global west trailing arm e-brake routing difficulty
Pro
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 573
Likes: 0
From: Stafford VA
I have not yet installed tires and loaded the suspension, still finishing up a few things. Now that you mention it though, I'm not sure the parking brake cable is safe the way I installed it, the tire may hit and a blowout could certainly interfere. Back to the drawing board....
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,353
Likes: 1,581
From: los altos hills california
That could almost be a picture of my car with the Wilwoods, Bilsteins and longer wheel studs and other stuff! But I digress. I can't possibly get my cable through the hole provided in the bracket the way your picture shows and get it seated. It has to come through the hole I enlarged. However I don't see a retaining clip and I don't see that your cable is seated, "John" (how are actual names known in this forum?). How were you going to secure it? The only good news I can tell is that least our arms started out the same, as yours looks like mine before I started modifications. What I hear from GW makes no sense given the way our arms are delivered. Ain't no "teardrop" hole. Am still waiting for clarification from them.
The ORIGINAL and bestest
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 10,009
Likes: 240
From: Toronto Ontario
Toronto Events Coordinator
I didn't even know Global West was making parts for the C3. The arms look nice!
This pic shows the e-brake cable run and mounted much the same as stock, I don't see any issue with it.
A random pic I found of the stock setup:
I think the OP is routing the cable wrongly.
This pic shows the e-brake cable run and mounted much the same as stock, I don't see any issue with it.
A random pic I found of the stock setup:
I think the OP is routing the cable wrongly.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,353
Likes: 1,581
From: los altos hills california
7t2vette: The stock setup is certainly more desireable. A couple of observations
In the top picture, I can't see any retaining clips.
In the bottom picture two things:
1) The cable looks different than mine. Maybe it is just the lack of good lighting or maybe there is a more flexible cable available somewhere. In any event the mounting bracket orientation is way different.
2) Many people reroute the cable to the top of the trailing arm. 'biscuitville' reports that that introduce a kink which isn't all that bad. Maybe that kink is what I am stuck with
GW hasn't oriented the bracket in a way that suggests routing under the trailing arms and I can't force my stock cable into the hole they provided to accomplish that either. These are such nice well built arms I don't know how they could have neglected this but that seems to be the case.
Ignatz
In the top picture, I can't see any retaining clips.
In the bottom picture two things:
1) The cable looks different than mine. Maybe it is just the lack of good lighting or maybe there is a more flexible cable available somewhere. In any event the mounting bracket orientation is way different.
2) Many people reroute the cable to the top of the trailing arm. 'biscuitville' reports that that introduce a kink which isn't all that bad. Maybe that kink is what I am stuck with
GW hasn't oriented the bracket in a way that suggests routing under the trailing arms and I can't force my stock cable into the hole they provided to accomplish that either. These are such nice well built arms I don't know how they could have neglected this but that seems to be the case.
Ignatz
Pro
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 573
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From: Stafford VA
I don't yet have the retainers on mine but I can tell it's going to be a bear, the angle of the bracket appears a little off. My plan is to tweak the mounting bracket if necessary, just put a large adjustable wrench on it and lever for the proper angle to allow the retainer to slide into place. It may booger up the powdercoat some but a little gloss black paint will touch it up enough for my purposes. I am ordering new parking brake cables and retainers to finish up the rearend overhaul and should know for sure if it works with retainers in a week or so.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,117
From: Crossville TN
For what its worth: I would be concerned about having that e-brake cable flexing all the time with it routed the way you have it. From your discussions with GW, it doesn't sound like the person you've contacted really has any knowledge about how the manufacture intends these to be routed ("I think you're on the right track." ???? 
)
Having the whole cable 'wiggle' some with normal suspension operation should be OK...but having ALL that movement isolated to just the portion at & behind the T/A just doesn't seem right to me.
[Like I said...'for what its worth'.]
Good luck with the project.
)Having the whole cable 'wiggle' some with normal suspension operation should be OK...but having ALL that movement isolated to just the portion at & behind the T/A just doesn't seem right to me.
[Like I said...'for what its worth'.]
Good luck with the project.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,353
Likes: 1,581
From: los altos hills california
OK, here's the scoop guys. I just got off the phone with Doug (the owner) at Global West. He had forwarded me the accompanying picture of their revised design with the aforementioned teardrop and if you look carefully, a repositioned mounting bracket. He said it the bracket has been moved aft a bit which would be less constrictive to the routing. The cable is now oriented to go through the teardrop rather than under the arm. That way it won't interfere with the tire. With the shape of the teardrop, there is some play for the cable and that probably helps with 7T1vette's concern about the flex on the cable.
Doug also offered to exchange this design for my arms. Mine are of course already assembled and mounted. If you haven't already done that, don't and give GW a call. Thanks for all the feedback. It'll be a while before I can post a new picture but I'll get back to this thread when I've reinstalled things. For reference, Doug doesn't know who Ignatz is but my name is Cliff.
Doug also offered to exchange this design for my arms. Mine are of course already assembled and mounted. If you haven't already done that, don't and give GW a call. Thanks for all the feedback. It'll be a while before I can post a new picture but I'll get back to this thread when I've reinstalled things. For reference, Doug doesn't know who Ignatz is but my name is Cliff.
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Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,353
Likes: 1,581
From: los altos hills california
OK I still don't have the hang of posting pictures. I pasted the URL of the photo as uploaded in photobucket and nothing happened. Will wrestle with this a bit.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,727
Likes: 38
From: Fremont CA
Another job finished for the manufacturer by the early adopters. Beta testing at its finest. Someone should post pictures of the installation sheets showing the drum brake equipped prototype used. I really don't see the advantage of this product over a properly done offset trailing ARM and suspect they weigh more than the part your replacing.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,353
Likes: 1,581
From: los altos hills california
I went out to the garage and got out the sawzall and a drill motor and some files. Here's the result of two hours of drilling and filing and sawing (one side only)
Have some cleanup to do, the sawzall kind of banged up the powdercoat until I put some gorilla tape on the tubing. The hole is still a little rough but nobody will ever see it. There's a fair amount of drag on the cable but the springs in the e-brake do manage to pull it back. It's not like it was though. I'll put some graphite on the cable to help it along.
Thanks again Mike for pointing out that the picture of the arm was from the inside!
Have some cleanup to do, the sawzall kind of banged up the powdercoat until I put some gorilla tape on the tubing. The hole is still a little rough but nobody will ever see it. There's a fair amount of drag on the cable but the springs in the e-brake do manage to pull it back. It's not like it was though. I'll put some graphite on the cable to help it along.
Thanks again Mike for pointing out that the picture of the arm was from the inside!
Pro
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 573
Likes: 0
From: Stafford VA
I guess I'll do the same thing with mine, don't like the idea of the parking brake cable unprotected if a tire blows.
Do you also have one of Mike Dyer's (tracdogg2) 12 bolt rearend? That's how he knows my first name, I went full tilt boogie on my car's rearend with the GW trailing arms to handle 1000+ HP on 12" drag radials.
Do you also have one of Mike Dyer's (tracdogg2) 12 bolt rearend? That's how he knows my first name, I went full tilt boogie on my car's rearend with the GW trailing arms to handle 1000+ HP on 12" drag radials.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,353
Likes: 1,581
From: los altos hills california
John: Routing it this way looks pretty safe for you. I'm going autocrossing with my car, half of your HP but bigger tires too. I was hoping to use the e-brake to loosen the back end when necessary, hence my interest in freedom of travel. Just have the standard diff in back with new Richmond gears. The guy that did the rebuild on the differential and arms was Dave Herlinger in Mt View, CA. Good luck with all that power!
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,944
Likes: 20
From: The only Corvettes in Highett Victoria
Top Bloke!
Dave did the trailing arms on the '74 Vette I bought from Solid LT1 in November 2009. I could not have been happier with the quality of the work. My friend who did the roadworthy check in Melbourne said that the work was first class. I have since met Dave on my last couple of visits Stateside and he's the real deal. A truly talented and knowledgable guy. I can thoroughly recommend Dave for any chassis and mechanical work on a Corvette.
Good luck with your autocrossing, my car is just for cruising.
Regards from Down Under.
aussiejohn
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
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From: los altos hills california
Absolutely agree that Dave is the man when it comes to these early vette's. I'm lucky he's local.
http://www.corvetterepair.org/
http://www.corvetterepair.org/
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,944
Likes: 20
From: The only Corvettes in Highett Victoria
Get together?
Cliff,
I'll be in Frisco in nine months to catch up with friends before going to the SEMA Show, so maybe we can get together for a beverage one night. First one's on me.
Regards from Down Under.
aussiejohn
I'll be in Frisco in nine months to catch up with friends before going to the SEMA Show, so maybe we can get together for a beverage one night. First one's on me.
Regards from Down Under.
aussiejohn
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,353
Likes: 1,581
From: los altos hills california
Sounds like a good time, aussie john. http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...es/cheers2.gif When the time comes I will see about dragging along some Corvette buddies and/or wives.
Cliff
Cliff