Replacing front section of handbrake cable

[stanrob]

You've heard from me before, when I had trouble replacing the right-rear brake cable. That's done now!
Well, this time the front section snapped!
I've got the old part off!
I have the new part to install. (Hard to find! It cost $15.xx and tax.)
It matches the old part!
Problem: So far I haven't succeeded in threading the new part into the lever assembly.
Is there a trick you know of?

[Petros]

i have done this several times, I do not recall it being a problem. as I recall there is a separate peice that the end of the cables threads on to, you have to remove it from the handle assembly to thread it on the end of the cable, than you reinstall it on the handle. study the handle for a few min. and what you have to do should be obvious.

Or it might just be a nut you thread on to the end peice after you incert it into the fitting. Not sure now, but again I do not recall it every being a problem.

I might be confusing the Tercel parking brake cable with another one of our cars, but either way it was not a big deal. some types are more trouble some than others, but not the Tercel as I recall.

[dlb]

the front section of the park brake is fastened to the handle with just two nuts. these are used to adjust the amount of travel (aka the # of clicks) in the handle, and then lock it. your old piece should have the nuts on it still.

[jimcrazy]

I replaced mine after about a hour of frigging around I unbolted the handle from the tunnel 2 mins to put the cable in bolted it back down, l

[stanrob]

Progress report:
I'm sorry to say that your advices have not worked, at least not yet, for me.
I love that car, but several hours underneath it have tested that love pretty hard.

I have no problem starting the cable into the lever's tunnel, but it stops short of the goal.
From above, I can see the threaded end, but nothing I've tried makes it progress forward.
I haven't found a tool that would reach that end and pull it.

Perhaps JimCrazy's method (unbolting the lever assembly for "2 mins") would work (for some reason), BUT ... those bolts are frozen hard. Half of this car's life has been in the Northeast.
I got one to turn, little knowing it would break off; it's the one that secures the cover bracket.
(I used a hammer and punch to get the remainder out, so a new bolt and nut can fix that.)
The 2nd one turns but so does the tiny inaccessible square nut underneath.
There are two more frozen bolts to go before that 2 minutes can begin!
I believe that even if I got the assembly separate from the car, I wouldn't get the cable in farther.

Right now it's hard for me to believe that the original cable wasn't threaded into that assembly in the course of manufacture.

[dlb]

the cable is definitely not threaded into the park brake handle. if you can't get the threaded upper end of the cable through, use a screwdriver or something similar to pry the hole open slightly wider. you might compare sizes of your new and old cables, maybe the new one is larger. maybe the parts place gave you a cable for the wrong vehicle. regardless, without the nuts on the end it should slide in and out of the park brake handle, no problem.

[jimcrazy]

where the cable has to go through it is a round groove, then there are little tabs bent over to keep the cable in the groove. that was the problem I had the threaded rod would hit them and not go around the bend. I have a old handle out will post a pic of it tomorrow for you

[marlinh]

Jim, I seem to recall having to bend some tabs out of the way to get that cable through. Then bend them back once you get the cable in.

[jimcrazy]

nasty little tabs just looked in my basement stock pile for a handle but it is out in shop pile, but I did find another set of 87 head lights I for got I had, its been over 15 years they been packed away, think I am becoming a horder

[stanrob]

I really appreciate you guys’ coaching on this.

As regards the new part: the old nuts fit perfectly on it, so clearly there’s no difference in shaft diameter. I don’t think the minuscule difference in shaft length is my problem right now, because it’s not reaching the end of the straight channel.

As regards bending tabs: I had been wondering about the tab I saw. Having bent it now, the threaded shaft fits right in (from the top). It wouldn’t do this before. But you speak of tabs in the plural. That may explain my problem. I haven’t found a second tab and I’ll try now.

The one tool I got to thread all thru the straight part was an icepick. Even that was hard.

[marlinh]

I am not sure if there are two tabs. It's been a while since I've had that apart.

[jimcrazy]

here are a couple pics , this handle is out of a rav4 but it is the same set up, looks like it would bolt right in to tercel.the little tab is at the bottom keeping the treaded part from going through.

[marlinh]

So if you found the tabs are you still having problems getting the cable through?

[stanrob]

My browser + the tercel4wd website say I don't have permission to see Jimcrazy's photos!
So I still don't know whether they show one or two tabs.
If the answer is one: I've opened that one but still don't get thru.
I'll be looking for a 2nd tab tomorrow.

[dlb]

can you see them now, stanrob?