Results 1 to 13 of 13
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Laidley, SE Qld
    Posts
    1,038

    Default Putting a new threaded end on a handbrake cable

    I need to shorten this cable and duplicate the threaded end, 3/8" UNF. Making the new end is easy, I'm not too sure whether swaging it onto the cable with only a 10 tonne press is going to work. For swaging I was thinking of squishing the fitting between a pair of mini v blocks.

    I guess I can cheat and use loctite as well.

    Any thoughts?

    IMG_3195.jpg

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,439

    Default

    Hi Bob,

    As you suggest making a new threaded end is easy ! I would just drill it and squish it in the press, if it needs more then a substantial vise will give you around 20 tons between the jaws.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Murray Bridge S Aust.
    Age
    71
    Posts
    5,942

    Default

    As a precaution you could also silver solder the joint if you feel that the vise or press isn't enough.
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Geelong, Australia
    Age
    57
    Posts
    2,651

    Default Putting a new threaded end on a handbrake cable

    Some info from an ebay balustrade wire swaging tool.



    Make up a couple of small swage blocks so you are only swaging about 8mm wide each time and use those in the press and do the swage in multiple hits.
    Less swage area is more pressure for a given press tonnage so you'll get a much tighter swage with narrow dies.

    Steve

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    135

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by bob ward View Post
    I need to shorten this cable and duplicate the threaded end, 3/8" UNF. Making the new end is easy, I'm not too sure whether swaging it onto the cable with only a 10 tonne press is going to work. For swaging I was thinking of squishing the fitting between a pair of mini v blocks.

    I guess I can cheat and use loctite as well.

    Any thoughts?

    IMG_3195.jpg
    several options spring to mind, best of them is the hydraulic cable crimp sets which you can borrow from a sparky mate, or buy from fleabay starting at just over $50 for a 70T unit.. handy for crimping connections on cables from 10mm2 up to several hundred sq mm. - seen them used for crimping stainless steel balustrade cables too.
    There are several options involving modified bolt cutters for making similar crimp tools.

    hope that helps,
    Des

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Syd
    Posts
    492

    Default

    I'm not sure what's available up there or you're planning to do more than one. The specialist cable makers down here, usually charge a few tens of dollars to make any cable to spec.....probably less than you'll pay for a set of dies for the swaging tool and without the worry of a "hopes and prayers" construction for what looks like a trailer or handbrake cable?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    1,105

    Default

    I'd just buy a hydraulic crimper, you would probably find other uses for it down the track such as crimping battery cables etc.

    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/8-Ton-Wi...frcectupt=true

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Southern Flinders Ranges
    Posts
    1,536

    Default

    10 tons will plenty over that surface area, most of the other suggestions are actually based around way less tonnage, the hydraulic crimpers are mostly in the 6-8 range on the cylinder outlet and modified bolt cutters have around the same leverage as a manual crimper that exerts around 600-900kg relative to the handle length and pivot position to the die.

    If you are concerned, build and proof test a sample. Shouldn’t be too difficult to rig something up on your press to use it to deadhead the cable to full tonnage of the press. At 10tons the cable will likely stretch or snap well before the joint lets go.

    Edit.. I’m not an expert so my advice is potentially worth what you pay for it

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    229

    Default Cable soldering

    You could try soldering the end on.
    As an example, have a look on YouTube- Bad Obsession Motorsport. Project Blinky episode 27 at about the 6 minute mark .
    Peter

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
    Posts
    292

    Default

    You could look at swageless cable fittings used on boat rigging.

    Sta-Lok wire and cable terminals for standing rigging on sailboats and yachts | RiggingOnly.com

    Hi-MOD Swageless Compression Studs - Hi-MOD Swageless Terminals - Wire Rope Terminals & Clips - Sailboat Hardware & Rigging - Downwind Marine

    Or the ones for deck railings.

    https://catalog.lexcocable.com/viewi...779.1578064251

    Just know that the price might take the wind out of your sails. I also wouldn't use them on any licensed road vehicle and I wouldn't try to fit them to that old cable of questionable strength and history. The liability is too great if something went wrong. Why are you trying to shorten it?

    Pete

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
    Location
    Sydney
    Age
    72
    Posts
    26

    Default

    I built, or had a hand in building, three beach buggies years ago. This involved shortening a VW Beetle floorpan by 14 1/2" (well chopping a section out and welding the remaining bits back together. As all the cabling travelled full length, the fuel line, accelerator cable and clutch cable all needed to be shortened. The item that presented the most difficulty was the clutch cable - and was about the same size and construction of what you seem to be attempting. Many options presented themselves, some I have commented upon below:

    i. Take a loop in the cable and install a couple of cable clamps to hold it there,
    ii. Have a new cable made at some aircraft or marine workshop - my choice as I worked for an airline,
    iii. Cut and lay two bits of cable side by side and braze the two together,
    iv. Cut off the end fitting, shorten the cable judiciously, drill out the end fitting to suit and hammer the life out of the end fitting (or put it in a 10 ton press) to swage your modded end fitting into the cable - this to me is the LEAST likely to be controllable and if you get it wrong, it is not reversible, or
    v. Cut off the end fitting, shorten the cable judiciously, drill out the end fitting to suit and silver solder the cable into the modded fitting. This is the method that I would recommend - soft solder will not have the strength (I suspect).

    If you chose to go the way of item v. you might think about thoroughly cleaning the cable end and making sure any cleaning agents are well "killed" before attempting the silver soldering, you might consider deliberately ONLY silver soldering back to the end of the end fitting and not allowing the silver solder to migrate up the cable strands as that then will take the flexibiliy from the cable and make it more likely to break at the interface. I would only flux the bit I put into the end fitting - keeping the rest "dirty" will stop the silver solder to some degree. The end fitting will need to be red hot - keep that sort of heat away from the cable wires and strands. (A cable is built up using wires to make the strands which are then formed into the cable).

    I hope this helps.

    Ted.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Brisbane Australia
    Posts
    85

    Default

    Ronstan make Threaded swage terminal ends for metric and imperial wire.

    They use a hydraulic press to swage them on.

    If you were in Brisbane I could tell you who to take it to.

    Maybe in Ipswich you might find someone who does s/s wire balustrading to swage it on.

    https://www.ronstan.com.au/marine5/range.asp?RnID=161A

    https://www.ronstan.com.au/marine5/range.asp?RnID=162A

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    269

    Default Squishing the end

    Picked up a cool tool idea by a russian vlogger, cant understand what he was say, but knew what he was explaining thru his excellent hands on skill. Dont bother with those fancy expensive tools to crip, his idea, you will have in your shed already.

    Nuts, he just cut them in half with a angle grinder, in your case, I would use a hack saw, as m/cycle cables are on the smaller size.

    With the nut cut in half, grab the two bits, place the part you want to crimp on one half of the nut, place the other half opposite, put in your vice and press together.

    Have used his idea to make new welding leads, squashing the terminals onto welding cable.

    DD

Similar Threads

  1. I need assistance in putting a new post together.
    By PhilKuhn in forum METALWORK PROJECTS
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 11th Sep 2018, 05:00 PM
  2. Cable disc brakes routing of cable.
    By gros21 in forum TRAILERS & OTHER FABRICATED STUFF
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 14th May 2017, 06:41 PM
  3. Toyota forklift handbrake
    By caskwarrior in forum METALWORK GENERAL
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 7th May 2017, 01:15 AM
  4. Replies: 8
    Last Post: 1st Sep 2014, 12:26 PM
  5. Putting a M10 female on a 8 mm tube
    By stebbo in forum METALWORK GENERAL
    Replies: 18
    Last Post: 5th Apr 2013, 03:53 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •