Incorrect handbrake cable

[epipete]

A pair of cables posted on eBay today for under £40 + postage!

[texas2201]

Think I have just bought two of these - as they are still in the after sales list....................So I assume I need to return them as they will not fit.......bugger. I also cannot see how you get the old cable off the arm? I have tried searching on LEC and looking through the Lotus Manual - which only says remove cable end......

[John_W]

Texas,
This should be easy for a man like you ...

I’ve had standard rear calipers, Dormans (with Algirdas levers) and PNM replacements. They all fitted to my original handbrake cables. The cable has a stirrup-type attachment at the handbrake lever end and a bullet nipple at the caliper. It comes off the caliper arm the same way you would remove a bicycle brake cable from the handlebar brake lever. The end of the caliper operating arm is bent and slotted to provide a location for the nipple on the end of the cable. Just operate the caliper arm using your favourite tool to apply brute force (or remove the spring) so that the cable is slack, then push the nipple through and out of the arm to allow you to wiggle the wire out of the slot

I've attached a photo to try to show what I mean: the attachment point is at the top right of the photo.

John

[Brit-Car-Nut]

The brake cables on the aftersales list (A100J6114S) are for the odd caliper most suppliers are providing when selling replacement calipers. That is why they specify it to fit the LH caliper. It will NOT fit the original calipers as they have a slotted lever and ball end type cable setup while the later ones have a flat lever and the cable has a yoke type connector that goes over the lever.

The correct part number for the STOCK caliper is D100J0022F. Lotus price is £93.54 but SJs has them listed for £38.50

[texas2201]

Texas,
This should be easy for a man like you ...

I’ve had standard rear calipers, Dormans (with Algirdas levers) and PNM replacements. They all fitted to my original handbrake cables. The cable has a stirrup-type attachment at the handbrake lever end and a bullet nipple at the caliper. It comes off the caliper arm the same way you would remove a bicycle brake cable from the handlebar brake lever. The end of the caliper operating arm is bent and slotted to provide a location for the nipple on the end of the cable. Just operate the caliper arm using your favourite tool to apply brute force (or remove the spring) so that the cable is slack, then push the nipple through and out of the arm to allow you to wiggle the wire out of the slot

I've attached a photo to try to show what I mean: the attachment point is at the top right of the photo.

John

I can easily get the end of the cable out but on the arm there is no slot - I will check again in a minute. Or are you saying you push the rubber nipple back through the hole?

[John_W]

Hmmm... strange.

No, I don’t think you would be able to get it off if there’s no slot. On my picture it’s the “j”-shaped cut-out at the bend (top right of picture). I don’t recall any rubber near the cable end, either.

Any chance of a photo?

John

[dapinky]

Martin,

I don't remember it being a difficult job when I did mine a few years ago, and from memory this is my best explanation.....

The cables at the interior end pass through the adjustment bracket (2 nuts per cable) and hook onto the balance bar - they are a simple undo and pull through.....

.... at the exterior end, the cables run adjacent to the top suspension link, and loop forward towards the calipers.....

.... the end of the cable sleeve has a rubber fitting (sort of like a cone shaped nipple thing) which fits into a hole through the metal bracket bolted to the car - allowing the inner cable (with metal nipple attached) to project through the bracket towards the calliper, where it slips into the cut-out slot in the handrake lever.

As such, to remove the cable, it unclips from the lever, then pulls through the bracket (with the rubber nipple thingy) - then it is 'just' a case of feeding the old one out and the new one in.

[texas2201]

Martin,

I don't remember it being a difficult job when I did mine a few years ago, and from memory this is my best explanation.....

The cables at the interior end pass through the adjustment bracket (2 nuts per cable) and hook onto the balance bar - they are a simple undo and pull through.....

.... at the exterior end, the cables run adjacent to the top suspension link, and loop forward towards the calipers.....

.... the end of the cable sleeve has a rubber fitting (sort of like a cone shaped nipple thing) which fits into a hole through the metal bracket bolted to the car - allowing the inner cable (with metal nipple attached) to project through the bracket towards the calliper, where it slips into the cut-out slot in the handrake lever.

As such, to remove the cable, it unclips from the lever, then pulls through the bracket (with the rubber nipple thingy) - then it is 'just' a case of feeding the old one out and the new one in.

Thanks Dave - Just always loath to force something thro a hole smaller that the item......

[John_W]

Texas,
I may have misunderstood - I thought you were trying to get the inner cable off the handbrake operating lever, whereas your lastpost suggests you are trying to get the outer cable off the bracket.

If it’s the latter, it’s as Dave says: disconnect the inner cable metal nipple from the arm (top right of my photo) by wiggling it out of the slot, then pull the rubber fitting/grommet on the end of the outer cable sleeve out of the hole in the bracket at the bottom of my photo (there is no slot on that fitting, but there is a rubber fitting on the end of the outer cable) and pull the entire cable out through the hole.

John

[texas2201]

Texas,
I may have misunderstood - I thought you were trying to get the inner cable off the handbrake operating lever, whereas your lastpost suggests you are trying to get the outer cable off the bracket.

If it’s the latter, it’s as Dave says: disconnect the inner cable metal nipple from the arm (top right of my photo) by wiggling it out of the slot, then pull the rubber fitting/grommet on the end of the outer cable sleeve out of the hole in the bracket at the bottom of my photo (there is no slot on that fitting, but there is a rubber fitting on the end of the outer cable) and pull the entire cable out through the hole.

John

Thanks John - Sorry for the confusion - I reread my comment and see where the confusion came from my badly worded plea. I will get new cables or brake bias valves. My handbrake failed TUV and I thought the cables might be at fault, but I am now thinking Dapinky's thread on replacing the proportioning valves with adj ones is more of a solution. My cables are in good condition and move freely, think I just need to adjust the tension.

[texas2201]

So begrudgingly Lotus are taking the wrong cables back!!!! Here is my response to Lotus and Komotec

Thanks to both of you for sorting this issue out

However, I am some what annoyed that both of you are blaming me for the error!

I looked on the official Lotus parts list and there is a handwritten note to say the part number has been changed to A100J6114S, not unusual with an old car. I then checked the after sales list to see if it was on offer, which it was. So I ordered it at Komotec.

However, when I got the parts home they were not the right ones! They were too short and had the wrong fitting on the caliper end.

I sent you a copy of the diagram from the Lotus service manual and a picture of the original part still on my car. Both of these clearly show that the part is not correct. I did some research on Lotus Elan Central, a well respected forum for these cars. From the forum I discovered that this problem goes back to 2014 ... I also sent this to you Chris.

So now I am banned from buying Elan parts at Komotec .... Due to a Lotus error!!! So much for the Lotus Customer Charter.

Unhappy long term Lotus owner.

Martin G Houston