Replacing E-brake Cable (Page 1/2)
Brent7088 JUL 21, 05:31 AM
Hello All -

After many attempts to adjust my e-brake cable, I just decided it was time to buy a new one. I received a new ACDelco cable but am currently having difficulty getting the old one off. So far I've disconnected the handle from the cable and have been trying to take it from the inside of the car at the handle going outward, but it seems to be catching something. Can anyone tell me the procedure?

Also when I go to install the new one, would I feed it from the outside going in or vice-versa?

Thank you in advance
Spoon JUL 21, 05:32 PM
I just did that same job a few months ago. It gave me all the grief you are experiencing. On the inside there is a grommet that has to be popped out or pushed thru. I do know it went in a lot easier than removing it. Must of spent an hour or so on something that simple. Don't give up.
Memory not what it use to be but I may have cut the old one in half and pulled each piece in opposite directions.

Spoon

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"Kilgore Trout once wrote a short story which was a dialogue between two pieces of yeast. They were discussing the possible purposes of life as they ate sugar and suffocated in their own excrement. Because of their limited intelligence, they never came close to guessing that they were making champagne." - Kurt Vonnegut

Brent7088 JUL 21, 05:51 PM

quote
Originally posted by Spoon:

I just did that same job a few months ago. It gave me all the grief you are experiencing. On the inside there is a grommet that has to be popped out or pushed thru. I do know it went in a lot easier than removing it. Must of spent an hour or so on something that simple. Don't give up.
Memory not what it use to be but I may have cut the old one in half and pulled each piece in opposite directions.



Spoon, thank you for your input. Would the grommet be on the cable itself or the pathway the cables goes through? Also would I need to remove that panel the speaker is attached to? It looks like that's the only way to get in there deep enough to feed the cable in either direction without getting hung up on anything.
Spoon JUL 21, 11:12 PM
I do remember removing the pillar panel to gain access. I don't believe the grommet is molded on the cable or you would have it on the new one.
After I got the cable out I took a cigar size flashlight and aimed it into the grommet hole. From underneath in the wheel well area, after removing the wheel well liner, I could see the light and the path the cable took. I think I fished it from the wheel well side. I had the wheel off the car and it was on a lift.
Hope this helps.

Spoon

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"Kilgore Trout once wrote a short story which was a dialogue between two pieces of yeast. They were discussing the possible purposes of life as they ate sugar and suffocated in their own excrement. Because of their limited intelligence, they never came close to guessing that they were making champagne." - Kurt Vonnegut

Brent7088 JUL 21, 11:32 PM
Thank you once again - yea I will give those steps a try. I have the wheel off already so I'll tackle both the wheel liner and the inside pillar to gain better access to the cable route.
Spadesluck JUL 22, 05:07 PM
I took the inside trim out and the wheel liner out. Everything is straight forward from there. I pulled mine from the outside.
Brent7088 JUL 22, 10:16 PM

quote
Originally posted by Spadesluck:

I took the inside trim out and the wheel liner out. Everything is straight forward from there. I pulled mine from the outside.



Spade - yea I just popped out some rivets and peeled back only half of the liner, which was enough room to get that bracket off that holds the cable. I am at the point now where I just need to get the cable detached from the equalizer.

From what I see from another thread, it looks like I may have to bend / pry apart one end of the equalizer to get the cable to come off.

[This message has been edited by Brent7088 (edited 07-22-2019).]

Spadesluck JUL 23, 11:02 AM
From what I remember you need to screw the equalizer in to give you max slack. Then you can get it all unhooked from each other.
Will JUL 23, 03:17 PM
Remove the wheel house liner and the B-pillar trim in addition to the rocker trim and you'll be able to see it all. It'll be *MUCH* less of a PITA than trying to do it blind.
Brent7088 JUL 23, 11:15 PM
Spade and Will - thank you for the additional tips. I managed to get the cable off and starting to install the new cable. One thing that I'm wondering about is the connector that joins the PS cable to the front cable.

The girth on the end of the new cable seems to be a bit larger than the girth of the connector opening, stopping it from sliding into place. Is it safe to bend the connector open a bit just enough so it can slide into place? I'm using the new connector that came with the cable.