Emergency Brake Connection

Here is a pic of my E-brake connection. Too often, a cable will simply pull out of the connection, no matter how tightly I turn on the set screw. There must be a better, foolproff way of doing this, but a search has not revealed anything.

What have you done to solve this problem?

Chuck, As an extra measure, I put a dab of JB Weld into the cable hole avoiding the area where the allen set screw makes contact. ~Alan

What are the odds?
Today, I finally decided to set the tension on mine.
Yes; there is a better way.
First, cut the cables to length with a Dremmel cutting wheel in order to get all the fibers of the cable to stay put when you put them into the sleeves.
Second, take those Allen jobbers out of there, and replace them with good old steel bolts. They'll be a little bigger, but you can torque them without worrying about how to un-screw-up your Allen wrench when you're finished.
If you're really motivated and super-sure you'll never need to adjust them for length again, you can score the inside of the tube with a bronze or steel .17-.22-cal. rifle cleaning brush, then gob the ends of the cables with epoxy before pushing them into the tubes.
In my case, I am just using the pressure of the bolt.

Here's what I did:

LoCash Racing has pre-shortened ones available on The Samba. Very reasonable and very well done.

Thanks for the comments. I think that I will try the bigger bolt idea of Cory's first. I happen to have a drill press and some taps.

For the E-brake, you really need to know that it will not fail if you ever really need to use it. I will post a pic of the revised setup in a few days.

I bought new cables and cut off the loop eyes on the brake drum ends.

Then I drilled the cable remnents out of the loop eyes so I could slide the cables into them again.

Then spot brazed the cables onto them from a side drilling after test assembling and vise gripping them to the correct length at the drums . so I could un hook and braze them.

They look and work as factory.. Simple and neat and also a good trick for clutch cables

I examined my connectors and decided to use Cory's solution. It was simple and worked. I now have a secure emergency brake. Thanks so much. Those allen screws are just not up to the task.

What procedure does everyone use to "set" the emergency cable length?

Seems like if you set left cable length, followed by the right cable, you would have to go back and check the left again because of the balance bar?

I set mine so at three clicks up both wheels can no longer be turned by hand. The brake handle goes up at least another 4 or 5 clicks until it's hard (somebody muzzle Vince before replying).

I have a different handle and guide tubes to aim the cables in the right direction. My method for the Hoopty wouldn't apply. If you have discs, I would have to defer to John Muir's book to get you close.
For drum brakes, it shouldn't be rocket science. First, I'd put the car's rear on jackstands and adjust the stars, making sure there's no drag.
Once you're sure the pads are properly adjusted, run the cables forward to the brake lever from each wheel. Pass them through the little plate with the three holes in it, and clamp each cable so there's a little tension on them, not more than a quarter of an inch or so -- just enough that you'll feel resistance when pulling with your bare hands. You're feeling the spring inside the drum as it tries to return the cable to neutral, about like trying to pick up a gallon of milk with your index finger and thumb; eight pounds or so.
Once you have them both clamped, go back and rotate each wheel. If they rub a little, you're in the ballpark; repeat on the other side, remembering that each is a separate system, actuated by its own cable.
When you're happy with there being slight contact on each side, back the cables off that quarter inch or so, so there's no more resistance. Mark them with a Sharpie at that point.
Measure the inside depth of the cap you intend to place onto the end of the cable (with the Allen screw in it, or the bolt, if you prefer). We'll call that the 'adjustment piece.' Use a coat hanger or some similar piece of wire as a depth gauge to ascertain the inside depth of the adjustment piece.
Transfer that inside depth measurement onto your already-marked cables. At the mark you just made, cut the cable to length. Use a cutting disc on a Dremmel to cut it, or you'll play Hell trying to get loose wire ends into the adjustment pieces.
Once they're cut, put the cables into the adjustment pieces, then tighten the bolts. If there's a problem with the cable-ends being frayed, twist them in their natural direction, and they'll be pretty easily massaged back to their former shape.
You should see only the barest edge of your rearward Sharpie marks when they're inserted. Tighten the keepers, either Allen-type or bolts, whichever you're using.
Assemble the remainder of the brake.
Use the nuts that came with the adjustment pieces to tension the lever against the point where there's no resistance at the pad, again checking the wheels for dragging brakes. There is at least an inch of thread on each cable adjuster, plus the lever itself has a tensioner. It should be East Street from there, and the brake should ratchet freely and begin to really stop the wheel on the third or fourth click.
Naturally, that all assumes I'm right about the parts. I think I am.
Good luck!

Hi Folks,

What size did you tap for the replacement bolts? M6 ?

I yanked on my e-brake last night and it pulled out :(

Gerry,

I looked at the hole size after removing the allen screws and decided that they were big enough to use without drilling larger and tapping. Worked great at their original size.

Chuck

Don't know how I missed this one.
Gerry, Chuck did exactly what I did, sounds like.
Take your Allens out, and take one of them with you to the fastener section of the hardware store. Put the Allen directly alongside the candidate bolt, interlock the threads on them and check for a match. You should be able to use a fine-thread bolt, probably in the neighborhood of 3/16 of an inch in diameter.
As long as the diameter and threads match, the bolt will work. Stainless is best, I think.