Handbrake cable removal?

lxstuart · Post by **lxstuart** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 8:49 pm

Hmm, this could prove interesting.
I'm fairly sure the exhaust is going to disintegrate as I try taking it off.

Not to worry, I'll take pictures

Post by **Gayno** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 8:57 pm

You don't have to remove the exhaust, just drop it off all the hangers. The flexi will allow you to drop it down without unbolting it

lxstuart · Post by **lxstuart** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 9:00 pm

But the flexi is the part I'm most worried about

It needs to be replaced before I can get it MoT'd anyway, so it wouldn't be a great loss.

Post by **Vtecmec** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 10:49 pm

I think your opening a

taking the entire cable off to do this, you may find the heat shield crumbles to dust if you try to remove it for example. There is plenty of slack in the cable at the calliper end and that's where any seizing will have occurred, if you just undo the two bolts off the trailing arms and separate from the calliper, you'll still be able do the job you need to and probably avoid any potential for headaches.

judderod · Post by **judderod** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 11:29 pm

I don't remember taking my exhaust or heatshield off when I did both my handbrake cables. Can't remember exactly but I might have taped up each new cable to the end of the old one by the handbrake, then pulled it through from underneath. One bolt on or near a suspension arm was seized and sheared so I just used a cable tie. Been through 2 MOT's like that no problem.

taz8520 · Post by **taz8520** » Sun Aug 11, 2013 3:12 pm

I have to replace my O/S cable next weekend prior to MOT, hope it's to much of a job to do

bristol_bb4 · Post by **bristol_bb4** » Sun Aug 11, 2013 3:52 pm

jjmartin349571 wrote:Because I lost my temper with the pin securing it to the caliper and it was cold and dark and I just wanted the caliper off - I regretted it pretty much immediately after I did it

this reminds me of the first lude exhaust manifold i had to remove

the mani/downpipe bolts were just spinning so about an hour of trying to catch a good thread and i was FUMING, out came the angle grinder, an hour of grinding later and id gone through 3 discs and achieved absolutely NOTHING

jonja · Post by **jonja** » Sun Aug 11, 2013 4:15 pm

i did just changed handbrake cables yesterday, i didnt expect that it needs pics

3-4 hours slowly and its done , but i dont have heatshield so i didnt have to lower my exhaust

EvilDmen · Post by **EvilDmen** » Tue Aug 13, 2013 10:13 am

After going through all this last week, I would suggest not changing the cable until all other options have been exhausted!

If the handbrake has seized it will most likely be the mechanism in the caliper itself!

Take out the split pin and free the cable from the caliper, remove the centre console disconnect the opposite side cable, wind the adjuster on the lever all the way up, squirt some penetrating oil in the top and bottom of the cable and pull the lever a few times. That will soon free the cable up! It did with mine!

Just make sure when you put the reset the handbrakes wind the pistons all the way in and back out half a turn, it's meant to be a quarter but I found that didn't always work.

Have fun.
Lee.

taz8520 · Post by **taz8520** » Tue Aug 13, 2013 4:09 pm

My cable has screeched so replacement def required

book time for it on autodata is 1.5hrs...I have half a day free to do it though