5 Attachment(s)
Handbrake/Parking brake solution
As my street is slanted and I live on the top of the hill, even without an working engine, a handbrake was on the top of the list of things to be fixed. With no Patrol reposition parts in my country, I am committed to use all the local resources I have available before importing parts.
Looking at the service manuals and at internet pictures of the handbrake cable, I decided that it was no big deal to build one. With the correct length, correct terminals and same steel cable diameter, it should be not that different from a reposition part.
I disassembled the handbrake drum on the end of the transfer case to take out the original handbrake cable conduit and found the remaining tip of the cable.
Attachment 83543
With that at hand, I went to parts stores to search for a handbrake cable that had the same steel cable diameter, a length longer the the conduit I had, and with one eye connector already crimped on one of the ends. And I found this, the handbrake cable for a 1991 Fiat Uno, eye connectors on both ends and 2.8 meters long. I can actually make two handbrake cables with this and keep one as a spare.
Attachment 83544
Attachment 83545
To do something faster then try and error to find the proper length to cut the cable, I printed the best picture I could find online that showed the complete cable unit and took measurements of that print and my existing cable conduit, to calculate a conversion factor between the printed image and the real part. With that, I have estimated the length of cable that should be left at both ends.
Attachment 83546
Then it was time for the crimped fork holder at the parking brake drum end of the cable. After searching around for cable companies to crimp something similar to me, I didn't like the options I found. Only aluminium cable stoppers could be crimped, the smallest one was a bit bigger then the holes it had to go through to be installed inside the drum, and it didn't seem strong enough for me. I then drilled a hole in a steel solid bar I had laying around, drilled a countersunk drill on one of the ends, cut it to length and used it as my cable stopper. I have passed the cable through that steel stopper, untangled the end of the cable a bit to make it larger then the hole and welded the hole shut with some brazing material. Handbrake is working like a charm!
Attachment 83547