Joining control/tensioning cable

[PositronicRay]

Hi all

I have a tensioning cable broken, I need to join a hook to it so I can locate it into a soft top frame, the hook I can fabricate from a bent piece of solid wire. The whole thing adds tension to the edge of an MB soft top, so needs to be relatively strong. Think brake clutch/brake cable strong rather than throttle cable strong.

A new bit of 300mm bit of cable only comes as a £100+ assembly from MB, so I'd like to repair what I've got.

Any ideas how I can join the two?

[finlo]

Electrical crimp or choc block.

[PositronicRay]

Yeah thanks, a choc block may work, adjustable as well.

I could bend the end of each to help prevent it pulling through.

[S0 What]

I doubt the above will hold on a tensioned wire/rod? i've replced them in the past using a handbrake cable inner and crimped nipple/joiners from an old make your own handbrake cable kit i got from a yard clearance of a closed down beetle restorer, probably a 50's or 60's kit, not sure if you can still get DIY kits but amazon or ebay might be worth a trawle ??
P.S i made the cripmer from some rather short and useless bolt croppers, i ground the shape (half a 50p) into each jaw and it's been fine for the last 20 years or so you can get propper cable crimps with differing sizes crimps in the jaws ?

[sparkythecat]

What about Bulldog grips ?

[paintman]

Few ideas here, incl bulldog grips, wire clamps & crimped wire splicing ferrules:
http://www.baselinemarine.com/shopdisplayproducts....
Probably get them on ebay as well.

[PositronicRay]

sparkythecat said:

What about Bulldog grips ?

Bulldog grips look the business, I could probably use 2 side by side if need be.

[E-bmw]

Just a thought, what are the ends like, and could you do the whole thing rather than just replace a section?

I ask because B & Q sell (around) 3mm galvanised wire which is very strong (they do thinner too, but not sure of the size) by the metre for only a few quid.

I have replaced similar sounding cable before by doubling over cable like mentioned above, and crimping it in a short length of copper brake pipe using an electrical cable crimper.

[paintman]

Boat chandlers have various thicknesses of cable in stainless steel used for rigging, so if you needed a new length that would likely be the best source. Depending what ends you need they will usually also have the equipment to crimp things onto the ends.

[PositronicRay]

Thanks both

Good suggestions, I need to have a play to make sure nothing catches, armed with your ideas I'm sure I can come up with a suitable solution.

The wire cable is 2.5mm dia, with a sort of sprung fitting crimped to one end to provide the tension.

[tapkaJohnD]

Masters of joining two wires are farmers who need fences.
They use Rope connectors or splicers: http://www.fencetop.com/wire-rope-accessories/rope... LIke a bulldog clip but more elegant.

Or electricians: a butt splice http://www.swaonline.co.uk/cable-terminations/copp... Every size from 1.5 to 650mm! Crimped or swaged on.
You could use a length of any small copper tube, and add some solder as well if you are keen.

John

[PositronicRay]

The technique works . I've tried it with the innards of a choc block, seems to hold.
Just got to perfect my hook shape to prevent it popping out.

[PaulKemp]

On one of my kit cars I had to shorten the handbrake cable, to put a ferrul back on I drilled a bolt lengthways after cutting the head off, threaded the wire through leaving a ½" proud, crimped the bolt with a blunt chisel in 3 places making sure not to cut the bolt then melted back the protruding wire with a mig
That was 8 years ago even with handbrake turns on handling and slalom days

[227bhp]

If it's multistrand: Drill a hole the diameter of the cable through something, thread cable through, splay cable, heat up and melt solder into strands, cable will not go back through hole.