The handbrake – also called the parking brake- is an important vehicle component. It allows you to park your car without worrying that it will move. Understanding its working mechanism will help you in replacing a handbrake cable as it is a vital part of it. When you engage the handbrake, a lever is pulled, and it tags on a metal cable connected to the brake shoes of your vehicle. These will lock against the tire disks and thus stop the vehicle from moving.
When the main braking system malfunctions, you can employ the handbrake to stop the car. It is, however, only recommended for emergencies and is effective. After some time, the handbrake will become ineffective, and you will need to repair it. It can result from the cable wearing out or breaking, leaving your car without a handbrake, which is illegal.
How to Tell Your handbrake Cable is Damaged.
Identifying the causes of the problem helps you avoid it in the future. Since making handbrake cable repairs can be costly, avoiding them all together improves the longevity of your car’s peak performance.
- The car still moves after the handbrake is engaged: Your car shouldn’t move at all when you engage the handbrake. This is an obvious sign, and when you leave your car on parking or stop and it still moves, your handbrake cable needs replacement.
- Warning lights on the dashboard: The dashboard will inform you of any problems with the car, including handbrake problems. When its lights come on, it means you have a problem with the handbrake cable and have to replace it.
- Your handbrake gets stuck: when you engage the handbrake, and its lever gets stuck midway, the cable has a problem. A diagnosis on the car will also reveal this problem and specifically point to the cable as its cause. Replacing the cable will help fix the problem.
How to Replace The Handbrake Cable
The procedure to replacing a handbrake cable can be technical and challenging. You need to have the right tools to complete it successfully without further damaging your car. This is how you can replace the cable and have the best results.
#1. Determine the Cable Layout for your Vehicle
Vehicles have a different handbrake cable layout depending on whether they are the front wheel, back wheel or all-wheel drive. The handbrake is attached to the dominant wheels that steer the vehicle and thus will be important when replacing the cable. Many vehicle models use the basic cable setup for their handbrake installation. When the handbrake is engaged, it pulls on the primary cable, and this registers the movement on the adjuster nut and the lock nut.
These will send the lock impulses to the equalizer yoke and engage the handbrake. Your car is a back-wheel drive in this setup, and the replacement process will be simpler and faster.
#2. Check Damage and Remove The Handbrake Cable
In this step, you will identify the extent of the damage before reinstalling a new cable. It thus allows you to find what causes the errors and make all repairs to make your cable last longer. First, raise the back wheels of your car to create enough room. You can also remove the rear wheels for better visibility. Release the engaged handbrake to free the cable and inspect the dust protection sleeves. Run a screwdriver along the sleeves and primary cable to identify breaks or loose connections.
You can now remove the parking cable for replacement once the extent of damage is evaluated. First, remove the cover on the center console of the handbrake to get access to the bolts and nuts. You can now unscrew these bolts and nuts next to the handbrake until the cable becomes loose and moves freely. Once this end of the cable is free, you can begin disconnecting the other end joining the primary cable to the adjuster nut and subsequently the equalizer yoke. Unscrew the lock nut and then remove the adjuster nut.
Tag on the cable until it disconnects from the handbrake lever. You can now disconnect it from the clevis pin by removing the split pin holding it in place. Keep the washers safe, as you will need them when reinstalling the cable. The primary handbrake cable is now disconnected on both ends, and you can tag on it to completely disconnect. Carefully look for any rubber loops it is running through.
#3. Installing a New Handbrake Cable
First, hook the cable to your brake calipers to maintain stability as you fix it. You can also secure it with a fixing plate. Now connect the cable to the top of the handbrake cable holder to begin connecting it to the handbrake lever. Tighten the adjusting nuts on the lever until it is firmly in place. You can cover the handbrake console and proceed to connect the other end.
Run the cable through any carpets and rubber tubings previously inserted into. Once connected, fasten the adjuster nut and later the locknut. You can test them by trying to turn the rear tires by hand while you keep tightening these nuts until they cannot move. Reconnect the clevis pin and ensure its pin is well in place. Replacing a handbrake cable procedure will not.
#4. Testing The New Installation
You can now test the handbrake by engaging and unengaging the lever to measure its effectiveness and whether the tires will move. Apply moderate to strong force to make your tests effective. You can also test it by starting up your car and tightening the handbrake lever. If the indicator light turns on, it means the installation is successful, and your cable will work well.
If you have a brake test stand, you can use it to test the effectiveness of the new installation. Your tires should stop completely when the handbrake is engaged until it is disengaged. This is the simple process of replacing a handbrake cable, and you are now all set to complete it yourself.
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