Handbrake cable broke...

[006]

Anyone with experience on this?

I'll replace it tomorrow, but I need to know if I can drive it as it is right now, or will the unsecured cable make contact with the driveshaft?

I'm away from my home computer where all the pics I have of my car's underside, thus I cannot look to remind myself of the setup and wanna see if someone here has an answer for me in the meantime.

It broke right under the lever where the spring is.

 

[snakeconvert98]

Should be ok, but, hard to tell without a pic! With it being broken where you say, it shouldn't contact the drive shaft at all. But then again, if it came out from there and did wrap around the shaft it could lock up the back brakes!

 

[006]

Should be ok, but, hard to tell without a pic! With it being broken where you say, it shouldn't contact the drive shaft at all. But then again, if it came out from there and did wrap around the shaft it could lock up the back brakes!

The two cables that come from the calipers, don't they go into a secured "bridge" that keeps them in place?...that way if the 3rd short cable that goes through the hump to the handbrake lever breaks, it should not interfere with the driveshaft right?

I dunno if I'm recalling correctly.

The cable that broke, looks like this:

It broke about 2 inches from where the round puck/disc is...which should mean that the screw in/adjustment piece is still attached to to the bracket where the 2 cables attach to.

Amirite?

 

[Slow95Cobra]

the long cables that go to the calipers have a bracket they snap into.. you shouldnt hit anything. my Equalizer cable broke on mine, and i drove it 25 miles to work (since my tools are here), and i never had a problem. but if the spring unwound on the ebrake handle... good luck winding it back...lol. i ordered a new handle assy, since my leather wrap looked like crap. but a guy here with a V6 wanted the cobra one, and it was a BEAR to wind that joker back

 

[006]

the long cables that go to the calipers have a bracket they snap into.. you shouldnt hit anything. my Equalizer cable broke on mine, and i drove it 25 miles to work (since my tools are here), and i never had a problem. but if the spring unwound on the ebrake handle... good luck winding it back...lol. i ordered a new handle assy, since my leather wrap looked like crap. but a guy here with a V6 wanted the cobra one, and it was a BEAR to wind that joker back

Hmm.. The spring might have gotten unwound. Crap! :nonono:

Found the part, it's F4ZZ-2A603-A for the 94-98's and list is $48.33. My cost is $31.90

This is someone's photo on stangnet

..


Sad thing is someone is selling the 99-04 Cable for $3.99 + $10 shipping on eBay.

 

[Slow95Cobra]

if that broke, it deff. came unwound.. i feel for ya brother..lol

 

[006]

if that broke, it deff. came unwound.. i feel for ya brother..lol

**** me

 

[SVT CAMR]

It can wound back up. you need a vice and a ton of patience. It's not an easy job. you will have to be persistent and have strong hands. Mine broke too. wind it tight. Plan on taking the whole console out.

 

[006]

It can wound back up. you need a vice and a ton of patience. It's not an easy job. you will have to be persistent and have strong hands. Mine broke too. wind it tight. Plan on taking the whole console out.

Console is out, handbrake assembly is out as well... Just gotta jack the car up and attach the new cable etc...and then wind the bastard and move on from there.

 

[19984V]

Our handbrakes are worthless anyways.. just saying =)

 

[mystical]

Our handbrakes are worthless anyways.. just saying =)

Why do you say that:??:

 

[006]

Why do you say that:??:

He's a clueless individual.

If his handbrake does not work like it should, I guess he should visit his local dealership.

Mine works perfectly when I'm not busy breaking it. :bored:

 

[19984V]

I'm not a clueless individual lol.

Reason I'm saying is because i know 5-6 people with sn95s and EVERY single one of them have crappy handbrakes.

Mine works.. but i have to pull it as high as it will possibly go =\


Maybe everyone elses are perfect. idk

 

[SVTeeshirt]

yeah my cable snapped (the one in the handbrake) and the thing unwound, i just got a new used one (oxymoron)? lol had to take the driveshaft off and broke meh 12mm socket, its 4 bolts so its not a huge deal to have the drifeshaft off, i did it on a gravel driveway. Good luck. Mine broke a long time ago, i just fixed it the other week.

 

[006]

Got mine finished up. Whole replacement including the rewind of the handbrake spring all took 1 hour.

There is a trick to the spring.

I'll explain.

As you wind the crescent pulley that the cable rides in, you'll notice a small hole that goes through the pulley. Wind the pulley real hard and then JAM a nail or small screw driver through the hole until locks behind the L shaped end that stops the spring's attachment from unwinding again with the spring. (I stuck a skinny allen key in there).

I then attached the new cable into the slot on the pulley, slid the cable's black leveller through the opening in the hump (go side ways, then let it unfold after it passes through), and let it dangle below. I then snapped/locked in the rubber accordion boot to the square'ish hole, and then bolted down the handbrake assembly to the hump with the 2 screws.

Jacked the car up.

Slid underneath and removed the old leveller with the snapped cable and installed the new one [did not have to remove/unbolt anything underneath the car].(This part took about 2 minutes).

Went back inside the car, pulled out the allen key, the spring unwound to it's normal tight position, and my handbrake job was done.

I was gonna take a photo of the allen key in the hole, but a friend called me at that moment and I lost my train of thought..(sorry mangs!)

:rockon:

 

[mwolson]

You should post that last message in the how-to forum at the top.

 

[006]

You should post that last message in the how-to forum at the top.

hmm.. I should huh?

I do have a spare 99-04 Cobra handbrake assembly that I can use as a demo for pics on this how-to.

..and no, the 99-04 assembly does not bolt up into the 94-98 mustangs. The assembly's two bolt-in hole locations do not match up and it cannot be modded to fit. :bored:

 

[SVT CAMR]

The only thing you did not tell us was what did you use to wind the spring.
I forgot what I used when I did mine but just remember it was not easy. I remember I did not wind the spring enough the first time and had to do it twice.

 

[PSUCOBRA96]

i need to tighten my handbrake if thats possible, damn thing has to be pulled to the sky to work

 

[006]

The only thing you did not tell us was what did you use to wind the spring.
I forgot what I used when I did mine but just remember it was not easy. I remember I did not wind the spring enough the first time and had to do it twice.

I used my hand/palm to grab the crescent pulley and rotated it forward...then jammed a small screwdriver in a hole on it to stop it from unwinding, waited about 4-5 seconds, grabbed it again with my palm and rotated it forward some more, and with my other hand I grabbed the skinny allen key and slid it into the small hole on the outside bracket all the way past the spring and leaned it against the L shaped end.

I think the 99-04 handbrake assembly might be different, but I'll take some pics to create some visuals.