Forum Discussion

klutchdust's avatar
klutchdust
Explorer II
Sep 19, 2016

Ready Brake cable failure



Short version, cable has a lubricant inside the shield. It came loose, melted, whatever and the brake pedal would not return smoothly and the brakes were dragging.I found this out on a pre trip test run ahead of our upcoming 2 week trip. I have a replacement coming and was told that maybe heat affected the cable. Well it's in the engine compartment of my Jeep so the new cable will get a heat shield around that area closest to the engine. Something to keep in mind.

I removed the black coating after I determined the inside was jammed and was unsuccessful trying to loosen the jam with a brazing rod. I was curious....

5 Replies

  • klutchdust's avatar
    klutchdust
    Explorer II
    Sep 19, 2016
    The bend was fine, the cable is the same distance as other wire looms from a heat source my guess is the internal lube deteriorates then gums up. The bend in the picture I caused testing the flexibility once I knew it was of no use. i removed the protective coating to see what was underneath. The cable exterior showed no damage from heat. The cable has to be exactly behind the brake pedal so it works, there is no getting around that. i will fabricate a shield however i think just the basic engine heat under the hood was the issue.
  • Dutch_12078's avatar
    Dutch_12078
    Explorer III
    Sep 19, 2016
    Yep, cables and/or wiring must be routed away or shielded from heat sources like the exhaust manifold and pipes with gentle bends in the cable. That's a standard precaution, and not exclusive to a ReadyBrake installation.
  • mowermech's avatar
    mowermech
    Explorer
    Sep 19, 2016
    It is absolutely necessary to keep any cable or wire or hose as far as possible away from the exhaust manifold or header pipe.
    If it melted, it was too close.
  • Y-Guy's avatar
    Y-Guy
    Moderator
    Sep 19, 2016
    I've read a few stories like with with Jeeps, and others too. If you haven't yet, toss in "Ready Brake cable failure" into Google.

About RV Tips & Tricks

Looking for advice before your next adventure? Look no further.25,179 PostsLatest Activity: Dec 22, 2025