I set up a pair of cross levers as the only brake levers on my bike. I know that when you run these levers in line they push the housing to brake. I ended up installing the cable so the levers pull the cable to brake. I tried it the other way first but this seemed to give me more leverage on the brakes (cantilevers). Is there anything wrong with running the cables this way so they are pulling the cable instead of pushing the housing? I couldn't find much info on the interwebs about installing just cross levers

I have the Tektro RL series on two bikes. Both are the only brake levers.

I just run the "road" end of a universal brake cable through the hole down to the caliper.

I have never thought about what pulls or what pushes.

I pull the lever, the bike stops and as of yet, I haven't died.

That's the opposite of what I did but when I pull the levers my bike stops too.

I assume that you've installed the cable backwards, and have the housing running out towards where your hand would be. You mentioned a difference in "leverage on the brakes", which is controlled by the cable pull ratio, which is determined by the distance from the pivot point to where the cable or housing is anchored. I don't expect that this changes based on the way that the cable and housing is set up, so I'm not sure why you've noticed a difference there. My main concern with this setup would be whether the cable head is well supported, as long as it is then I can't see anything wrong with setting up the lever in this way, although it would be very weird.

not a big fan of using those where the soldered portion at the base of the ball end is flexed every time you brake,
at some point the cable will break, there.

Brake levers made to be at the end of the cable always pull straight and either hinge the cable end fitting.
anchor it in a pivoting part of the lever ,
or, by using barrel cable ends the barrel is free to rotate and remain a straight pull .

Pushing the housing or pulling the inner wire are functionally identical. No problem with your arrangement if it works more conveniently for you.

Hi,

It doesn't matter much if they are the only brake levers. The clever thing
about cross levers is their compatibility with using another set of levers
as well, and there they push the housing as they can't pull the cable.

rgds, sreten.

The only issue the OP would have is the seating of the head of the cable as fietsbob point out , with the possibly of the cable breaking there from repeating use .Other than that yes it will work.