Over the last two days I finally got around to swapping my manual cradle in and taking the old automatic cradle out, I had done a manual swap but I didn't realize that the cradles were different. I'm glad I finally got that done.

In swapping the cradles, I installed the Held Arraut Motorsports Bumpsteer kit. What a PITA that was! Holy crap! But I'm glad it's on there. Now I just need to install a rear swayer that I'm waiting on and get an alignment on it, although I did get the alignment good enough to where it can be driven to an alignment shop.

Ok, PSA time:

As I was assembling parts over the last few months in preparation for the cradle swap, I bought all three new parking brake cables from the FieroStore. I was finally able to install them and get them adjusted (using the method of adjustment on Pennock's home page) today. What a difference that made with how much grip the parking brake has! it took it from about 25%~ to about 75% of how well I want it to work. It holds it much better and I was able to tighten up the adjuster, without having the levers move off of their stops, much more than I was able to with the old cables.

So if you've got everything working with the calipers as best as you can, and it still isn't enough; just spend the 80 bucks it takes to get new cables. Most of them are over 30 years old at this point. They'll have road grime, dirt, corrosion, and other stuff that will prevent them from working the way they should. It's asking more of the cables than they can deliver; especially if they haven't been used regularly

Anyway, I hope this adds to the helpful knowledge of the forum

Thanks for the fiero store cable recommendation. I am about to replace my 87's cables and I had previously done as much for my 86 GT, but I was able to source NOS gm cables the first time.

I have located more NOS cables this time, but the price is double what I paid before, so I am now considering the aftermarket sources like Wagner, pioneer, etc.
How was fitment for you? Aftermarket brake cables tend to have badly designed locking clips where they should snugly snap in place in the cross member. This was my primary concern.

quote Originally posted by viperine: Thanks for the fiero store cable recommendation. I am about to replace my 87's cables and I had previously done as much for my 86 GT, but I was able to source NOS gm cables the first time. I have located more NOS cables this time, but the price is double what I paid before, so I am now considering the aftermarket sources like Wagner, pioneer, etc. How was fitment for you? Aftermarket brake cables tend to have badly designed locking clips where they should snugly snap in place in the cross member. This was my primary concern.

Fitment was perfect, I have absolutely no complaints on fitment. Now, getting the old cables out is a different matter

All playfulness aside, the cables fit exactly like OEM cables. It's just a little difficult to get them in the first time because the three metal tangs on each end of the cable that go into the calipers, cradle, and parking brake lever assembly are oversized just enough to make it difficult to insert and so they stay in place the way they should.

The locking clip (as you call it) is well designed. The cable ends from the parking brake lever assembly and the passenger side caliper are tough to get them to clip in, but once they're in there are two metal tangs (one per cable end) that hold the cable ends in place.

I had no complaints about the cables during the installation; the biggest problem I had was on the driver side, and that was because of the lower control arm of the Bumpsteer kit. It was hard to get the cable angled properly to fit into the bracket on the caliper. That was also last night when I'd been working on the car for about nine hours, so if I hadn't been tired and had only been working on the cables, it probably would've been much easier installing the driver side.

If you're looking for exact OEM fitment without the expense (I can only speculate how expensive the NOS cables were because you didn't give a price), the FieroStore cables are my first choice. I have no complaints about fit or function whatsoever.

One final update; I moved my Fiero today and for ****s and giggles I decided to see how far/hard I could set my parking brake (about 2 or 3 clicks after the cables got stubborn/stiff to move), holy crap. It wouldn't even move when I put quite a bit of drag on them.

Cables are a maintenance item