HANDBRAKE FUCKING CABLES!

[yung-gun]

Hey guys, Started to fit the handbrake cables to the car but realise that they move nowhere. i removed the heat shield above the exhaust to "reveal" the cables to what looks like them passing through into the cab but surrounded bu underseal! how easy is it to snap/cut? or are the cables anchored in somewhere?

i went passed some shitty forum that said they ran inside of a metal case up to the point where it passes into the cab. is this truee?


HEELLLPPP

[Rtaylor2208]

I think this covers it:

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... #Handbrake

[yung-gun]

cheers man, so it's just gonna take some brute force!

[magpie]

if they snap off in the tubes you will need to drill the stuck parts out or the new ones wont seat properly .

[capri_rob]

Yes you may need molegrips, dousing in penetrating fluid and fire to get them out.

[Ranchero]

Yes, there's a guide tube that the cable is fed through to reach the hand brake. What sometimes happens is that the ferrule of the cable rusts tight to the tube in which case, it's a bugger to remove.

I found access to the area very awkward for molegrips or most other tools I tried.

I finally resorted to a nut-splitter on the ferrule and it worked brilliantly.



Just be careful that you don't mangle the tube or you'll be in real trouble. A dab of grease on the new ferrule should stop the same thing happening in future.

[yung-gun]

So the metal tubes (cases) run up into the cab?

[yung-gun]

Sounding like a mahoosive ball ache :/

[clarko74]

Here's a pic showing the tubes that the cables run through to the inside of the car. Not the best pic but you can make out one of them below the t piece and the other to the left of the right hand brake flexi:



I would imagine these are not easy to get to with the rear beam in place.

I found lots of wd40 and then lots of wiggling the ferrules with mole grips eventually got them free. Don't be too viscous with them though as it has been known for the metal tubes to be ripped from the shell.

HTH

[Brianmoooore]

Bare in mind that it's not particularly hard to rip the complete tubes from the body.

[yung-gun]

Done with no dramas. cheers guys the hard part was putting the windscreen in!