Lube your parking brake cables!

[mitsuturbo]

I've owned numerous 6g AWD galants over the years. Every single one of them has either had, or developed a stuck parking brake cable. I recommend to each and every one of you, that you lube your parking brake cables at least annually.

I am replacing one now, and if rock auto hadn't had the right cable (after sending me the wrong one once already) i'd be having a hell of a time finding one, since none of the Vato-Zone style stores seem to carry a parking brake cable for our cars. I tried NAPA, O'reilly, Vatozone, and a couple local places. Nobody had one listed! They may be available from the stealership, but i'd guess they're stupid expensive, and we all know about how the availability of GVR4 specific parts is getting to be. Also, these things are NOT fun to change if you have a rusty car, and dont have the rear subframe down a bit for some other reason. Fortunately, i had to take mine down to put a 4 bolt rear end in, making it easier to get at the cable. I was also fortunate enough to have a car with ZERO rust, so all the bolts came out just like they were brand new.

It's not cool to have a parking brake you can't use, and it's even less cool if one side locks up when it's engaged!

 

[vapid]

OEM e-brake cables are available, and aren't that expensive. IIRC I paid less than $100 for both.

 

[Romanova]

$30 each from JNZ... just ordered a set.

 

[mitsuturbo]

Quoting Romanova:
$30 each from JNZ... just ordered a set.


Good to know.
They are still a total bitch to replace.

I'll be making sure mine have a bit of lubrication annually, regardless of their age.
I'm pretty sure my left cable has already been replaced, but I'm not sure.

 

[raptorWagon]

Quoting mitsuturbo:
I've owned numerous 6g AWD galants over the years. Every single one of them has either had, or developed a stuck parking brake cable. I recommend to each and every one of you, that you lube your parking brake cables at least annually.

these things are NOT fun to change if you have a rusty car, and dont have the rear subframe down a bit for some other reason. Fortunately, i had to take mine down to put a 4 bolt rear end in, making it easier to get at the cable. I was also fortunate enough to have a car with ZERO rust, so all the bolts came out just like they were brand new.

It's not cool to have a parking brake you can't use, and it's even less cool if one side locks up when it's engaged!



You have no idea what it's like under my car /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rofl.gif, when I changed out the trailing arms I used a hack saw to get separate the cables from the calipers. The e-brake never worked when I originally bought the car and I probably spent about an hour and half getting the cables off the car. I did it with the car on a lift at the base hobby shop (drive on lift, so no lowering of the subframe), it was easier to use a flat head and mallet to pry the cables loose from where they go into the cabin of the car. The exhaust heat shield is no longer on my car, all those bolts snapped off and plus the shield was crumbling away anyway.

 

[iceman69510]

Use the brake regularly and it will do most of the work for you. I always use mine in all my M/T vehicles.

 

[mitsuturbo]

I've always used mine every time i park as well. I've still had 2 lock up. Once while parked.. damn that sucked.
A little oil will help keep water out. It certainly can't hurt to lubricate them from inside the car once a year or so.
I also will remember to lube them from the back end any time the rear wheel comes off for any reason.

 

[Boostdtalon]

I'm going to have to replace mine as one seized up already. Which is the reason I had that caliper seize up too.

 

[citymunky]

Lube with what? WD-40? Grease?

 

[stealthtt24]

I'm messing with my rear calipers now. Where should we put the grease?

 

[mitsuturbo]

Quoting citymunky:
Lube with what? WD-40? Grease?



Check the boot at the back of the cable, if it's torn at all, i suggest getting any kind of lubricant you can in there. Preferably something that displaces water. If you have some way to get some grease in there, then by all means, go for it. ANY lubrication is better than none at all on old cables.
If the boot is not torn at all, i'd just spray copious amounts of WD-40 or PB Blaster down the opening in the center console. Oil has a way of making it to every nook and cranny, as anyone who's had an oil leak already knows. I'm pretty sure that with enough oil going down the cable via gravity and use, this method would keep things working for a long time.

I was VERY fortunate. My cable was VERY easy to replace since i had my diff dropped down already, and my car is rust free. Others have not had such luck, and i'm actually afraid to get under 1411 and see what i'd be dealing with there.

 

[alansupra94]

I will be spraying back there tomorrow /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[bobdole]

just ordered these from the dealer. Mine don't look so good.