Rear brakes are "hanging"

[Richard Michell]

According to the chart in the Brown Book, the correct lube is chassis grease (unless you were using Castrol lubricants when it was "Castrolease Brake Cable Grease"). In today's terminology it should be a grease of NLGI #2 consistency.

IMHO don't use one with solids in it (e.g.molybdenum disulfide or white grease, where the white comes from zinc oxide powder). The solids tend to separate from the main grease over time in this type of application (sliding action with one surface fixed) and can build up in the sheath, tending to jam the cable.

[Herman 5560]

Jeff, can not see where you stay, but if it is in the UK you can search the locost.co.uk site. The guys there has to shorten the Siera cables to use them in their 7s.

[JeffMoore64]

Richard, I was using #2 chassis grease. Not going to make that mistake again. Might just buy a small grease gun that I can fill with oil and use that.
Herman, I'm from the USA (fixed my profile so it shows now). This weekend I'll reinstall the cables and hope all turns out well. Thanks for the site info.

I was amazed at how thick and sticky the chassis lube made the cable. About an hour of sliding it and dripping degreaser and then 3 in 1 oil into the cable. The end result was night and day.

[Duncan M]

I have heard 140W gear oil suggested, especially if there is some old cruddy grease already in there. Or a mix.

[JeffMoore64]

Broke down and ordered cables from Moss. Put the one on the left side that was giving me all the problems and still it hung after applying the E brake. Nuts!! Took the wheel brake assembly apart and back together several times before noticing that the connector for the brake cable and the linkage was slightly twisted and the where the brake pads link together on the pin on the bottom of the hub was backwards from the other side. So twisted the cable and gave it a ever so slight kink to bend straight, put the brake pad assembly on to match the other side and viola it all works.

I did run across a good website with lots of photos of brakes. Might want to check this out. http://tc4985.altervista.org/

Thanks for all the help,

Jeff