Parking Brake

[grahammay2]

Is it "OK" in order to shorten the effective length of the cable to introduce a single loop within the cable?

Many thanks once again to the loads of writers with helpful advise.
Graham.

[RedS4]

Actually... While on the subject or parking brakes - is it possible to relocate the handle so one can actually REACH it for hill starts etc? I have no hope of reaching it with the seat belt on (oh why wasn't it in the middle....).

Evan J

[prezoom]

I just went through this drill. Instead of shortening the cable, I made a spacer, which fits between the adjusting bolt and the cable housing. Used a piece of 3/4" round material, turned down one end for about 1/2" to match the inner diameter and depth of the adjusting bolt. Drilled the other end to the outer diameter of the cable housing for approximately the same distance. Drilled a through hole in the spacer with sufficient clearance to not foul the cable, then cut a slot from end to end, wide enought to slip over the cable. A cutoff abrasive wheel works well for this operation. The length of the piece was determined by screwing the adjusting bolt all the way in toward the chassis bracket, pulling the cable housing forward to remove all the slack in the cable and measuring the distance between the end of the housing and the adjuster. When done, pulled the housing forward, slipped the spacer over the cable between the adjusting bolt and the cable housing, seated spacer in the adjusting bolt, then the cable housing in the end of the spacer and made final adjustments with the bolt and secured with the jam nut. Now the cable is the right length and I didn't have to disturb the cable.

Rob Walker
26-4889

[jimj]

Regarding relocating the handbrake lever; I`ve done it and I hope these pics. make it clear.
I made up a piece of plate bolted through the floor to the chassis then bolted a scrapyard lever, from a Fiat I think, to it. A short cable runs to a lever about 4" long which is attached to the chassis on the diff. torque rod stud. This cable attaches about 1" from the bottom and then from the top of this lever, thereby increasing the amount of movement, I devised another rod from there to the handbrake tree.
The original umbrella type handbrake and cable remains in place. I simply unfastened the "proper" cable and taped it to the wishbone so at anytime, say, at scrutineering, it can be reattached in minutes.
The whole thing looks fine and works great. The only problem would be if the driver was excessively large in the hips, in which case he/she should add lightness!
Jim

[jimj]

MMMMmmmm still having problems with pics. Anyway the lever nestles between the seat and the transmission tunnel/chassis backbone.
Jim

[Galwaylotus]

Actually... While on the subject or parking brakes - is it possible to relocate the handle so one can actually REACH it for hill starts etc? I have no hope of reaching it with the seat belt on (oh why wasn't it in the middle....).

Evan J

I have never used the parking brake for hill starts - just heel and toe!

[alexblack13]

Hi All,
I cant understand why one would not just shorten the cable? You then get the cable to the exact lenght you need. By the way.. I think Susan Millar is now having them made shorter. I gave her the length required at donnington this year.

You then have two options. A clamp on nipple or have one re swaged into popsition. Boat chandler did this for me, but as I have said before, testing a clamp on (removable!!) nipple using 2 x 4mm x 8mm long allan type grub screws produced a good result. I could not move the nipple along the cable untill I applied quite a large force (Via a lever!) I estimated a load of more than double you can apply with the pull handle. I could not fault it. But I still removed it and had one swaged on. Gave me the chance to get the length exact though, which I then passed to Susan.

The cable needs shortning by approx 80 mm I found, but the cables do vary slightly.

Have fun!

Alex B....

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

Hi All,
I cant understand why one would not just shorten the cable? You then get the cable to the exact lenght you need. By the way.. I think Susan Millar is now having them made shorter. I gave her the length required at donnington this year.



Have fun!

Alex B....

Oh you did, did you Alex

[smo17003]

Just thinking out loud here, but is there the possibility that some Elan's have somehow been fitted up with +2 cables? With the extra length of the +2's chassis I would assume that a longer cable would have been sourced for that car. Perhaps Colin was up to his old cost saving tricks.

Mike

[gerrym]

Jimj, any chance of posting your handbrake pics. Maybe you need to reduce their size before posting?

Regards

Gerry

[RedS4]

The whole thing looks fine and works great. The only problem would be if the driver was excessively large in the hips, in which case he/she should add lightness!
Jim

Hmmm, that eliminates this solution for me.... At 120kg, I fit snuggly enough with a lever next to me...

[alexblack13]

Hey John,
How do you think I got the discount eh?...

Susan is great by the way. I have lots of respect for her. She supplied all my spares where possible.

Alex...

[Flatcap]

Regarding the cable being to long, I`m sure the reason is that Lotus only made one "universal" cable - to fit both RHD & LHD cars, the LHD cable required to be slightly longer than the RHD one - hence the problem we all seem to have here in the UK. Perhaps a LHD owner can confirm he has no problems. A +2 cable would be much too long to fit a Elan.

[prezoom]

Hi Flatcap,

Well, my Elan is a LHD and the parking brake cable was too long and the adjuster too short. Related how I solved the problem earlier in this thread. Simple, didn't have to take anything apart and it took about 30 minutes to make the spacer. Now I just have to make the stalk work a little smoother.

Rob Walker
26-4889

[twincamman]

THERE IS NO NEED FOR A SPACER ----1st be sure the turnbuckle on the tree for the actuation rods at the rear is all the way to the back of the car --check the cable is not fouling the chassis and is free --then adjust the 12 point bolts on both the brake calipers until the wheel just turns freely--pull the handle at he other end --there you go the brake works ----ed