Rear trailing arm assembly and handbrake cable!

Sun Oct 21, 2007 12:03 am

I'm removing the rear trailing arm assembly to put onto my other shell along with new bushes and suspension. Excuse the rant, just copied it from another forum I'm on, thought someone here might be able to help? Basically I can't get the handbrake cable out from its conduit. It wont budge at all and not sure if its just jammed or what?? I need to remove the conduit as well so I can get the arm assembly off and thats a mission as well! Frustrated I've managed to get two engines out, two gearboxes and two front subframes and replace bushes without any problems and now a fricking handbrake cable has wasted a whole night!! :::

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What fricker of an evening. Had a right bloody nightmare and wasted loads of time. I didn't undo the big bolts on the ends of the drive shafts as I didn't think it was necessary. I've been trying to remove the handbrake cable and not getting anywhere. I've removed the retaining bolts on the handbrake and dis-assembled the drum but for some reason I can't pull the cable through. To make it worse I need to remove the conduit tunnel bit that it goes through so I can get the trailing arm assembly off but can't move that either, and the only socket I've got that fits I've not got a 14mm socket for , I can't get the bigger ones on because I didn't remove the big nut on the end of the shaft. fricking pissed at the moment! I need to remove the arm assembly because I've got new bushes to go on before sticking it onto the other car shell.

Sun Oct 21, 2007 12:35 am

At the car body end of the handbrake cables there's about 15 mm of metal end on the plastic outer sheaths of the cables where they go into the conduits. I.e. the join you have to seperate is about 15mm back the metal tubes from where the plastic cables end.
Once these have been separated, and the nuts unscrewed on the cable ends on the lever inside the car, then the cables just pull out.
Put WD40 around the joins, a large hammer head or lump of metal behind the tube, and attack the next 15mm towards the car from the join with a pointed hammer, such as a welders' chipping hammer. Get some grips on the 15mm end of the cables and twist them around.
Eventually they'll come out.

Sun Oct 21, 2007 1:08 am

Ok, thanks for that, I'll try it first thing in the morning. Bit pi**ed its set me back so far as I need a car for monday work really. Might have to pick something up tomorrow and do the car later in the week

Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:32 am

This picture shows the conduits after the cables have been removed. It should give you an idea of where the join is.

Sun Oct 21, 2007 11:10 am

Nice one Ian, i was gonna say that the relevant 15mm attached to the end of the handbrake cable can become cover in stubborn crap and hides the fact that they're 2 separate pieces

Mon Oct 22, 2007 2:47 pm

Ah right, that picture has made the penny drop I think, I was messing with the hub end and not the metal tube. I ended up going out and getting another car yesterday so the bimmer is on hold for a few days. I need to catch up with all the work I didn't do last week when fixing the cars!

Mon Oct 22, 2007 3:56 pm

And what a car you bought eh Dave ;)

I too have been buggering about at the hubs with the handbrake cables

PS, Dave, there is no job on the S13 that is much of a pain in the arse as the subframe bushes on an E30. you've bought well

Mon Oct 22, 2007 7:53 pm

If you're NOT doing a drum to disc swap, then you can remove the cables at the hub ends if you so wish.
Same problem at this end though - A short spigot that seizes in its hole.
Once the expander mechanism is removed, then you may be able to drift the ends out with a thin parallel punch, without destroying the cable, although the hub flange tends to get in the way. A larger punch with a groove cut into the side for the cable may be better.