1933 Harley-Davidson VL Front Brake Cable Installation
This guide shows how to install and correctly route the front brake cable on a 1933 Harley-Davidson VL, including the control coil, handlebar clip, brake lever connection, adjusting sleeve, and lower brake linkage. These early mechanical brake systems depend on smooth cable movement, proper coil support, and correct alignment at both the hand lever and the brake operating lever. Getting this right not only improves braking performance, but also ensures the system matches original factory routing.
This article continues the 1933 VL front brake control setup. The earlier handlebar setup covers the lever and controls, while the front brake assembly shows the brake hardware and linkage.
For more early Harley-Davidson technical articles and VL-specific reference material, visit the VL Tech archive.
Routing the Front Brake Cable Through the Control Coil
Control cable routed through the control coil before installation.
Connecting the front brake is relatively straightforward and requires only a few tools to complete. To get started, you'll first run the control cable through the control coil. Spraying a little cable lube into the control coil will help the cable slide through and it is one less thing for you to remember to do later. On one end of your control cable there should be a crimped metal slug. This slug fits into a slot on your brake lever and is held in place with a small set screw.
Installing the Brake Cable Slug in the Hand Lever
Cable slug installed into the brake lever slot and secured with the set screw.
The cable then fits along a groove in the brake lever before going through the handlebar bracket. The control coil threads into the handlebar bracket to hold it in place.
Mounting the Brake Lever and Control Coil on the Handlebar
Brake lever and control coil mounted to the left side of the handlebars.
Once the control coil and cable are attached, you can mount the brake lever onto your handlebars. Note that on these early Harleys, the brake lever is actually mounted on the left hand side of the motorcycle. There is also a second handlebar bracket which holds the control coil away from the bars for proper routing through the front end. It clamps onto the handlebar with a single screw.
Securing the Control Coil Along the Front End
Upper control coil clip supporting the cable housing against the rear fork leg.
Following the control cable down the front end, there is a metal clip which holds the control coil up against the upper rear leg of the front end.
Lower control coil clip mounted at the brake shackle bolt to keep the coil away from the wheel.
A final clip at the bottom of the rear leg attaches using the same bolt as the brake shackle, keeping the control coil from flopping into the wheel.
Attaching the Control Coil to the Adjusting Sleeve
Control coil adjusting sleeve installed at the front brake backing plate.
Now that your control coil is properly supported, you can attach the end of the control coil to the control coil adjusting sleeve. The inside of the sleeve is threaded so that the control coil simply screws into it. The adjusting sleeve is then inserted into a bracket on the backing plate and held in place with the adjusting sleeve lock nut.
Connecting the Front Brake Cable to the Operating Lever
Control wire lower connection attached to the brake operating lever with clevis and cotter pin.
To connect the control wire to the brake, a special piece of hardware called the control wire lower connection is used. On one end of the control wire lower connection, a clevis pin and cotter pin are used to attach it to the brake operating lever. The brake operating lever has several holes, allowing you to adjust the amount of leverage on the cable.
Brake operating lever holes allow adjustment of front brake cable leverage.
On the other end, the control wire threads through a hole in the control wire lower connection and is held in place with a nut.
Trimming and Finishing the Front Brake Cable
Control wire secured with nut at the lower connection before trimming.
The last step is to clip off the excess cable, if any exists. I recommend leaving an inch or two and then soldering the tip to keep it from unraveling.
Parts Used
Replicant Metals
4149-28C Hand Brake Lever
Colony Machine
2628-4 Brake Cable Handlebar Clip
9007-2 Coil Clip
9683-2 Control Coil Adjusting Sleeve
2593-5 Control Wire Lower Connection
The Good Old Motorcycle Parts Company
4143-30 Front Brake Coil and Cable