Been here before so it would be worth doing a search. There is much information..
Two or three things make a big difference.
The cable length (hopefully sorted but maybe not) I did give SM the amount to shorten by but don't know if she has acted on it.. St'd cables are about 80mm too long and one ends up screwing the adjuster all the way out and then some. This is all on a previous explanation but here goes.
The system will work well if it's in fair condition. I bored out the wear and made new stainless pins held in with small 'R' clips and fitted the said compression springs onto the adjuster rods. That does work but you also do need the small pad pull off levers right too.
Once all is in good nick and the adjusters are free, the next things worth having are the adjustable rods from the tree to the caliper levers.
Set up .... New pads please!!
Make sure 1st of all that the Caliper levers are sitting on their stops and the pads are adjusted until just about touching your discs. Then set the 'Tree' until lever is almost resting against the chassis down tube. I. E. all the way back (and make sure its the latest tree with the s shaped longer lever). Screw in the handbrake Cable adjuster all the way in and check where the nipple is in relation to the tree lever. Most times it will be way past where it needs to be. Now comes the tricky bit. What do you do about the too long cable? Folks have their methods but here's what I did. I made a new nipple from stainless, which is secured / grips the cable with grub-screws. Now I know you are all going to say OH my god how unsafe is that but I have a test piece of cable with a nipple attached and I tried like a bear to pull the cable out of it without success, so it will do me... So.. With the caliper levers on their stops and the tree lever fully back and just about touching the chassis with the cable in place, adjustment full in, you now need those adjustable rods. Set them until they can be fitted by sliding in a clevis at the tree end and adjust until you can do the same at the caliper levers without moving the levers off the stops. Now a final adjustment of the pads (with the car on it's feet!!) should.. SHOULD!! see you with a working handbrake. I can honestly tell you that I have not re adjusted mine since I set it up and it has passed three mot's now and will lock up the wheels with a good tug on the lever.
Anyone at Silverstone can come along and try pushing the car and see how they get on.. A beer to anyone who moves it. (By hand that is.. NO cheating!!)
It will work if set up right...
I can't get under my car right now because the weather is stopping me moving wife's porky from under my ramp, but I will (when I get the chance) take some pic's for you..
Happy days..
See you at Silverstone (weather permitting!!!)
Alex..