Parking Brake Install

Hey guys, im installing a complete parking brake system and the front portion is a little frustrating. I understand the where the front cable goes through the frame, but where it connects into the floor is such a tight space betweek the wheel well and the firewall, do you have to take off the wheel well or maybe fish it through the floor hole with a wire or something. Let me know what you guys have done. Thanks

 

Yeah I was trying to do it with my hands for an hour and I couldnt, Im gonna use a 1/8 rod to guide it through.

 

You can slide the cable up all the way it sticks out about 6in or more. Should be able to push that thru the floor then pull it on up

 

Yeah on monday im gonna try a couple things when i get it on the lift.

 

I did this a few years ago. I finally had to pop the bottom of the fender loose so I could get enough of my arm up there to push it in and seat it. Good luck and report back what finally worked.

 

Dang Christopher, we live in South Florida. There are no mountains or even small hills. None of my cars have working E brakes. Heck, they don't have choke plates either. I know, you want it right......................... Shut up John!!! Now back to our regularly scheduled program.
PS... Read my latest post and come to the party this year. Last year you had the flu. Stay healthy Sir!!!

 

Haha John, I would of never did the parking brake if the new rear disc brake conversion didn't call for it. The calipers are parking brake integrated and it needs to be done for proper pedal feel. Ill look for your post right now!

 

Generally, all you have to do is hit the e-brake lever a few times before you bleed it and then it should be fine for a good while. I did hook up my e-brake but just the lever on the caliper being worked will adjust it up. Give it a tick of e-brake lever about every few months and it will stay adjusted.

 

Rather than start a new thread I thought I would put my process here. 1970 GS 455 with TH400. Funny, there is nothing on the internet I could find on this:
First step is to take the cable loose from the intermediate cable and take off the clip where the housing goes through the frame under the car. Now the cable is hanging loose.


Take off the end of the cable from the brake pedal and push the top ferrule through the hole as described elsewhere. I used the hose clamp method. Remove the plastic cover on the inner fender. Next take out the three bolts shown here:

Now pull out the inner fender and chock it out from the frame:

With the top and bottom cable ends loose, use a pry bar to pull the cable down. Go through the hole in the frame closest to the outside:

This should pull the top of the cable out of the hole in the body by the pedals and the bottom of the cable from the frame. Reach up in the gap between the inner fender and the frame and push the cable housing up toward the brake master cylinder. You may have to wiggle it, pull it down then up.
Nice that I had a lift BTW... now lower the car. Look for the cable end:

Now you can pull it out. I had to reach down with a long pair of needle nose pliers until I could get my hand on it.

Now just wiggle it out. Note that it is 50" long, about 5" longer than the non-TH400 cable. Now to get the new one back in - keeping my fingers crossed!

 

Yep, getting the old one out was easier than getting the new one in. I never could get enough force to get the new one in until I got the inner fender loose enough to get my arm up there.

Good luck!

 

Putting the new one wasn't bad, one note when using a lift don't tighten the adjusting screws very tight when you lower it with the car supporting its own weight the pedal will be way to firm. You might have to adjust it two or three times.

But as for uninstalling or installing, i didn't remove anything like the inner fender. The hardest part is fishing the the new cable through the body to attatch to the parking brake assembly. For this I used a telescoping magnet and a long zip tie.

 

Yeah, with the inner fender spaced out I can touch the hole where it goes into the body by the pedals. Your comments above prompted me to go ahead and take it loose! I also think the new cables have a smooth casing instead of the wire wrapped OEM one. I'm talking to Bruin about making one up. We'll see what his price is.

 

It will be much easier with that off. and im not sure what you mean about the smooth casing? you mean the part that incases the metal wire?

 

The casing on my OEM cable had the re-enforcing wire on the outside of the casing so it would catch on the frame when I was pulling it. - look at the pictures above. Some of the new ones do not have that. The casing is smooth.

 

Oh i see, yeah i got mine from Rock Auto, they have the original AC Delco cables.

 

Make it even easier & remove the inner fender liner. I had thought about replacing that cable (original) on my '72 GS but thought otherwise - not broken, not seized, don't fix it

 

Yeah that's nice it's still good shape, they are known for breaking. My car had no part of the parking brake system when I got it.

 

Having a ton of fun over here: Dana 60 axle under a '59 Buick with 11" MoPar drums and zero in the way of a parking brake system. Running around just to get the pieces for inside the drums, and eventually going to have to connect a MoPar rear cable(s) to a fabricated front cable/stock e-brake pedal, plus fab all the routing/mounting- all the original mounts are gone with the original powertrain (it ran along the TorqueTube). Finally got the hardware in hand today- a combo of the local parts house and a MoPar guy who I sold a car to 24 years ago.

 

That's a pain in the ass, but when you get it all working and knowing you pieced it all together it something to be very proud of. We all have to be a bit like automotive engeeners sometimes and it's fun.