Parking Brake Cable Seized...

[mosshopper]

On a wonderful "new" 1984 2wd manual Van Wagon (it's the right, rear). I haven't found a replacement yet and was wondering if I could disconnect that cable and just utilize the Left side. I figure this would be better than nothing (other than a wheel chalk).

~By the way, I was set on picking up a VeeWee when I stumbled upon this awesome site...I was so amazed that I went for the Van Wagon instead!! Happy I did.
Thanks to all for the fantastic work...absolutely brilliant!!

[Reducto]

In what way is it seized? If it were truly stuck in one position I would expect the left side to still brake when you pull the handle.

When my right side cable snapped I found new ones still available at NAPA, but it took too long to get it transferred to my local store so I wound up just getting one from a junkyard. Oddly enough I could only find the right cable - I wonder if those are prone to developing problems.

[mosshopper]

In what way is it seized? If it were truly stuck in one position I would expect the left side to still brake when you pull the handle.


Hmmm...In what way is it seized...That's a good question. The original issue was that the adjustment at the lever was maxed out and the brakes were not engaging. I got tired of worming around in a mud puddle under this thing and took it to a Midas, got her up on the lift. The tech wiggled the right cable, said it was seized and reccomended replacement. Next I took her to my Japanese auto specialist and he gave me the same diagnoses, seized cable, don't use the parking brake. However, he had realigned a bracket and the lever now seemed over-adjusted(which I later slackened off)... And, out of habit, he engaged the parking brake. When I released it, it did not seem to be sticking on the R side. But he advised me again not to use it and I ended up leaving there a bit confused and figured I could fix it myself. My thought was that if I engage the lever the right cable would be stuck on brake. That's why I'm considering detaching the faulty side if the L would still engage.
Honestly, I'm not quite sure what it is meant by seized? Cable not moving at all? Or will it move to brake postion and stay there? Everyone I've talked to says the chance of rehabing this cable is slim to none.
I'll keep calling scrapyards until I find one.
Thanks~

[timsrv]

When cables seize it means they get stuck in their sleeve. When they stick, they can still usually be pulled as the force is applied with great leverage. The force used to return them is usually applied with springs. The return springs don't typically have much power over what's required to return a freely moving cable. So what ends up happening is the "sticking" cable gets pulled, but fails to return. This can leave the brake slightly engaged & will result in unnecessary wear to the brake shoes (on the side that sticks).

If it's just rust & debris mucking up the cable action, depending on the severity, this can sometimes be remedied by working lubrication into the cable. If it's fraying, then it's toast (cannot be saved). When it comes to brakes, due to the safety factor, when available it's always best to replace questionable cables. If you lube a cable, use a lubricant designed for such a job (Tri-flow is a good one). Use the pressure of the can to inject the lube inside the sleeve. Plastic wrap works good to seal the injection tube against the cable as to direct the blast into the sleeve. While attempting this be careful not to introduce lube onto the brake shoes! It's always best to disconnect the cable from both ends and work it back & forth on it's full travel between lube applications. You have enough lube in the cable when it starts coming out the other end. Ease of travel will determine when you've worked it enough (you'll know when it's good).

As for permanently disconnecting the seized cable, but still having 1 working brake, that's usually not feasible. This is due to the way the single front cable attaches to the dual rear cables. Both rear cables must be attached in order to get tension on the cable system. If you slide under and look at the connection point you'll understand why. It's set up this way as to keep both sides synchronized. Tim

[mosshopper]

As for permanently disconnecting the seized cable, but still having 1 working brake, that's usually not feasible. This is due to the way the single front cable attaches to the dual rear cables. Both rear cables must be attached in order to get tension on the cable system. If you slide under and look at the connection point you'll understand why. It's set up this way as to keep both sides synchronized. Tim Aha! Great to hear from the Master! Much appreciation! *I'm now headed for that Donation Link!! Thank You~

[timsrv]

Thanks for being part of our van community! Tim

[mosshopper]

Still haven't found a R parking brake cable. Even if I could, it looked like a pain to route that guy above the gas tank and through the frame. Removed the unit that attaches the front cable to the two rear ones. A couple of slices of steel, some 10mm bolts and nuts and voila... My one-sided parking brake system. Front cable attached to rear L working side. Not optimal but better than nothing.
1484

I wonder how this will effect the E-Brake Bootleg Turn!!
Just kidding, I drive like an old lady.

[Reducto]

You don't have to remove the tank, just drop it down a bit. I put my jack underneath it, removed the strap(s?) then lowered the jack until I had enough room to reach the cable. This was with the van up on jack stands.