Best Way To Shorten Handbrake Cable

[demuire]

Right, spent lots of time welding yesterday, and I now have a diff full of boiled diff oil, and some brackets to bolt my handbrake cable set up to. All good, I think.

 

The only thing left to be done to get the mechanical handbrake to work, as far as I can tell, is to shorten the handbrake cables... Any ideas what would be the best/cheapest way to do it?

[demuire]

Rah rah, brake places don't know, fastener places don't know, hmm, I wonder who does this sort of thing?

[irokin]

What about some kind of lead fastener? Ive seen them somewhere. I'm sure Rob will have a solution. The older aircraft have cable controlled control surfaces (before fly by wire came in)

[demuire]

Yes, that's what's currently on the ends of the cable. But I have no idea where to get them from, or where to find a crimper big enough to crimp them. Went to hardware store, they scratched their head too. On one of their displays they had a clamp with 2 screws in it that looked like it would work, but it was only a display, and they had no idea where to get them either...

 

I've found one solution on someone's Westfield build diary where he put a piece of brake tube over the end, splayed the wire and put a big blob of solder in it. Apparently he load tested it and the cable snapped before the "end" gave way, so apparently it's strong enough...

[Redwarf]

I know Keith Fackrell can shorten cables. If I was still at the Airlines, I could have done it there, too. :insane:

Edited November 29, 2004 by Redwarf

[demuire]

Hmm, okay. Going to have a play tonight and see if I can think of some bizzare solution, else will give Keith a call tomorrow maybe...

[demuire]

Well, it looks like DIY time.

 

Gave about a dozen places a call today, and by the sounds of it there is only one place in Brisbane that does anything like this (Advanced Trailer Spares at Coopers Plains), but they'll take a few days, and est about $80 for the two ends. Ouch. Keith doesn't do this sort of thing either unfortunately.

 

The best DIY solution I've found so far is to drill a hole through a bolt, pass the cable through it, splay the ends and put either a blob of solder or weld in it.

 

Now I just need to find someone with a drill press... I'm almost certain trying to drill through a bolt isn't going to work with a hand drill :insane: Hmm... or maybe a nut will work... Will have to go home and have a look at the ends again and see how big it needs to be :D

[Jason]

You'll find a $100 drill press is a worth wile investment, you can pick them up at Bunning, I don't know were I would be without mine :insane:

[trdcamrypride]

bunnings is a magical place isn't it.

it has come to my needs many of times.

[demuire]

For tools I generally prefer Trade Tools. But yes, Bunnings does have fun stuff. Crap tools suck.

 

Probably 4 things on my wish list of tools:

 

Vice

Slide hammer

Drill press

Drop saw

 

Hmm, no money, no space :insane:

[Jason]

Ive had no trouble with my chepo press, the bearings aren't even loose :insane:

[irokin]

you havent got a vice!! how do you live?!?!!

 

Tried any bike shops??

[demuire]

Well, I've got a vice, but it's a woodworking one so hmm, yeah. I've been making do by putting 2 plates of steel in it and then clamping whatever I'm working with in it, but it's not really all that ideal.

 

Bike shops don't do cables that big unfortunately. Accelerator cables and stuff is all good, but handbrake cables are a bit big.