Parking Brake Cables

[UC645]

Before I give myself an aneurysm, can anyone explain how the parking brake cables actually pull one another?
I get how the driver’s side cable would pull when the pedal is applied, but how in turn does that motion pull the passenger cable despite the only connection from the driver’s side cable to the splitter is the cable’s outer sheath?

I’ve been staring at diagrams and forum posts for an hour, and I think I’m starting to smell smoke.

 

[UC645]

If it helps at all, here’s how I have the cables from the splitter back(pay no kind to the adjuster, I’ve got excess cable to trim off):

 

[69hurstolds]

The driver side is hooked to the emerg brake pedal. The pedal is pressed, but the passenger side is bolted to the equalizer, so it wants to pull the passenger cable/equalizer forward to set. This in turn, puts resistance on the driver cable, thus pulling the driver cable out to set the driver side. This happens about the same time, via the equalizer. Hence its name.

 

[ck80]

Going off memory and trying to describe are challenging enough, but I'll still try even with the back pills.

What you call splitter is really called an equalizer. The fastners partway down the lh rear cable, clamp the equalizer onto the moving portion.

When you fasten the RH cable to the equalizer the effect you get is that when the front short cable connected to the pedal pulls the longer LH rear cable, it tugs at the equalizer, which exerts some of the force on the rh cable at the same time.

 

[ck80]

 

[UC645]

If I’m understanding this correctly, the driver’s side sheath also moves when the pedal is depressed?

 

[Tomeal]

The sheath is held in place at the parking brake pedal.

 

[69hurstolds]

If I’m understanding this correctly, the driver’s side sheath also moves when the pedal is depressed?

Yes, it does, but just a little. It would be easier just to show you. Trying to describing it in words sucks.

The driver sheath is connected on the e-pedal end at the equalizer. it is not "hard mounted" like the passenger side. If you look at it, the passenger side sheath is mounted to a bracket on the driver side and supported by another clamp above the pumpkin on the cross brace. Passenger sheath is immobile. The adjustable threaded rod on the end of the passenger cable is mounted to the equalizer. Any movement of the equalizer toward the front will pull the passenger cable out and set the brake. It doesn't have to move far to set the parking brake.

The driver side has an "S" hook to the frame to sorta keep it from flopping around, and there's just enough pre-tension on the cable system to keep it tight (done by passenger cable adjustment). The act of pressing the e-pedal puts more tension on the cable. The driver side cable has the connector up closer to the front to the e-brake pedal cable. The passenger cable is only connected to the equalizer. As the e-brake pedal is pressed, the cable is pulled forward which starts to want to straighten the driver cable/sheath. The "S" hook resists the e-brake pull on the driver sheath as it bumps up against the frame along with the passenger side cable starting to pull out. It allows some flex, but will bind and "grab" the sheath to hold it in place in very short order. The equalizer pulls on the passenger side cable as the driver side sheath is trying to straighten out and basically will end up pulling the cables to set the brakes. After a very short travel, the passenger cable is pretty tight which basically stops the equalizer and any further movement of the cable has to come from the driver side cable being pulled out of the sheath further. If adjusted right, they'll both set approximately at the same time.

This is how my brain tries to describe it. I wish I had a working mockup because it's easier to show you than explain it. Not sure I did it justice. Basically, if you have the passenger side cable adjusted properly, you'll be able to set both sides with approximately the same clamping force.

2 shoes, 1 pedal. Kinda like 2 girls, 1 cup. No...wait...ewww.

Oh, and I forgot to add.. you will also need....

 

[UC645]

That’s exactly what I was failing to grasp. Looks like I need to route the driver’s side cable properly and I need to go grab one of those S hooks from a junkyard.

What was throwing me through a loop was just how much slack I had until I routed the cable above that brace. There was too much slack without it, since I used a cut down cable for a Mustang to fit the calipers I’m using, the G body one was 5 inches too short, and following some of my dad’s advice, I made it an inch longer- that may have been a mistake.

That being said, if I were to shorten the cable on the passenger side, that would move the adjuster more towards its end, correct?
Right now the cable doesn’t have a lot of tension on it and I’m about halfway down the adjuster threads.