Removing Rear Trailing Arms?

[Shiz]

Quick Question when removing the trailing arms at the rear how do you go about removing the hand brake cables, can you screw them of from the outside or do you have to remove the drum and unscrew from inside out. Excuse the stupid question however Ive never used drums before has all been discs. Thanks

[Jim320i]

I'm not sure if there is a 'proper' way, but underneath just on either side of the rear beam, the cable goes into a metal casing and into the car itself. I use mole grips on the cable as there is a metal section just before it goes into the casing and just wriggle them free and slide them out. You'll need remove the interior handbrake section though so they can slide out.

Literally just done this job now on and its easy when you know which part to wriggle

[Chris_B86]

I've just done it on my car with discs, was easy as pie on one side, but the other side was seized to buggery, ended up breaking the tube that runs into thar

[Shiz]

so you cant take the cable of from the outside of the drum?.. Where the cable attachs to the drums, there looks to be a hex nut holding it on. I thought if you screwed that off it should come out. However what your saying Jim, I presume its removing the handbrake cable from the actual hand brake and pulling it on out from there ? A lot of rear trailing arms removed so far, the cables have all been cut as they are for breaking.

[bmw9818]

get a mini hacksaw and score where it sits in the metal tube while twisting bending pulling with some grips, i was messing for time, until i did that both sides free in 5 mins,

[Chris_B86]

It may be different on cars with drums. On cars with discs there are no bolts or nuts. One end is attached inside the drum/disc with a pin, and on the outside just slides in, although may be corroded, on the other end, it's attached at the handbrake lever, and under the car slides into a tube, above the trailing arm, next to the flexi hose, but again may be corroded and need working out