Shortened Handbrake Cable

[Guest scottie686]

Morning everyone!!

 

I have a little conundrum which has been stumping me for a while. When speaking with Richard at GBS he said that I would have to shorten my handbrake. ‘Just need to remove the cable, cut down the metal shroud and cut the cable to length and re-attach’.

 

No problem I though, but did query how to re-attach the cable hook which is soldered / welded onto the cable. Richard gave a couple of suggestions, but I wanted to post a thread and put it to the floor!!

 

So, does anyone have any suggestions on how to either re-secure the hook/latch (which still has about 3” of cable still coming out of it, or, any new ideas of attaching a hook/latch on the end on my shortened cable which will be strong enough to grip the cable and not pull through and attach to the rear callipers?

 

Regards,

 

Scott

[DAVE CASTLE]

Most people have cut the cable in half then joined it with u clamps like a mini exhaust bracket B& Q have them

Dave

[Guest peter2b2002]

thats what i did on my 2b, cut it in half over lap the ends by the 1/4rant , i used 2 clamps each side still ok 3 years later

pete2b

[Guest mastarforth]

I fitted mine and cut it on one side, then I used a small nit threaded over the end, and splayed the individual wires in all directions. I then droopped a load of solder onto the ends. Seemss to be strong enough and holds well

[Longboarder]

I drilled a hole through a piece of mild steel bar, cut one side of inner and outer to suit, threaded the inner through it, belted it with a big hammer and them sizzled the free end with the mig. Done six years ago.

 

Nigel

[Guest chris brown]

You say you have hook/latch so I presume you have discs on the back so removing it is IMHO a no no. I would do as others have said cut it in the middle. Pass the cut ends though the quadrant and clamp them together using two clamps on each side. Mine was SVA'd using this method and is still good 5 years and 25k miles later

[Snapperpaul]

Longboarders method is the one Gingerfix used on my car. No doubt this is as firm as you can get.

[Guest MJThewlis]

Attached photo of the 'cut in half' method. This works fine and is, I believe, the simplist. SVA'd without comment.

 

Cheers, M.

[BigLee]

My god that's clean!!!! Wont stay like that for long

[Longboarder]

Clean, but power to weight will be pants with a brick floor!

 

Nigel

[spg]

Mat T

Notice you haven't put the inch angle on to support the front of the seats. Any mention of that on the SVA. Only asking as my quadrant get pretty close to to it.

 

Steve

[Snapperpaul]

SVA says that you can use a flat thick load spreading plate about 40mm square however if your seat is only bolted throught the stainless floor with 4 flat washers at the corners then i would think that you will get a fair amount of flexing.

[Guest MJThewlis]

No issue at SVA without the front angle across the front of seat mounts.

 

The way I've done it is with fibreglass seats mounted on 4mm alluminium plates which run full length of the seat inside the car (which gives plenty of rigidity) and only spreading washers underneath. My thinking is the weight of seat and occupant is downwards and if the worst came to the worst the mounts would only support the minimal weight of the seat as I would be hung from the belts!!!!

 

Cheers, M.

[Adrian]

re the cable i used marine u clamps, smaller than the ones you get at b and q, and you can get them in stainless if you want. used a pair of pliers to tension the wire then tightened up. no problems for sva etc.