Restoration of an origonal owner 73 Challenger Rallye

[burdar]

Yes sir that's it.

[brads70]

Yes sir that's it.

Ok thanks! 

[burdar]

Well it's time to start working on the few things I have left to do.  I pulled the seats out tonight and removed the tracks.  The seat frame is gloss black but the tracks aren't as glossy.  I'll use Eastwoods chassis black for the tracks and gloss black Rustoleum to touch up the frames.  The small spring on the side lever is bright yellow.  The seats are going to the upholstery shop this week.  He will work them into his schedule sometime this summer.  When I get back home from the hospital, I'll get the tracks cleaned up and ready to reinstall.

I'm also pulling out the rear end center section this week.  A friend of mine is going to go through it for me while I'm gone.  It makes some noise so I want it checked out.  While that's apart, I'm going to pull the rear E-brake cables and see why the intermediate cable is too short.  I'm 99% sure it's a problem with the rear cables.   

[burdar]

Dropped off the seats at the upholstery shop.  I also pulled the center section out of the rear end tonight.  I'll probably pull the e-brake cables tomorrow and compare them to the originals.

[burdar]

Well, I pulled off all the e-brake cables.  The originals are a little longer AND the outer covering is a little shorter then the new ones.  Inlinetube's lengths don't measure the same as my original ones either BUT, theirs comes with a longer front cable and longer intermediate cable.  Besides, a few people here said they had no problem installing their kit.  I'm going to order the Inlinetube kit and be done with it.(hopefully) 

[ChallengerHK]

Wouldn't the originals likely have stretched over time?

[burdar]

The original cables are rusted solid.  They weren't used much if at all.  I don't know why this has been such a hassle.  Nothing was replaced that would have moved the mounting points.  The differences in length aren't very much but I'm a good 3" from even being able to connect the intermediate cable...let alone adjust it.  Part of me just wants to buy Inlinetubes longer intermediate cable.  However, I don't want to mix and match things from two different companies.  It looks like I'll have a brand new $180 e-brake kit sitting on the shelf that can't be used.

[Topcat]

I'm seeing the same problem today.
I bought mine from inline tube also.

3 -5" too short even when the adjusting nut was backed off all the way.

Burdar, send me a PM what you find out/found to fix the problem.

Even the little ball ends are too big and I had to drill out the hole so they could go into the connectors.

[burdar]

I'm back in Memphis so I won't be around the car for quite awhile.  Can you measure the ball size for me?  If it is the same size as my Fine Lines kit, I may just try ordering the longer intermediate cable.  The one I have is 89"(I think) and the Inlinetube cable is 93.  That should give me the length I need and allow for a little adjustment.  Also, measure your intermediate cable.  If mine is longer, I'll send it to you...if you think that will help.

[Topcat]

I'm back in Memphis so I won't be around the car for quite awhile.  Can you measure the ball size for me?  If it is the same size as my Fine Lines kit, I may just try ordering the longer intermediate cable.  The one I have is 89"(I think) and the Inlinetube cable is 93.  That should give me the length I need and allow for a little adjustment.  Also, measure your intermediate cable.  If mine is longer, I'll send it to you...if you think that will help.

I'll try to get some pictures today.

FWIW, there are 2 different bars that connect onto the trans cross member. The longer one was used on 71's. The shorter was for later years.

[burdar]

My original bar is longer then the new one in the Fine Lines kit.  I was going to reuse the original one.  I don't think the factory used one standard length cable.  Every company has their own lengths but they all say they were patterned off of originals.  This whole thing is very confusing.

[burdar]

My buddy got the center section torn apart. The outer pinion race is worn. He ordered a complete bearing kit. He should have it together this weekend.  He was a little confused that the noise was on decel and that it went away as soon as you gave it a little gas. Hopefully all is well with the gears themselves. He didn't say there was any visible wear on the ring/pinion or the side gears.

[Mopar Mitch]

I just recently went through the issue of the wrong s-hook and eqluilizer cable... Inlinetube is selling both the wrong ones for 71 and later challengers.. and they ARE aware of it.. i made certain they would make internal notes for future avoidance.... other companies are typically selling the wrong aprts, too.

Stock S-Hook is 7".. inline tube is too short.. I'll try to get you the correct supplier's name that i bought mine from... (my chall is a 72 body.. all 71-74 are the same, despite catalog listings)

Intermediate (equalizer) parking brake cable measured at roughly 90".  Dorman # BC93412 is listed as 90 1/4".

The Raybestos # BC93412 cable for the car is listed as having 90 1/2" overall length.

there have been long other postings on this subject within our chat-line here.

[burdar]

My original intermediate cable measured at around 89".  It is broken in two pieces so it is an approximate length.  The new Fine Lines intermediate cable measures the same.  The issue seems to be slight differences in the "overall" and "jacket lengths" of the new cables verse the old ones.  It all adds up to being around three inches too short.  If the Inline Tube cable is just over 93", then I should be able to get it hooked up by going that route.  I've got some time to think about it but that is the cheapest way to get it working.

[burdar]

Cabin fever has set in here at home.  Owen is sleeping all day so I've spent a little time in the garage just to keep my sanity.  I soaked the seat tracks in EvapoRust after giving them a good power washing.  I power washed them again after the EvapoRust soak.  I sprayed them down with brake clean and painted them with SEM Trim Black.  I picked up a cheap can of yellow spray paint for the side springs...it was a perfect match.

My buddy dropped off the center section on Saturday.  Dad might help me hoist it up into place tonight quick.  I called the upholstery shop and the seats are done.  I'm going to run into town this afternoon and pick them up.

The other day I was compairing the rear e-brake cables.  The spring around the cable at the back was about a 1/2" longer then the stock one.  This put some extra stress on the cable once it was hooked up to the brake shoes.(it made the cable bend in a strange way which took up a little length)  I cut some coils off the spring so it's now the same length as the original.  I think that will gain me a little length when I go to hook up the intermediate cable.