Although one of the few consumables that requires little attention during its lifespan, handbrake cables do occasionally need replacing. Whether they’ve stretched beyond their adjustable limit over time or suffered damage of any kind, you’ll quickly discover it’s not that straightforward after all. Thankfully, we’ll explain the procedure step-by-step. To ensure everyone can do the job, we’ve also added elements of the workshop handbook for those who don’t have access to the document.

Starting with the system’s operational range, we cover the acquisition procedure, common stumbling blocks, and finally, the procedure itself. Although still involved, this technical article will help you turn the whole process into a DIY job that’s easily done with limited tools and access.

We are all used to dealing with “consumables”—air and oil filters, wiper blades, points, brake pads, and plugs. But silently, there are other items that, over time, are stretching to exceed their useful working life. One of those vital items are the handbrake cables. This is mainly because they are an infrequent service item. Yet unless you’ve suffered obvious damage to the cables themselves, when do you normally replace the cables?

The system consists of two elements that together form the handbrake system’s usable operating range. The first is the handbrake lever itself (1). Once this starts to pull up more than five notches for the rear brakes to lock on, you’ve reached the first limit. The second part are the adjustment nuts (2), which “pull” the excess length of the cable into the cabin by twisting along the threaded adjustment range of the cables. However, once you’ve reached the end of the thread, you’ve reached the end of the cable’s life.

Thankfully, even after 50 years of use, most will still be within their usable range. The most likely cause for replacement will be damage or fraying, which isn’t entirely impossible, especially with the cables being mostly exposed beneath the car.

SOURCING PARTS
Either way, once you decide to replace them, you quickly run into problems. New handbrake cables from BMW come without the original end fitting, which will be bolted to your car and form a vital part of the system by supporting the bottom edge of the shoes inside the brake drum. Without it, you simply can’t fit the new cables. Whether BMW expects owners to retain these parts from the old cable by cutting them off or splash an additional sum of cash to buy the extra parts along with it, it’s something most of us will miss when placing the order.

The new cable (3) (without the end fitting) is part number 34 41 1 118578 (note that you’ll need 34 41 1 100993 for the 2800CS (4)), and in case you need to replace yours, the vital end fitting itself (5) is part number 34 41 1 115222.  

If your cable end fitting is still in good condition and doesn’t require replacing, you can cut it off the old brake cable and reuse it. Be aware that if you reuse them, you might have to source suitable M8 bolts to replace the studs.

REMOVING THE OLD CABLES
Unfortunately, the process involves a little more than just pulling out the old cables and slotting the new ones in their place. Thankfully, even with limited tools and little access, you can still achieve the whole process in as little as an afternoon using the following step-by-step process. All you need is a suitable jack to lift the car, 19mm socket to remove the road wheels, a flat screwdriver, a size 13mm & 15mm wrench/socket, and possibly an angle grinder (depending on your choice of retaining the old end fitting) (6).

Undoing the lever
To access the hand brake mechanism, remove the rubber protective sleeve that slides over the assembly (7). Once removed, you can undo the adjusting nuts and put them to the side. Depending on how far the cables have stretched, you might be able to pull them out from the lever assembly. If not, press the release button at the end of the handle and pull the lever all the way up. This will hopefully give you enough room to pull out the cables.

The following steps will explain how to remove the lever altogether. Although this is not required if you’re simply replacing the cables, the mechanism could be damaged or display excessive wear. If this is the case, replacing certain elements might be necessary.

The first step is to remove the safety locking plate (also known as C-clips), highlighted by the red arrow (8). Do not lose these, as they’re currently unavailable. The next step will be tricky, unless you have a short 14mm bolt long enough to fit in-between the bodyshell’s mounting frame. The problem you will have, is that when you remove the retaining bolt around which the lever pivots, the whole locking segment (A) will fall out. If this happens, it’s not a major problem, as you can put everything back together once it’s out of the car – just ensure you don’t lose any parts. When you remove the assembly, note that the locking segment will hook underneath the bodyshell, so a rotating upwards movement will be required. Once the lever is out of the car, be careful not to lose any internal parts, as those from the lever element will now drop out easily.

Wheel removal
With the lever assembly now removed, it’s time to climb out of the car and make our way to the rear wheels, as both need to be removed to access the brake assembly itself. Remember to undo the wheel bolts before lifting the car onto jack stands. 

Disc brakes – calliper & disc removal
For those of us with the disc brake/drum assembly, you’ll instantly notice a problem. In order to get access to the handbrake assembly, we need to remove the disc. But this can only be achieved once the callipers are out of the way. Thankfully, you should be able to accomplish this without having to drain the brake system completely. Before you start, ensure you have a substantial piece of string or wire long enough readily available.

As the brake pipes are solid, it is wise to gently undo the retaining clips to give yourself more space and flexibility when moving the callipers to the side. Carefully undo the bolts that hold the callipers in place (9) while supporting them with one hand. Gently lower the calliper, ensuring the pipes don’t bend or break. Once clear of the disc, use your piece of string or wire to hang the calliper from the rear subframe structure temporarily. A second pair of hands is strongly recommended.

If, however, you find that removing the callipers this way is impossible, you’ll have to drain the entire brake system before removing the callipers completely. To undo the brake lines, you’ll need a 14mm brake-line wrench. Remember, brake fluid is highly corrosive, so make sure you have a way of collecting the fluid before starting the process.

Once the callipers are out of the way, you can remove the discs by undoing the bolts.

Drum brakes – Drum removal
In this case, drum brakes are a bit easier to work with, as they don’t require you to remove the callipers and disc/drum because the braking system is part of the inner assembly, which the handbrake also uses. Instead, simply remove the wheel and pull off the brake drum. The hand brake mechanism is also straightforward, as the brake cable just hooks onto the lever on the rear shoe of the two brake shoes.

Problem: Disc/drum not coming off
If the disc will not pull off, remove the brake cable adjuster nuts on the brake handle and push down the cable as far as it will go. If that still does not work, fully slacken off the shoe adjustment (10) and gently tap the disc/drum to get it to slide off the brake shoe.

With drums (2800CS only), wind back the hexagonal brake shoe adjusting cams on the back of the back plate until the brake drum is as free as possible (11).

Removing the shoe expander linkage
Take a moment to familiarise yourself with the assembly now presented to you. For 3 litre models, a closer look will show you that the linkage at the bottom holds two pivot pins, which can easily be lost in the process of removing the parts. Comparing with the photo of the linkage (12), you’ll notice that item A “hooks” into part C, creating a pivot point, and pin B goes through the end of the brake cable. When you pull the handbrake lever, the cable retracts, creating a rotational motion through the linkage, pushing the shoes further apart and forcing them against the drum/disc as a result.

You’ll also find a large return spring holding the shoes together at the top and bottom. Using pliers, gently remove the bottom spring, which will cause the shoes to widen at the bottom. Halfway each shoe is a retaining spring held in by a pin with an Allen key head, which needs to be turned through 90 degrees with an Allen key (13). Be careful not to lose these, as the spring will push them out. This may also cause part A (12) to fall off since it’s no longer kept in place by the tension. If it does, ensure you have not lost the pilot pin!

You can now pull the brake shoes apart at the bottom and lift the entire assembly upwards. Item C (12) will most likely stay attached to the handbrake cable and can be removed afterwards by pressing out pin B. You may need to pull it to the left a little for part A to come out. Place the shoes and the remainder of the assembly on a table where you can further disassemble the remaining items. These include the top retaining spring and the spur wheel assembly (the latter which will split into two pieces).

If your car is fitted with drum brakes, there is a slight difference to the parts mentioned above. Instead of the spur wheel, you’ll find the brake cylinder at the top with a slightly different retention spring. The principle is almost the same, except that you’ll need to detach the shoes at the bottom along with the return spring, before pulling the top shoe ends out of the wheel brake cylinder and detaching the thrust lever (rear shoe each side) and handbrake cable (14).

Removing the cables
You’ll be left with the Bowden cable and support bracket still attached to the subframe’s back plate. Undo the nuts that hold the assembly in place and gently pull the cables out, starting at the chassis tubes where they enter the cabin. Remember to unhook the cable from the little retaining hooks mounted to the subframe’s longitudinal beams (15).

You may find that the cable is stuck in the tube due to corrosion. If that’s the case, you will undoubtedly run into the most challenging issue of the whole process.

Problem: Lead-in tube corrosion
This potential issue occurs when the brake cable has corroded into the chassis “lead-in tube” (16). After 50 odd years, this can be quite common, and if a mole wrench (17) does not remove the old cable, more drastic action might be required.

Protect the rear chassis floor with a sheet of thin metal plate before using a blow torch to “cremate” the plastic covering of the brake cable, causing it to disintegrate.  Pull out the cable and clear the remaining debris so the tube is completely clear. Obviously, the blow torch damaged your paintwork and protective coating, so the outside of the tube must be repainted with an underseal and matching body colour.

Problem – New brake shoes
You may find that after 50 years of use, the shoes have worn to the point that they are no longer safe and suitable for purpose, in which case a new set (34 41 11 18053 for discs (18), 34 21 16 60001 for drums) can be ordered (19).

PREPARING THE OLD PARTS
Unless you’re fitting brand new pars – including a new linkage set (34 41 11 100551) (20) – now is a good time to prep the original parts you plan on reusing. 

Modifying the end fitting
If you elect to reuse the original support bracket, it must be modified to be used with the new brake cables. This is due to a design change since the original parts were fitted to our cars. Essentially, the original “cable lead in” is no longer required and must be cut off.

If possible, drive the serrated studs out of the part and keep them if they are still in a good and safe condition. Otherwise, you might need to drill out the flange slightly to fit new M8 bolts.  Once the studs are out, use an angle grinder to cut off the lead-in part (21) and ensure you’re left with a flat surface.

Cleaning the parts to be reused
With all the parts on your workbench, gently clean both shoes with a wire brush, ensuring you don’t lose the two fitting pins (22). If your adjuster (the spur wheel located at the top of the assembly) is still in good condition, clean it and lightly grease it until the spur wheel turns freely.

Taking extra care in inspecting and cleaning the components will ensure the correct and safe operation of the handbrake assembly once it is refitted to the car. Spending additional time here can avoid significant problems in the future, and we recommend ordering a replacement if you’re unsure whether a part is still usable. Thankfully, most parts are readily available and not too expensive.

REFITTING THE ASSEMBLY
Whether you use new parts or modified original parts, the installation process is the same. Because you now have two separate elements—the cable and the support bracket—the process will be slightly different from when it was all removed.

Bowden cable & support bracket
Begin by fitting the support bracket to the subframe from the “outside” of the car, ensuring that the support is located at the bottom (and not upside-down). The bolts should go all the way through the subframe’s back plate, and the protruding tube-element should sit flush with the “inside” of the plate. Now slide the new cable through the centre hole from the “inside” of the car and push it until the mounting flange is seated correctly. Use the original studs or new M8 nuts to secure the assembly – using washers in-between the nut and flange is recommended.

If done correctly, you’ll be left with the following sandwich (23) from inside out: the new brake cable flange, the subframe back plate, and the support bracket, all bolted together with the M8 studs/bolts.

Discs – Brake shoes & linkage
The next step is to refit the brake shoes and accompanying linkage by reverting the steps from the removal process.

Start by coating the sliding surfaces with a thin layer of LM multi-purpose grease before fitting the linkage part C (24) onto the new brake cable with the retaining pin (B). Pull them slightly to the left and attach part A. Once the linkage is put back together, we can add the shoes.

If you haven’t already, refit the upper return spring and adjustment spur wheel to the shoes and carefully lower the assembly over the wheel hub. Ensure that the linkage is correctly seated at the bottom of the shoes before fitting the retaining springs in the centre of each shoe. The last step is to refit the lower return spring using a plier. 

Discs – Disc & Callipers
With the internal mechanism back in place, you can refit the discs. After that, the callipers can be bolted back onto their support frame, being careful not to damage the brake pipes. If you elected to remove the callipers altogether, don’t forget to bleed the system before operating the main brakes.

Drums – Brake shoes & linkage
If you have drum brakes, ensure the top halves are seated correctly into the brake cylinder before attaching the hooked end of the brake lever on the rear shoe. Once in place, you can fit the lower return spring and re-attach the brake shoes at the bottom.

If you decide to install new shoes, you must re-adjust the brake system once the drum itself is refitted. This is done by turning the adjusting cams (fitted halfway to either side of the backing plate (25)) until they prevent the wheel from turning. Then back off the adjusting cams by about 1/8 turn until the wheel spins freely.

Bowden cable & cabin entry
The threaded end of the Bowden cable will enter the cabin through the lead-in tubes mounted inside the tunnel element of the bodyshell. Carefully push them in until the protective sleeve sits flush with the end of the tubes, ensuring a proper seal. Now secure the cables to the subframe’s longitudinal arm with the small hooks (26).

Lever assembly
Lastly, we need to reattach the cables to the lever. If you removed the lever assembly entirely for repairs, we first need to reinstall that. This should be straightforward if you used a bolt or pin of the right size to keep the assembly together during the removal process. However, if you didn’t have access to one, the process will be a bit awkward, and an extra pair of hands will be helpful.

By depressing the release button at the end of the handle, where the third hand is needed, you can move the lever up freely. This gives you access to the locking segment when refitting the retaining bolt (27). Once in place, secure the bolt with the locking plates.

Thankfully, for those who are without additional help, there is a trick here. Pull off the handle’s black plastic grip, put a washer on the top of the brake lever—this will represent the brake button being fully depressed—and replace the grip. This makes refitting the locking bolt far easier without having to hold down the release button.

Now that the lever is back together, and still in the fully up position, carefully fit the new cable on the correct side of the handbrake lever on each side and under the curved guide at the base. Then gently lower the lever as the cables slide through the fixing tubes. Once fully down, attach an adjusting nut to either side and twist them until they are hand tight.

Upgrading the lever assembly
At this point in the process, it might be worth upgrading your handbrake lever to be fitted with the “Paul Cain” upgrade from CoupeKing (CK) – or create your own version if you prefer.

ADJUSTING THE CABLES
Now that the new cables are installed, we can begin with the adjustment phase, which will complete the installation process.

Centring the shoes
Before making any adjustments to the spur wheel and lever, we need to pull on the hand brake lever several times to ensure that the shoes are centred in the drum. This will prevent uneven braking and possible vibrations. It also checks that the installation was done correctly, and the system generally works.

Adjusting the spur wheel for disc/drum models
Once the shoes are centred, we can adjust the spur wheel. Insert a flat screwdriver through the 15mm hole located at the top of the wheel hub (28). Turn the adjusting spur wheel by levering it until the disc can no longer rotate freely. Then, slack the adjusting spur back by 2 or 3 teeth until the disc can rotate without brushing on the brake shoes.

Fitting the adjustment nuts
To help with the next step, it is wise to refit the wheels and find an extra pair of hands. Once the wheels are on, you can move back into the car. Pull the lever up three clicks and tighten the bottom adjusting nut (29) until the wheel locks and can no longer be turned by hand. Now, tighten down the locking nut onto the bottom adjusting nut to secure the cable. Repeat the process for the opposite side.

FINAL STEPS
We’re nearly there. By now, you should be left with only one part: the rubber cover of the handbrake lever. Slide the cover back in place and ensure it’s secured around the bottom lip of the structure.

But before taking the car out for a road test, it’s wise to test the system. While still on jacks, pull the lever up three notches and try to spin the wheel. If it does, we need to readjust the locking nuts. If it doesn’t, lower the car and tighten the wheel bolts to the correct torque setting (81 Nm or 56 ft. lbs).

Now, have someone sit inside the car as you gently push it. Have the person pull the handbrake and ensure the car stops with only three notches on the lever. If it doesn’t, you better run fast to the other side of the vehicle to stop it yourself!

Road test & final adjustments
Assuming everything went well, it’s time for a road test. Drive the car for a couple of miles and stop. Check that the brake drum/disc is not warm, which could indicate that the shoes are rubbing against it. If so, you’ll have to remove the wheel and wind back the shoe adjuster spur wheel a few clicks (disc) or adjust the cams (drums). The other option, which is probably the easier of the two, is to release the adjusting nuts on the handbrake lever slightly. Repeat the process as necessary.

CONCLUSION
Whether your cables have stretched beyond their limit or suffered damage over time, replacing the handbrake cables may seem like a complicated task. Thankfully, with this step-by-step guide and the right tools, even the novice DIYer can complete the process. Understanding the system’s working range and limitations, combined with a bit of patience and an extra pair of hands, will ensure a smooth and successful process. 

Take your time, and if possible, use a phone or camera to take photos along the way. These can serve as a very useful reference when reinstalling the components.

Good luck!