E Brake boot replacement

[gecoe]

Hi All,

We're restoring a 52 2R5 and scratching our heads over how to replace the rubber boots on the E brake cable without cutting the ball off one end of the cable. The only way I can imagine is if a split boot is made for some other vehicle or is available on an aftermarket basis.

Everything else on the brakes is being replaced or reconditioned but the E brake cable and all associated hardware, other than the boots, is still in great shape. It seems logical that there would be an easy way to replace the fragile boots but we can't find it.

Ideas anyone?

Thanks,

Gerry

[Roscomacaw]

Gerry, with some vaseline, could you not force those boots over that swedged ball? Seems to me that they'd stretch enough.[:I]

Miscreant at large.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President 2-dr
1955 President State
1951 Champion Biz cpe
1963 Daytona project FS

[gecoe]

I think they would stretch far enough for that Bob. Unfortunately, I can't see any way to get the cable out of the metal tube it travels through on its way into the brake drum. I sure can't see the boot being forced through that tube no matter how much vaseline I use.

About that ball, are they available and where do I find the tools to put one back on?

Gerry

[Dwain G.]

That's a big job by itself, but not bad if you're overhauling the brakes anyway. With the drums off and the cable end disconnected, pull the cable rearward out of the guide tube and that will expose a small 'C' clip. Remove the clip, pull the cable forward out of the backing plate, then you can slip the spring and boot off the end of the cable.

Dwain G.

[gecoe]

At this point the truck parts are scattered all over the shop so we're just working on a frame on blocks with rear end attached. The brakes are down to backing plates and ready to go back together except for replacing the worn out boots. I guess I can cut the ball off if I can find another and figure out how to put it on. That sure is a screwy way to have to replace a part that was bound to go bad long before the cable. Surely someone has solved this problem before. Each and every idea is welcome.

Thanks!

Gerry

[Roscomacaw]

Dwain, there was another fella on this forum that asked about this earlier. I had the same answer for him that you offered here. The guy said it wasn't so and so I went out and looked at a 51 rear I had laying out back. He was right! that flexible clip you speak of was not on there. The ball would have to be removed to extract the cable.[xx(]

Miscreant at large.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President 2-dr
1955 President State
1951 Champion Biz cpe
1963 Daytona project FS

[Dwain G.]

Thanks Bob! I guess maybe the 'C'clip can't be found because it has rusted in two and the piece(s) are stuck up inside that tube. Something must be up inside the tube preventing the disconnected cable from simply pulling forward out of the backing plate.

Dwain G.

[Roscomacaw]

I'll take a picture for you, Dwain.

Miscreant at large.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President 2-dr
1955 President State
1951 Champion Biz cpe
1963 Daytona project FS

[Roscomacaw]

OK Dwain, I couldn't find that rear I'd referenced earlier, but go to the parts book and take a look. that clip you talk about is only listed from 54-up.

Miscreant at large.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President 2-dr
1955 President State
1951 Champion Biz cpe
1963 Daytona project FS

[Dwain G.]

I could easily be wrong. After all, I was wrong once before (old joke)! It's been a long time ago, but I seem to remember having to knock some sort of keeper loose with a long, thin punch before I could pull the cable out of the backing plate on an old 2R truck.
The clip I'm referring to is part no. 198004 and is listed (no illustration) for 2R through 2E at least. I even have an old 1950 parts book for 2R only, and it's listed there too.

Dwain G.

[gecoe]

OK, I'm going back to take another look at this thing. I remember the guide tube being tapered and it didn't look like the ball at the end of the cable would fit through it. However, I've just reviewed the service manual and it seems to agree with Dwain's description of the process.

Thanks Bob and Dwain for the help. I'll report back on my success, or lack thereof, soon.

BTW, does anyone know of a source for the boots?

Gerry

[Roscomacaw]

Gerry,

SI has part number 512660 . A E-brake boot. Says "fits most models - 47 to 66. $6.95 ea.

Miscreant at large.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President 2-dr
1955 President State
1951 Champion Biz cpe
1963 Daytona project FS

[Eman]

Gerry, Dwain, and Mr Biggs,

It's 2:26 AM here and I'm taking a prescription decongestant, cough medicine, and a nasal spray steroid... so forgive me if the following info isn't exactly what you're asking about.

Not too terribly long ago, I upgrade to bigger V8 brakes on Stella. In doing so I needed to get the rear brake cable out of the same tube your describing, seen in the top of this photo:
http://www.bulletshots.net/myStude/b...s/IMG_0151.jpg

At first, and because the newer, bigger backing plates don't use this same tube to keep the cable inside the drum, I just beat the tube out with a mini sledge hammer and all was fine. However, I quickly learned that since I got the later years' V8 back brakes on, I also needed the back portion of the brake cable off of a later years V8 car... which wound up being too long. So basically, I had to cut the cable to shorten it from the ball side end.

After a little research and luck, I found a local rope and rigging company that does some industrial type work to help out. They were able to cut a stop, press it (in like a 200 or 400 pound press), and grind it to about the size I needed, to become the new ball. The guy immediately took the cable when I got there and acted like he had done this before. I believe he was restoring an old Chevy truck, and felt my pain, so he did all this for free.

I'm not sure this helps, but it helped me kill some time from all this medicine keeping me up.

If you only need a little slack taken out, Autozone or Advance has a universal thing that takes up about an inch of excess cable. Lastly, call George Martin in Lebanon, PA 717-273-9502.



1951 Commander Starlight Coupe (aka "Stella")
www.bulletshots.net
www.bulletshots.net/blog

[gecoe]

My second look confirms the confusion. The guide tube that takes the cable through the backing plate is crimped smaller near the end on the outside of the backing plate. It is this crimp that keeps the spring around the cable from slipping through the tube. Since the ball at the end of the cable is bigger than the spring, it couldn't go through the tube even if the spring could somehow be removed. There's no sign of a keeper anywhere and no apparent need for one with this configuration.

How do you replace the E brake boots w/o cutting the retainer ball off the end of the cable? Surely someone has solved this problem before.

Thanks,

Gerry

[Roscomacaw]

That's exactly the situation I looked into for someone awhile back. Actually, I think it was Eman who got me looking into this.[}]

Miscreant at large.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President 2-dr
1955 President State
1951 Champion Biz cpe
1963 Daytona project FS