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Leona

Bigger Hammer
Dec 30, 2010
138
Northern California. Shasta and Trinity Counties
Willys Model
Willys Year:
Hi Folks
When I was around 5 yrs old, I was with my dad somewhere in the Los Angeles area. We were driving down a busy street and he saw a yellow Willys flatbed on a used car lot. He stopped and bought it and it was that truck that we used to move to northern Calif. shortly after that. About 5 years ago I saw a Willys flatbed sitting in a guys yard with a For Sale sign in the window so I stopped and bought it.
Now why a guy that is in serious contention for being the world's worst mechanic would do something like that is beyond me. Some-thing to do with being my dad's son I guess. I was smart enough not to try driving it home despite the fact that the fellow assured me that it ran. That wasn't a lie, really, it started up and ran just fine. It also heated up. Instead of tackling the heating up problem, I decided that I would start with something that I couldn't foul up. I decided to jack it up and take the wheels off and take them in and have new tires put on them. That's when I learned my very first Willys lesson: Some lug nuts come off one direction, some come off the other. Go Figure.
So that's the way it's been now for about 5 years.
I've got about a bazillion questions for you people but I'll start with an easy one. I decided to replace the emergency brake cable a year or two ago. I believe it's called a rear handbrake cable. It loops from one rear wheel up to an attachment on the front cable and then back to the other brake drum. I measured it when I took it out and purchased another the same length. I couldn't however get it to work so I bought another one,online, and I couldn't get it to work either. Duh. The problem isn't the total length of the cable The problem seems to have something to do with the length of the sheath around the cable. The ends of that sheath fit in some metal cups that are bolted to the bottom of the frame and the amount of bare cable that extends from the sheath to the brake drum is wrong. I believe they were too short. I tried making some brackets and moving the "metal cups" closer to the rear wheels and that sorta helped but it still isn't great. And yes, I ran the adjustment all the way out where the rear cable comes in contact with the front cable and then returns to the other side of the vehicle. So has anyone here had experience with a similar problem. I hope the answer isn't here, already, in the archives. I don't what to get my bum chewed on my first visit. Thanks in Advance, JIM
If anyone needs a new rear cable, I have an extra. I'll sell it to you for half what I paid.
 
Welcome to the forum Jim, great story. No ass-chewing around here, and no such thing as a bad question even if it's been asked before...

Looking forward to pics of your truck-

Pete
 
welcome Jim can't answer your ? and I need the front part of the cable from the cab to the rear part so can't help you there either but I'm sure some of the smart people in here can help you out :D good luck with your project
 
Welcome Jim. I'm sure someone might have an answer to your question. Make sure to post it in the general discussion area as well in case people don't catch it here.
 
Pete said:
No ass-chewing around here, and no such thing as a bad question even if it's been asked before...


There is zero attitude here(so far) which IMHO makes it THE message board on the web, welcome aboard!
 
Welcome Jim.... Don't worry about asking question here, it's a great bunch of guys. Sorry I don't have a answer to your question, but I'm betting someone has run into this problem and will help you out.

Terry
 
Jim,
First of all; Welcome to the forum. Now about your E brake cable. If you bought your cables from a source other than a Willys vendor, the chance of getting a wrong cable is high. I've seen a lot of products being sold on line as "Willys" parts, but they are not. With that said, take a measurement of the cable you have and call up one of the vendors to verify the length for your vehicle. Once you are satisfied that you have the proper cable, make sure to hook both ends of the cable to the brakes before attching it to the adjuster bracket. If you find that it's still too short when fitting in to the cups, then I suppose you could trim the sheath down, but you shouldn't have to if you have the right stuff. I just replaced my entire E brake system last year and didn't have any problem with the fitment.

I should also mention that the new cable will have the "cups" installed, and this is what gets bolted to the frame area. Try these steps:
1. hook the cable to the brakes.
2. turn your eccentric adjusters all the way out to press the brake shoes fully against the drum.
3. max out the adjuster to full travel length and attach the cable to the adjuster.
4. now bolt up one side of the cable to the frame at the correct spot. Chances are the other side will not seem to fit at the correct spot.
5. Use the aduster to manipulate it to the installation point, then tighten up both sides.
5. Loosen the adjuster as much as possible and check for binding.
6. Loosen the eccentric brake shoe adjusters.
6. adjust eccentrics and then E brake accordingly.

I know this sounds like the brakes will be fully engaged, but i'm willing to bet that after all is said and done, you'll find that it works out.
Let us know what you find out and we'll get you squared away.
Steve
 
What's up there??? Welcome to the forum, I'm real late in my welcome, sorry. Any work being done on your Willys? How about an action shot of it driving in mud?
 
Welcome aboard, I agree keep asking questions. No one here will think ill of you. Years ago I bought an emergency brake cable for my 1962 pickup. It had a screw in the sheath where a grease fitting could be put in to lube the cable.
 
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