MIDNIGHT RIDER
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- Sep 29, 2005
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A ten-minute task turned into an all evening job, when my 1985 22-yr-old park-brake cable adjustment screw decided to twist in two.
Now, mind you, this isn't the first time it had been adjusted; in fact, I have had the adjuster-nut completely off and lubed the threads, a number of times in the past; so, I really don't know why it decided to freeze up and twist off.
Okay, here is how I fixed it with plain old hardware store stuff.
I was fortunate that, instead of breaking right at the end, I had been holding the threaded rod with Vise-Grips, so it broke leaving about an inch of threads.
I ran a 5/16-18 die over the remaining threads of the broken stub.
I RED-Loctited a 5/16 "coupler" nut, as far as it would go, onto the remaining threads.
A coupler-nut is a long nut, threaded all the way through, that's main purpose is in joining two threaded rods end-to-end, although they have a host of other creative uses.
A 5/16 coupler-nut is around 1-3/4" long; length will vary by manufacturer.
I RED-Loctited an appropriate length of 5/16 threaded rod into the opposite end of the coupler-nut.
I managed to get the adjuster-nut off of the broken rod.
I ran a 5/16-18 tap through the adjuster-nut.
I lost 1-3/4" of adjustment threads, taken up by the coupler-nut; but, the adjuster-rod is quite long, so I was okay.
I coated the new threads with anti-sieze and re-assembled everything.
One big surprise advantage that I gained is that now, instead of having to hold the adjuster-rod in a pair of Vise-Grips, I can hold it still by using a 1/2" wrench on the Loctited coupler-nut.
Now for some preventive maintenance.
Oil up your park-brake adjuster-nut with the knocker-loose of your choice.
After a few good soakings, try to remove the adjuster-nut; be sure to hold the back side, against the adjuster, with Vise-Grips; if you hold the fat flat piece instead, if it breaks, there won't be enough threads left to make a repair.
If it seems to be frozen, don't try any more, until you take a bottle-torch and lay the heat to the nut.
Once the nut is off, run a die over the threads and a tap through the nut, straightening and cleaning all the threads, good as new.
Take a coupler-nut and RED-Loctite it as far up on the adjuster rod as it will go.
Coat the remaining threads with anti-sieze.
Re-assemble and adjust everything.
Now, any future dealings with the park-brake adjustment will be much simpler.
Now, mind you, this isn't the first time it had been adjusted; in fact, I have had the adjuster-nut completely off and lubed the threads, a number of times in the past; so, I really don't know why it decided to freeze up and twist off.
Okay, here is how I fixed it with plain old hardware store stuff.
I was fortunate that, instead of breaking right at the end, I had been holding the threaded rod with Vise-Grips, so it broke leaving about an inch of threads.
I ran a 5/16-18 die over the remaining threads of the broken stub.
I RED-Loctited a 5/16 "coupler" nut, as far as it would go, onto the remaining threads.
A coupler-nut is a long nut, threaded all the way through, that's main purpose is in joining two threaded rods end-to-end, although they have a host of other creative uses.
A 5/16 coupler-nut is around 1-3/4" long; length will vary by manufacturer.
I RED-Loctited an appropriate length of 5/16 threaded rod into the opposite end of the coupler-nut.
I managed to get the adjuster-nut off of the broken rod.
I ran a 5/16-18 tap through the adjuster-nut.
I lost 1-3/4" of adjustment threads, taken up by the coupler-nut; but, the adjuster-rod is quite long, so I was okay.
I coated the new threads with anti-sieze and re-assembled everything.
One big surprise advantage that I gained is that now, instead of having to hold the adjuster-rod in a pair of Vise-Grips, I can hold it still by using a 1/2" wrench on the Loctited coupler-nut.
Now for some preventive maintenance.
Oil up your park-brake adjuster-nut with the knocker-loose of your choice.
After a few good soakings, try to remove the adjuster-nut; be sure to hold the back side, against the adjuster, with Vise-Grips; if you hold the fat flat piece instead, if it breaks, there won't be enough threads left to make a repair.
If it seems to be frozen, don't try any more, until you take a bottle-torch and lay the heat to the nut.
Once the nut is off, run a die over the threads and a tap through the nut, straightening and cleaning all the threads, good as new.
Take a coupler-nut and RED-Loctite it as far up on the adjuster rod as it will go.
Coat the remaining threads with anti-sieze.
Re-assemble and adjust everything.
Now, any future dealings with the park-brake adjustment will be much simpler.
