Clutch cable suggestions

[sav22rem22]

Hello everyone. I just got off the phone with maximum Motorsports about their clutch cable that I ordered around 4 months ago and they basically confirmed my suspicions that ford no longer makes their clutch cables. Their only suggestion was that I stay away from the clutch cables that have the adjusters at transmission end of the cable.

So my question to you all is does anyone have any good recommendations for cables that don’t have an adjuster at the transmission end of the cable? Price doesn’t matter I just need a good cable to replace the garbage that’s in my car.

 

[Noobz347]

This has been a hot topic lately.

 

[revhead347]

MM is feeding you total bull. They sold the tiest cables for 20 years and were marketing them as "OEM" replacements. There are plenty of totally reliable aftermarket cables available.. I prefer the BBK ones because they have the best aftermarket clearance for headers with a shorter sidewall bracket, but they are about $20 above average market value. I have been driving the same car for 24 years now, and I have purchased at least 9 different clutch cable brands. The MM cable was the only one I had to send back to American Muscle because it was a total piece of Anyone that tells you that you need to avoid a cable that has an adjustment at the fork, which is the industry standard, is blowing smoke up your ass.

 

[TOOLOW91]

MM is feeding you total bull. They sold the tiest cables for 20 years and were marketing them as "OEM" replacements. There are plenty of totally reliable aftermarket cables available.. I prefer the BBK ones because they have the best aftermarket clearance for headers with a shorter sidewall bracket, but they are about $20 above average market value. I have been driving the same car for 24 years now, and I have purchased at least 9 different clutch cable brands. The MM cable was the only one I had to send back to American Muscle because it was a total piece of Anyone that tells you that you need to avoid a cable that has an adjustment at the fork, which is the industry standard, is blowing smoke up your ass.

I’ve never had an issue with any of their cables on the mutiple cars I have done them on . They always had reduced pedal effort as well . Friend just did a setup on his 03 cobra he had hoarded from his fox and it made a huge difference .

Next choice would be the steeda

 

[rednotch]

MM cable was an oem ford cable... Hence why they can't get it now. Idk about bbk, majority of there products are worse then China made stuff. Outside of there cheap headers if I picked up a car and it had their products on it they got replaced. Majority of the adjustable cables where cheap and poorly made of all the ones I used, they either collapsed or the lining wouldn't last and would fray until it snapped. I never had one with a turbo kit or huge headers that would cook them, just normal fox body junk but I haven't used an adjustable end cable in probably 20 years now, been using used oem cables or the one ford has in the linkage kit.

Most fox stuff can get away with pretty much any oem cable if its longer the 60" and has a decent firewall adjuster. Only time I've seen people complain about mm is when they used a quadrant that wouldn't fit the longer cable without the spacer and heat shrink that they provide in their kits so they didn't have enough adjustment for the cable., that's easy to fix with some tubing and heat shrink to make your own spacer..

 

[AeroCoupe]

I use the Steeda adjustable cable on my Coupe and on my T-Bird with zero issues. Have to wrap the one on the T-Bird due to the 1-7/8” primaries on the custom built headers but it’s been good to go for years. Both are adjustable and both cars have quadrants and firewall adjusters.

 

[AeroCoupe]

My bad guys. The previous info was meant for another thread.

 

[Noobz347]

The MM cable on my Fox is more than 20 years old. It has seen the coming and going of at least half a dozen TOBs and almost as many clutches.

 

[FastDriver]

Uh... no idea what went wrong with Curt's, but MM was the best cable made after Ford stopped selling theirs direct. My understanding was that MM used the same 3rd party manufacturer. Don't know for sure if true, but what I do know is that they had a much stronger sheath, or whatever it's called, that went around the cable itself, which as mentioned above helped reduce pedal effort. The trade off was the requirement for a firewall adjuster. Not an issue for me. I prefer a firewall adjuster to a clutch fork adjustment nut.

In any case Steeda cables also work fine. So, the clutch fork adjustment nut variety can also work fine.

 

[85GTStangGuy]

What about an FPP clutch cable? Any opinions on them?

https://lmr.com/item/M7553A302/79-93-Mustang-Ford-Racing-Clutch-Cable-With-Clutch-Fork

 

[FastDriver]

I haven't tried a ford branded cable since they were still OEM. I've heard that they're no better than the aftermarket, these days.

 

[rednotch]

Used to use them, where decent don't think I bought one in the last decade though, there where Taiwan sourced since early 2000's

 

[rednotch]

Uh... no idea what went wrong with Curt's, but MM was the best cable made after Ford stopped selling theirs direct. My understanding was that MM used the same 3rd party manufacturer. Don't know for sure if true, but what I do know is that they had a much stronger sheath, or whatever it's called, that went around the cable itself, which as mentioned above helped reduce pedal effort. The trade off was the requirement for a firewall adjuster. Not an issue for me. I prefer a firewall adjuster to a clutch fork adjustment nut.

In any case Steeda cables also work fine. So, the clutch fork adjustment nut variety can also work fine.

They where most likely buying them threw ford vs the supplier, they where alot cheaper threw a ford parts house then mm. But mm included a spacer and modified it a bit... Theres went unavailable same time as all the ford wholesalers sites did.. The oem cable used to be made in Canada, no clue now, haven't bough a new one in a long time. Expect a nice price hike if they do come back.. All the ford parts houses that didnt have it labeled discounted jacked the prices up recently on all most everything.. I tried to order some other oem part number cables from tasca after a couple of these threads but got refunded and they couldn't get it even though they listed it as in stock... Everyone just drop ships stuff now.

The aftermarket ones for most part are just made poorly, from the sheath to the lining. Heat and heavy pressure plates killed them pretty quickly when I was having issues years ago. Went to the frpp fork and cable kit back then and they where decent, then oem ford and just grab oem cables off 94--04 cars if I see them in a u pull it, v6 cables work fine on your average fox body just need to route them correctly, the big header and turbo stuff should probably stick to the longer v8 cables.

People have liked the steeda adjustable one for years on the forums but I never used one, upr claims to have an American made one too these days but it's fox length also never tried it.

 

[Noobz347]

Used to use them, where decent don't think I bought one in the last decade though, there where Taiwan sourced since early 2000's

I'm most interested in the braid, the number of strands, and the casing.

If anybody picks one up, take some detailed images of the thing.

 

[AeroCoupe]

Origin of MM's clutch cables is provided by Jack Hidley in Post #16 here:

https://www.corral.net/threads/ford-racing-clutch-cable.1503337/#post-11974465

 

[rednotch]

I'm most interested in the braid, the number of strands, and the casing.

If anybody picks one up, take some detailed images of the thing.

Ill check my parts pile, next time I go threw it. pretty sure I have an old linkage upgrade kit in the box still some where in one of my totes full of mustang junk, but would probably be 15 years old by now. Think last time I tnink I bought one was from downs at atco nmra, so 2008 ish? Ford discontinued or had issues sourcing the the oem clutch cables before about a decade ago but brought it back, after the pandemic deal and all the crap going on in the industry though I doubt they will, its a 20yr service part these days..

 

[FastDriver]

I have at least 1 spare MM cable on the shelf, @Noobz347 if that's what you want pics of.

 

[FastDriver]

They where most likely buying them threw ford vs the supplier, they where alot cheaper threw a ford parts house then mm. But mm included a spacer and modified it a bit... Theres went unavailable same time as all the ford wholesalers sites did..

MMs website did and still does specifically deny that their cables are FRPP cables.

 

[sav22rem22]

Thanks everyone for chiming in. Id respond to you all but that would take forever lol. Looks like I’ll go with the steeda with the adjuster and their quadrant.

 

[Noobz347]

I have at least 1 spare MM cable on the shelf, @Noobz347 if that's what you want pics of.

I'll take all the cable pics anybody has. Might make for a good thread.