E-brake Cable Fraying on Frame

[gbranham]

I installed my ebrake cables and ebrake handle this past weekend. Was tinkering this weekend, and noticed that the cables hit the corner of the passenger side inboard seat belt mount right where the cables go under the 4" cross tube. The cables have already worn through the insulation after just a few pulls on the ebrake handle to set the park brake. Anyone run into this and surmount it? As a temporary solution, I've put a split 2" piece of unused brake hose on that edge of the seat belt mount, but would like a better solution. I'm running Wilwoods and IRS, using the standard kit-supplied ebrake handle.

I've searched and found a few ideas, but wonder if there's any other new ideas folks have come up with recently. It's just not a great design.

Thanks,

[egchewy79]

Tap a bolt into the frame and put a stainless bushing/bearing on it. Move the cable so it rubs against the bushing instead of the mount

[gbranham]

Tap a bolt into the frame and put a stainless bushing/bearing on it. Move the cable so it rubs against the bushing instead of the mount

That's a great idea. As luck would have it, I have several small steel pulleys with bearings in them. Perfect! Thanks for the suggestion!

[rich grsc]

Don't run the cables under the frame

[John Ibele]

There's lots of documentation on the forum on how to modify the brake to address this. A thread documenting the approach chewy mentioned is this one (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?27431-A-mod-of-two-e-brake-mods). Instead of modifying the lever, I moved the pulley location. Either way, get the cable routing out from under the frame, which is an improvement. When you do this you'll have to shorten the cables, which is where the Lokar parking brake cable block (https://www.summitracing.com/parts/lok-wca8070) comes in handy.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51620707590_5d02f67e15_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2mDxBVQ)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2mDxBVQ) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

[AC Bill]

I ran my cables over the 4" tube and incorporated the cable bracket which is visible in the post above. Only my inner cables actually move back and forth, so I'm a little baffled how the outer cable sheath could rub?

[John Ibele]

I ran my cables over the 4" tube and incorporated the cable bracket which is visible in the post above. Only my inner cables actually move back and forth, so I'm a little baffled how the outer cable sheath could rub?

Hey Bill - not sure which vintage kit you have, or where the differences are. But on my 2011-vintage kit w IRS, the outer cable sheaths terminate on a separate bracket further to the rear, and out of the frame of the photo I attached. So you're looking at the inner cables here, and they do move when you pull the brake lever.

Found another photo, you can see the outer sheath terminations sticking through the bracket in the very right of the photo.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51466604045_2657dc90a6_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2mpVNja)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2mpVNja) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

[gbranham]

Don't run the cables under the frame

Helpful as always, thanks.

[BRRT]

I harvested a pulley and it's bushing from some leftover parts, and fab'd a piece of aluminum angle into this. Seems to work. The back screw is still loose in this pic.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=193640&d=1703434749

[gbranham]

Thanks, everyone. This gives me several good ideas. Much appreciated. One last question...as I have it now, installed per the instruction manual, there's some slop in the cables when the handle isn't engaged. Seems like it would rattle around while driving. The manuals says to draw them somewhat tight, but it seems like that will drag the ebrakes if I do. Maybe that's okay, and the ebrake pads clearance themselves quickly when I start driving. Thoughts?

[egchewy79]

that lokar clevis shown in the prior post is what I used. I also used a pulley and ran the cables above the 4" tube.
without the ability to adjust the tension using that clevis, I'm not sure how you properly take slack out of the system using the stock set up.

[edwardb]

Thanks, everyone. This gives me several good ideas. Much appreciated. One last question...as I have it now, installed per the instruction manual, there's some slop in the cables when the handle isn't engaged. Seems like it would rattle around while driving. The manuals says to draw them somewhat tight, but it seems like that will drag the ebrakes if I do. Maybe that's okay, and the ebrake pads clearance themselves quickly when I start driving. Thoughts?

Typically the e-brakes are sprung pretty tightly at the calipers. Having the slack out of the cables, without undo pressure, should be fine and IMO better. I don't know if you'd hear them moving around or whatever while driving. But no point in having them adjusted that loose. Will just increase the amount you have to pull the handle to actuate. You don't want them dragging unnecessarily though. Likely would heat up the disks.