I am in the middle of removing the rear axle, and I have a question. What is the most effective way to remove the E-brake cable from the axle. In other words, do I remove it from the axle itself, or further up the line and drag the axle out with part of the cable still attached. If I need to remove the cables from the axle itself, is this a big deal. Thanks.

I think most of us just slip the cable ends out of the squashed "u" shape clips where the cables from the rear meet the cable going forward, and then pull the rear with the short cables still attached. That's how I have always done mine. If the rear cables are in bad shape, that would be the only reason to detach them at the wheels. From what I recall, all the brake hardware has to come off before you can get the cable ends off at the wheels. Always seemed like too much work, so I just leave the cables on and lube them.

They have 3 or 4 spring steel fingers that you have to compress to pull them out of the backing plates after you compress the spring on the ends of them so that the knot can be slipped out of the E-Brake adjuster lever proper.

Not fun at all b/c I needed three hands!!

pdq67

So what is the easiest method of getting the cables apart where they meet at the U shaped clips? I don't need to take them out of the backing plate for what I am doing, and they are in good shape, so I have no inention of replacing them.

If you don't have quite enough slack to rotate the clips and remove the cables, you may have to loosen the cable adjustment up at the pedal. This should loosen things up and put enough droop in the system to allow you to turn the u clips.

You can also back off the nut that joins the front cable to the intermediate cable. Should be at the rear of the driver side of the subframe. I forgot that one for a minute. That may give you all the slack you need.

To remove the cables from the u-shaped clips, loosen the adjusting nuts on the parking brake cable adjuster. To find it just follow the brake cable, on the drivers side, toward the front of the car. Once it's loose enough, you should be able to get enough slack and the cables will come out of the u-clips. If you still need more slack, take the parking brake s hook out of the subframe on the passengers side.

Mike

Hey Eric, we must have been thinking the same thing at the same time. :D

Mike

Thank you guys. I figured I could loosen the cable, but I like to hear from guys that have done it so I can avoid doing unecessary work/damage to my pile of parts...err, my Camaro. :)[

Mike, I thought the same thing after I posted the second time.

Brack, soak that sucker with penetrating oil before you try to loosen it. You may also want to grab the cable end opposite the nut with vice grips, just to keep from twisting the end off the cable.