Replacing a cable
 

I have one cable that scares me a little. It is really rusty on the top pulley. So, I purchased a new cable from J & R and I will need to cut to length and crimp the top end. My question is, Can I remove the old cable in one piece and build the new one to match it then install the new one? Most pics I see show people crimping the end after the cable is installed.
The reason I ask is that I have a friend with a table top swag tool I can use. (No need to purchase a tool). I don't know if the adjustment end of the cable will thread around all the pulleys.

Try it when you go to remove the old cable. It wouldn't on my 95T, but the welding of the pulley brackets wasn't always exactly the same. You might be able to remove the pulley center bolt and do it that way.

Replacing a cable...
 

On my '89, I removed each pulley bolt and the whole cable is free. You'll never get the all-thread tip out if you don't. The hardest part was the final lag bolt that attaches the cable to the upper section. I guess it gets too much road water when lowered and was pretty rusted in. I busted one out of four, and had to heli-coil a new thread into the trailer. So, take your time and rock those bolts out if you hit a tight spot. Maybe you'll get four out of four!

As far as length, if you're going to work off of your old (stretched) cable for measurement, you'll end up long. Double check the length of the all-thread (between the trailer wheels) BEFORE you loosen it to remove. The all-thread is, say, 6 inches long. If most of the old one is showing, installed, then you will need to make up a shorter one. Otherwise, your new cable will be great, but long and you'll have no room for future adjustment.

Lastly, I installed my cables with ends already made up. Easy... when you loosen the cable from the top section you fasten a plain wire to the loop BEFORE you pull it down through the lower section wall. You'll end up with your wire at the bottom of the wall, and the top of the wire inside the trailer. Easy to attach your new cable to that wire and fish it back up to the inside pulley when ready. Push the wire out to towards the bolt fix point, and your cable loop is ready to reconnect.

How to remove the wheels and tires on a HiLo