Parking brake cable removal on Mazda 3/2004
 

I need to replace all hand brake cables on my Mazda 3. To replace the cable you need to remove the center consol and the wheels but the main junction where all the cables runs is under the heat shield above the catalytic converter.
Do I really need to start to disassemble catalytic converter and remove the heat shield to reach the working area and replace the hand brake cables?

Maybe a dumb question but why do you need to replace the cables?

There is rust on the cables and they are hard to move. The inner cables does not move freely and binding in the outer cables. The cables are basically so hard to pull that you need to get under the car to release the parking brake or unplug the cables. They have manufacture the inner cables with what I would guess some type of Teflon coating but over the years the Teflon had degraded with cracks and started to chip away making the binding even worst.

If the cat converter is rusty it may be risky to remove it without damage. Your lacal garage may have an easier way of replacing the cables.
I wonder if the car has been used alot on salted roads.