76 Parking Brake Cable Adjustment
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Pro
Joined: Feb 2014
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From: Kansas
76 Parking Brake Cable Adjustment
I am restoring the rear suspension in my 76 over the winter months.
I have most everything back together with exception of the parking brake cable.
The ball at the end of the cable is about 2in short of the clip behind the rotor. I am having a hell of a time getting it back on the clip. If I take the rotor off I can easily get the ball on the clip. But with the rotor on the cable with the ball on the end is well short and I cannot get the ball to reach the clip.
Is there any way to get some slack out of that cable to get the ball on the clip?
BTW! Fun fact.....I learned last night why you torque the spring plate bolts with the car on the ground. New differential cover is on the way. Have to redo everything.....lesson learned.
I have most everything back together with exception of the parking brake cable.
The ball at the end of the cable is about 2in short of the clip behind the rotor. I am having a hell of a time getting it back on the clip. If I take the rotor off I can easily get the ball on the clip. But with the rotor on the cable with the ball on the end is well short and I cannot get the ball to reach the clip.
Is there any way to get some slack out of that cable to get the ball on the clip?
BTW! Fun fact.....I learned last night why you torque the spring plate bolts with the car on the ground. New differential cover is on the way. Have to redo everything.....lesson learned.
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From: Kansas
I am not sure. I didn't touch anything when I took it apart. Now that I am trying to put it back together the cable is short.
I am assuming that "A" is the nut that I need to back off in order to get some slack in the line?
I am assuming that "A" is the nut that I need to back off in order to get some slack in the line?
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No you do not just crank it tight. There is a procedure for adjusting the parking brake which involves adjusting the shoes and after they are set you pull the brake handle a certain number of clicks and then adjust the nuts so that there is a slight drag. If you have the factory Chassis Service manual it has all the details.
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From: Kansas
Thanks everyone for the support and pictures. This has helped out a lot. Much easier to understand.
One more question I am tracking that the rear leaf spring is supposed to be torqued while the car is on the ground and that the 4 bolts holding the spring up should be torqued to 50lbs. Is this correct?
One more question I am tracking that the rear leaf spring is supposed to be torqued while the car is on the ground and that the 4 bolts holding the spring up should be torqued to 50lbs. Is this correct?
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Thanks everyone for the support and pictures. This has helped out a lot. Much easier to understand.
One more question I am tracking that the rear leaf spring is supposed to be torqued while the car is on the ground and that the 4 bolts holding the spring up should be torqued to 50lbs. Is this correct?
One more question I am tracking that the rear leaf spring is supposed to be torqued while the car is on the ground and that the 4 bolts holding the spring up should be torqued to 50lbs. Is this correct?
Willcox
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Joined: Jun 2010
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From: Richmond Texas
Hope not to seam too ignorant but this diagram tells what to do to adjust the parking brake, unfortunately, I don't know how to do it. What tool do I use to measure cable tension? My parking brakes all all but useless. Needless to say I have my wheels chocked.
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First line one of the larger open holes on the rotor with the tension star on the bottom of the parking brake. Look through the hole when lined up on the bottom and you will see the tension star / sprocket....or whatever you want to call that thing. Use a flat tip screwdriver to adjust the tension up and down. If that dosent work you will have to adjust the cable.....which is where im at.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,312
Likes: 156
From: Richmond Texas
First line one of the larger open holes on the rotor with the tension star on the bottom of the parking brake. Look through the hole when lined up on the bottom and you will see the tension star / sprocket....or whatever you want to call that thing. Use a flat tip screwdriver to adjust the tension up and down. If that dosent work you will have to adjust the cable.....which is where im at.
So I use a screwdriver to adjust the tension but how do I determine what the tension is? It says the front cable should be 30 lbs. +or- 3 lbs. How do I tell?
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From: Kansas
Bo
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Adjustment
Apply the parking brake two notches. Adjust the nut on the cable so that you feel a light drag when turning the rear wheels.