Author Topic: handbrake cables  (Read 2055 times)

Offline zxrmatt

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handbrake cables
« on: 08 October 2004, 09:37 »
Anyone changed one of these recently.

Got a couple of cable and need to change them. Tried to yesterday but came up against a bit of a problem.

Unclipped all clips and undone inside car, but could get cable out. It appears that the cable goes underneath the heatshield of the exhaust and may be fixed under there. Do i need to take heat shield off and if so is this easy enough to do?

Just wondered if theres a knack to this job or not and couldnt seem to get cable to move, but i guess it may well be clipped somewhere else?

Offline tobz.

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Re: handbrake cables
« Reply #1 on: 08 October 2004, 10:12 »
I changed one of my cables a couple of months ago and it was an utter b!tch, however I managed it after a bit of messing about so hopefully I can help out. If you have the cable disconnected from the caliper and unclipped that's a start. Inside the car remove the handbrake handle cover and remove the two 10mm nuts from the cable you are changing. I think my heatshield was missing so I didn't have to worry about that however it's easy to remove. There are some large washers with internal sprung spokes on them these can be unscrewed with a pair of long-nose pliers. The heatshield can then me manouvred out from above the exhaust (you will probably have to bend it about a bit to do this but can reshape it when refitting).
Where the cables pass through the floor of the car they are inserted into a metal tube (this is the bit that is a pain later on). The tube has a slight bend in it but is easily slid out from the underside of the car. You now have your old cable with the floorpan tube still on it, this needs to be removed and fitted onto your new cable. I spent two hours trying to pull the cable out but it was stuck fast, I tried wd40, crushing it in a vice, digging about in the plastic with a hot soldering iron, I eventually worked something out and had the cable out in a couple of minutes.
I clamped the metal tube part in a vice, lit a candle and placed it under the tube. I went away for 10minutes and had a ciggie came back and the cable had melted sufficiently for me to simply pull it out of the metal tube.
Now it's simply a case of fitting the tube on your new cable (on mine all the melted plastic came out as one lump) and refitting the cable.

Hope this helps

Toby


You got any pics of your dad's split ?

Offline zxrmatt

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Re: handbrake cables
« Reply #2 on: 08 October 2004, 10:16 »
Cheers Toby

Just the info i needed!

Maybe give it another go this wkend

Offline tobz.

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Re: handbrake cables
« Reply #3 on: 08 October 2004, 10:18 »
No worries, it was a massive sense of relief when I finally managed to get that cable out (especially as I had totally knackered the old one trying out methods) wouldn't want anybody else to go through the stress I did.


You got any pics of your dad's split ?

Offline Gambit

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Re: handbrake cables
« Reply #4 on: 08 October 2004, 11:51 »
i just bought two new metal inserts for where it passes thru the underside of the floor

onlt a couple of ? each from VAG

Offline blackgolfgtimark2

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Re: handbrake cables
« Reply #5 on: 08 October 2004, 23:38 »
No worries, it was a massive sense of relief when I finally managed to get that cable out (especially as I had totally knackered the old one trying out methods) wouldn't want anybody else to go through the stress I did.



just been through a stressfull cable change, pulling it off the car was a mission and ended in gobbing myself in the mouth.

I struggled a little getting the plastic bit out, but struggled even more getting the metal of the new cable in the metal holder, settled for most of the way in and the handbrake is now working  Yiphee

buying a new metal holder was a good idea, cos the end of mine was rusting!

but the worst part was when i lost the black plastic bit the metal holder sits in onto the handbrake lever, hour later i found it, but missed my retest

hopefully i will get an Mot on monday
Old enough now to insure a GTI
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          "original girlracer"

Offline knighttdi

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Re: handbrake cables
« Reply #6 on: 18 October 2004, 12:56 »
Those metal inserts are a b!tch, i changed the cables on my old Mk 2 and i had my brother pulling it up with pliers from the inside when i got the inserts back in and a bit of bending the heat shield was needed cos i wasn't going to burn my hand on the exhaust after driving 60 mile.
There are two types of drivers, those who would like to drive golfs, and there are those who do!