Early sliding door cable

[axeman]

Recently my early sliding door cable snapped at the crimped end of the cable. This cable as a whole has been nla for a while. So Google to rescue and a couple of phone calls a cable tec in Nottingham were very helpfull and can make a new one for me. It was sensible money at £55 all in.

[R0B]

7zap only shows one cable  251 843 721B  911mm. I'm wondering if early and late vans use the same cable. I don't see why not. 

[shepster]

Pretty sure mine is a rod with an adjuster on it.

[Robsey]

Pretty sure mine is a rod with an adjuster on it.

Yep - mine is a rigid rod too.
1983 panel van.

[R0B]

Not looked inside my door. So I'm assuming mine must also be a rod with it being a 1991 van.

[shepster]

My van is an early door, 1984, but obviously not early enough for a cable.

You learn something new every day.

I take it the black thing is a central locking actuator?

[R0B]

It is the actuator.

[multisi]

7zap only shows one cable  251 843 721B  911mm. I'm wondering if early and late vans use the same cable. I don't see why not. 

Late cable is just a basic slim cable with lugs at each end, part number ends with C for vans with chassis number F onwards.
 

[Robsey]

From what I am reading...

Cable is for later vans - from model year 1985.
(Part of the hundreds of tweaks introduced around that time).

Rigid rod is for early vans - upto model year 1984.

That's how I interpret it anyway.

[Aidan]

that's correct the early door has a multi part adjustable cable because the lock set up is different, more complicated - later one is simple one piece cable 911mm

bottom line is if you have an early door and a broken cable then Neil has done the r&d with a supplier and you can order one from them with the info shown

fyi a certain parts supplier was informed but has chosen not to buy a number of them and have them sat on the shelf, so can't have had many enquiries for them. Not that many pre 1985 vans left now and plenty broken and stripped. And many owners capable of bodging something together to repair what they have.

I have at least 3 spare used late cables hanging up in the workshop

The adjustable end for the early cable is still available from VWClassicParts

[Aidan]

Neil has fitted the central locking set up as an upgrade, it wasn't fitted to early vans, but it can be done as a retrofit, just a case of measuring off a van with the factory set up and making the necessary holes for the contact plates

[axeman]

As aidan said I have retro fited factory central locking I have been sourcing parts for a year or so when they turn up. And made the loom it's very straight forward to make.
My van is a 83 so early. The cable was made as a direct replacement for what broke. There is about 20mm of adjustment and I am about 50% of the adjustment. It just works and should out last the van.
I am sure it would work for any other early cable replacement in the future. At least every one now knows a replacement is now available.

Neil

[Phil D]

Hi hope this thread is still live . I have a 1981 left hand drive and my sliding door has the rod actuator which snapped and I have bodged a repair with a splint. My question is can I replace the rod with a cable are they interchangeable?

Hope someone can help

[Aidan]

rod is now no longer available from VWClassicparts

some suppliers on the continent have stock still eg linky