Easy DIY: Repair top cable
11-22-2014, 12:22 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Easy DIY: Repair top cable
My CLK convertible started having the symptoms typical of a broken top cable - top crashes down on windshield while being put up and refusing to fold down unless pushed up about 8-9" and held there.
The right side cable had snapped -- actually the cable had not snapped, just the lead lug that is used as a crimp had come off. Here's what the cable looked liked when I pulled it out on end that had snapped.
I did find the lead crimp lying in the right side top storage compartment. I could have drilled it out a little bigger and reused it -- had I not messed up the end of the cable by trying to reinsert it into the hole on the top frame - which caused the strands at the end of the cable to unwind a bit.
Here's how I repaired the cable.
1. Put top fully down and remove the release handle (2 or 2.5mm allen wrench). Then unscrew 4 screws holding the plastic panel covering the header bow.
2. Remove 10mm nut holding the cable to the header bow.
3. Raise top till it is vertical
4. Remove plastic sleeve that is in the hole in middle bow of the frame. It splits into 2 parts longitudinally
5. Pull the broken end of the cable thru the hole in the middle bow.
6. Put a crimp on the cable end. If your cable end is still good (like in pic above) and you've found the original crimp lying in the top storage area, you can make the hole in the crimp a little bigger, insert it and re-crimp it.
Since I had messed up mine, I had to find something else to use as a crimp. I found a rivet of the right size amongst my stuff. I removed the central pin and inserted the rivet over the end of the cable and crimped it with a ratcheting crimper.
Here's a pic of my first attempt:
I got this wrong on 2 counts -- I inserted the rivet a bit to far in while crimping -- effectively shortening the cable. AND, while the other end of the cable does have a bit of length adjustment, I did not make sure I had adjusted it while reinserting to compensate for the length. As a result, the cable was too short and put too much tension when I reassembled it and tried to latch the top -- resulting in the cable snapping again.
The next time I made sure I had the length right (cable should not protrude out the end of the rivet like it did in above pic -- it should be about 1-2mm in instead. I crimped it twice. And I made sure that I had it max length adjustment on the other end when I got to reinstalling.
Note: Since I had messed up the end of the cable, I used some teflon tape to wrapp around the end and pull the strands in together. Then inserted the rivet. Removed the tape before I crimped.
7. Now that the end is crimped, install the 2 part sleeve around the end of the cable
Note the hole in the sleeve is sized larger for the portion of the cable that has the sheath and narrower for the bare cable. Test fitting the sleeve on before you crimp will ensure you have the right cable length.
8. Pull the cable back thru the hole in the middle bow and reinsert the sleeve into that hole. There are 2 "flanges" on one end of the sleeve that needs to go into slots on the bow.
9. Reinstall the front end of the cable making sure you have it at its longest setting.
10. Reinstall header bow trim panel and release handle.
Test operation.
The second time it took me about 20-30min that's all. I've tested it several times today and works just fine.
Hope this helps someone.
Byas
The right side cable had snapped -- actually the cable had not snapped, just the lead lug that is used as a crimp had come off. Here's what the cable looked liked when I pulled it out on end that had snapped.
I did find the lead crimp lying in the right side top storage compartment. I could have drilled it out a little bigger and reused it -- had I not messed up the end of the cable by trying to reinsert it into the hole on the top frame - which caused the strands at the end of the cable to unwind a bit.
Here's how I repaired the cable.
1. Put top fully down and remove the release handle (2 or 2.5mm allen wrench). Then unscrew 4 screws holding the plastic panel covering the header bow.
2. Remove 10mm nut holding the cable to the header bow.
3. Raise top till it is vertical
4. Remove plastic sleeve that is in the hole in middle bow of the frame. It splits into 2 parts longitudinally
5. Pull the broken end of the cable thru the hole in the middle bow.
6. Put a crimp on the cable end. If your cable end is still good (like in pic above) and you've found the original crimp lying in the top storage area, you can make the hole in the crimp a little bigger, insert it and re-crimp it.
Since I had messed up mine, I had to find something else to use as a crimp. I found a rivet of the right size amongst my stuff. I removed the central pin and inserted the rivet over the end of the cable and crimped it with a ratcheting crimper.
Here's a pic of my first attempt:
I got this wrong on 2 counts -- I inserted the rivet a bit to far in while crimping -- effectively shortening the cable. AND, while the other end of the cable does have a bit of length adjustment, I did not make sure I had adjusted it while reinserting to compensate for the length. As a result, the cable was too short and put too much tension when I reassembled it and tried to latch the top -- resulting in the cable snapping again.
The next time I made sure I had the length right (cable should not protrude out the end of the rivet like it did in above pic -- it should be about 1-2mm in instead. I crimped it twice. And I made sure that I had it max length adjustment on the other end when I got to reinstalling.
Note: Since I had messed up the end of the cable, I used some teflon tape to wrapp around the end and pull the strands in together. Then inserted the rivet. Removed the tape before I crimped.
7. Now that the end is crimped, install the 2 part sleeve around the end of the cable
Note the hole in the sleeve is sized larger for the portion of the cable that has the sheath and narrower for the bare cable. Test fitting the sleeve on before you crimp will ensure you have the right cable length.
8. Pull the cable back thru the hole in the middle bow and reinsert the sleeve into that hole. There are 2 "flanges" on one end of the sleeve that needs to go into slots on the bow.
9. Reinstall the front end of the cable making sure you have it at its longest setting.
10. Reinstall header bow trim panel and release handle.
Test operation.
The second time it took me about 20-30min that's all. I've tested it several times today and works just fine.
Hope this helps someone.
Byas
Last edited by bnam; 11-22-2014 at 12:29 PM.
11-24-2014, 02:41 AM
#2
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CLK430
Great work!
I have a cable where the end got pulled out just like yours. I wonder how long your fix will last though, as that rivet end is simply crimped on like the original cable end was. Will it hold in the long run?
I have a cable where the end got pulled out just like yours. I wonder how long your fix will last though, as that rivet end is simply crimped on like the original cable end was. Will it hold in the long run?
11-24-2014, 08:29 AM
#3
Member
Thread Starter
Good question. But, since it was only a 30min fix that cost me nothing, I figured I had nothing to lose. Easy to re-do as well.
One other observation. On my first attempt where I crimped it a bit short (as in the picture) and I did not ensure that I had the front part set at the longest setting -- it took quite a bit of force for me to close the top thru the final 8 inches (which was when I heard the pop of the rivet giving away). So it was pretty strong -- and that was with just one crimp. The second time around I crimped it twice. Let's see how long this one holds. It has been thru about a dozen cycles now.
I did consider dipping the end in some epoxy before pulling the rivet on and crimping.
Byas
One other observation. On my first attempt where I crimped it a bit short (as in the picture) and I did not ensure that I had the front part set at the longest setting -- it took quite a bit of force for me to close the top thru the final 8 inches (which was when I heard the pop of the rivet giving away). So it was pretty strong -- and that was with just one crimp. The second time around I crimped it twice. Let's see how long this one holds. It has been thru about a dozen cycles now.
I did consider dipping the end in some epoxy before pulling the rivet on and crimping.
Byas
