can do away with the crimped rubber accordion which covers up some of the threading and get it to pull through some more if I need the extra length- that rubber thing is all disintegrated anyway.

Hopefully since it had so far to go anyway, it will adjust to a good length and the threads will reach.

If not, I guess I'll refund the old one and hope that another brand is the correct length.

Kind of blows the "all the parts your car will ever need" slogan out of thruth with Rock Auto. If that cable isn't the right length, even if it is as advertised, where will I ever find the right one?

 

I cut off the stretched area of the threads from the broken threaded section of the original cable, tapered it with a file, got out my threading die of that size and thread pitch, cleaned the threads, cut off the crimp ferrule for the disintegrated accordion shroud, and put the old cable back on, one step at a time while removing the new 87" overall length replacement. It turns out that the replacement looked to be 6" or more short of the old one. It also turns out that the old one with the lost length still threads on, and still works!

The long adjustment nut that it had on it can be adjusted to the point that the threads come right to the end of the long nut and I can get in the cab and pull it a much shorter distance- the number of clicks prescribed by the Chilton manual- and not interfere with the free movement of the rear wheels when jacked up.

I still need to know where to find a replacement cable. That is, which auto parts store has the most comprehensive lookup on chassis style/length. The computer often refers to which cab type, which I found at Car Quest, but that is not an issue with '79-'83 Toyota Pickups, because they ALL have a standard cab, but the bed differs, and when the bed differs, so does the chassis length. So I've had to eat the cost of shipping at least, not to mention re-selling the once-installed cable, if I ever can.

Anyone with a shortbed 4x4 from '79-'83 need a rear parking brake cable? It's next to new and I'll sell it to you cheap!

 

What about making your own with steel cable and clamps from the hardware store? I did that on my 85 and it has been working for years. I replaced the one going to the two wheels and the one under the cab.

 

That's all cool, I reused the old one. Now tell me more about your clamps. Did you crimp an aluminum part over the ends, or did you use bolt-on parts to secure the ends of your cable? I'm mostly concerned with the cable housing deteriorating over time, since that's the part that's not easily replaced. But so far, it's held up. I'm pretty sure that besides the cable housing, I could improvise whatever would be needed to keep the inner cable working.

 

Also, what about keeping water out of the old cable housing? I thought about painting the cable with some kind of release agent as basic as oil and then putting RTV around the ends to form some sort of gasket to seal water out of the cable.

As opposed to the accordion seal on the replacement cables.

 

Here are some pics of what I did.

 

As you can see, everything is exposed and there is no cover. All parts are stainless or galvanized and so far I have has no rust problems at all. I am sure it helps that I live in Texas though...

 

I have to log in to Hushmail to see your pictures, Offroadnutz. I'm curious, too, how you did it.

If you buy stainless steel cable there's probably not really any reason to have a liner on it, is there? Or is it like motorcycle throttle and clutch cables, where part needs to be a fixed distance and that's what the liner does?

 

[attach]10085
I ran the first cable to connect the two parking brake levers.


The second cable I looped around the first, ran through a pulley and attached to the original front cable.

3[/attach]

 

 

I knew about those little cable clamps, but I wasn't thinking about them for brake cables. Wow.