289 e-brake photos?

[JeepSnake]

OK, I've finally gotten around to installing the ebrake handle & cable on the 289 car. I've looked at all the various photos, etc., and my install is going pretty well. However, I'm looking for a little peace of mind from some of my fellow 289 owners.

I've got the Tremec T-3550, so the driveshaft sits well over to the passenger side of the trans tunnel. I've gotten the ebrake handle installed, and everything is going together well (I've got to modify my driveshaft loop a bit), but... the end of that main bolt that holds the lever itself is awfully close to the driveshaft! I mean, it turns fine, doesn't hit, but boy, oh boy, there's not much more than 3/16" or 1/4" clear in there between the u-joint yoke and the bolt.

So, any other guys with the FIA and a Tremec (Justin, this means you!) that can give me an idea of the clearance they have in there? Any tricks you used to gain more clearance?

Thanks in advance!!!

[JeepSnake]

Bump to top...

Also, any tips on trimming the cable & housing? I've searched and found lots of good info about using Dremels, sneaking up on the correct housing length, etc.

What's a good rule of thumb for knowing if you've gotten the cable & housing the proper lengths? Should there be a little play in the caliper levers? Any general info would be great.

(If I sound gun shy about this, I am. It seems like everything I've tried to fix on our daily drivers here lately has gone wrong - snapped bolts, nagging drivetrain problems - I even knocked the catch pan over when I changed the oil last time! And all of it in the cold, to top it off!)

[Glenview289]

Zack,
When Brian and I did our e-brake, we mounted the handle and installed the threaded ferrule cable receiver on the handle under the car. When holding it in position and then pulling the cable we found that we had 1" of travel from the static (unloaded position) to the loaded (pads engaged) position. The travel of the e-brake handle had a little more than this, but I don't recall the exact amount. We marked both positions on the cable with magic marker at the point where the cable goes into the ferrule. We decided that we wanted some of that travel out of the linkage so we set the cable with 1/2" of preload on it but with the pads still not engaging the rotors. Don't forget to add the amount of cable that goes into the ferrule before you cut! Take off the threaded ferrule from the handle and install it on the cable with the set screws. You may need some help from some one pulling on the cable when you thread it back into the handle. When we were finished we had full pad engagement at about half of our handle travel and also have about another 1/2" of adjustment under the car with the threaded ferrule to take in the wear factor. I can appreciate your caution, no one wants to wait another week for another cable to arrive. We will be under the car this weekend doing another of our over engineering projects, so I could get pictures if you need them. Good luck....

Bill

[JeepSnake]

Bill - thanks! Your info will help me a lot!

I understand completely on the over-engineered stuff. My M-1 Abrams-quality fabricated driveshaft loop has been causing untold grief on the ebrake install. I finally decided to remove it, install the ebrake components, and then redesign the loop to work around the brake linkage.