J20 Brake Cable

[BillyBob535]

My 79 J20 has a broken E-brake cable (passenger side rear). None of the parts houses list any replacement rear cables for the 79 anymore but they do list one for an 87 J20. I pulled up a picture of the cable and the drum end is obviously identical but I don't know about the rest of the cable.

Does anyone here know if there was any change in the e-brake cable setup between 79 and 87?

Thanks.

[ColeTrickle]

BB, yes there is a HUGE difference.
I don't know the length exactly, but between my '74 and '75 J20's and "AZJ20"s '87, there was a difference.
The latter models have longer cables that run almost to the tranny crossmember. Mine run up to an attachment point approx. two feet away from the backing plate. So that's the difference that I know of first hand.
As for who carries replacements. I ordered a new stainless set(pair) for one of mine for around $140. Called "Inline Tube". Sent them my brackets with a measurements and they sent them back ready to bolt in.
Also, sometimes E-bay has one that pops up from time to time. But haven't seen any in awhile.
Best of Luck.

[ February 20, 2004, 06:26 PM: Message edited by: ColeTrickle ]

[BillyBob535]

Well, I solved the e-brake cable problem. I bought the passenger side cable for an 87 J20. The cable is a lot longer than the stock 79 J20 cable. Basically the length of the housing does not matter as long as the actual cable ends that stick out are correct. The wheel end is correct so I bolted that on and then compared the other end to the original 79 one. The 87 cable end is ~4" shorter than the 79 one. I mounted the 87 cable in the stock position and marked the housing in the center of the section where it passes through the 2 crossmembers. I removed the cable and then got a tubing cutter. I cut it on the mark and then again ~4" down the cable. I used a razor blade to cut down the length of the cover and removed it. This exposes the steel armor spring. I cut through just the armor with a grinder at both ends of the cut then just unwound the cable out of it (like taking keys off a key ring). I slid the housing back together and lined up the ends of the armor. I wrapped the cut with PVC tape to seal it and reinstalled it in the frame. The cable stickout is perfect and I just ran the excess length up by the next crossmember and secured it with 2 zip ties. I adjusted the nuts on the pedal cable and it works perfectly. The cut in the housing ends up between the 2 crossmembers so it is protected. I am going to get a big piece of shrink tube to cover the PVC to make it even better. The whole deal cost me $25 at AdvanceAuto and now I wish I did both sides this way.

This would be the perfect solution for someone with a J20 who has a huge lift and needs more cable length. If I had a 6 or 7" lift, the length on these would be perfect. The original 79 cables seem to be identical so this should work for both sides.

Thanks for your input. Hopefully this will post will help others with the same problem.

Bob