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.
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 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
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
MMMMmmmm still having problems with pics. Anyway the lever nestles between the seat and the transmission tunnel/chassis backbone.
Jim
I have never used the parking brake for hill starts - just heel and toe!
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… 
Oh you did, did you Alex 
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
Jimj, any chance of posting your handbrake pics. Maybe you need to reduce their size before posting?
Regards
Gerry
Hmmm, that eliminates this solution for me… At 120kg, I fit snuggly enough with a lever next to me… 
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…
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.
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
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
Hi All,
Ed is right. BUT… With the handbrake tree lever ‘Turnbuckle for actuation rods’ as Ed called it as far back as it will go. That is just about touching the chassis down tube, one must also ensure the handbrake levers on the calipers are resting on their stops. NOW… When fitting the actuation rods from the tree lever to the caliper levers, 9 times out of 10 one finds them too short by anything up to 4-5 mm approx. Fitting them (and keeping the tree lever where you want it) will lift the caliper levers off their stops. SO… To acheive the tree lever position and levers on stops situ’ one has to ‘set’ the length of the rods. Setting the adjustment as Ed says is next, so adjust the pads clearance as normal. Levers should still be on their stops and the tree lever nearly touching the down tube. IE as far back as it will go. THEN fit your new cable. Again 9 times out of 10 it WILL be too long and setting the cable correctly will see you with ALL the adjustment used up and then some. Hence Rob’s spacer and my shortened cable.
Take your pick as to which method you use. I much prefer to see the cable fully engaged and screwed ALL the way into the mount, and the lock nut tightened. Any futher slack appearing can be quickly adjusted out. If I run out of adjustment again (this does happen!) I simply screw the cable adjuster all the way back in and reset the nipple position.
I have two shortened cables. The one on the car (at the moment) has the clamped on moveable/removable purpose made stainless steel nipple. It is under test if you like. I have pulled with both hands on the car's handbrake 'lever' (There is no leverage. its a straight pull !) WAY more than a normal 'pull' and I can't move the nipple.
I also tested this on a ‘spare’ cable sent by Susan Millar and I did apply leverage to this cable using the same ‘nipple’ and again I could not shift it, so no safety issue what so ever. I would defy anyone to move it under reasonable (say double the normal load?) conditions. This is the system I used to find the cable length required before I cut the inner and fitted a new swaged on nipple. This cable was a perfect length when fitted to the car, BUT it is already stretching and has required some adjustment.
My hand brake, tested during MOT and with the clamp on nipple fitted, easily managed to lock the wheels.
This is my solution to the problem. But as I say.. 'To each their own'. Sort it to suit yourself... When you are happy with it. Fine. It's not difficult. Properly set it works just fine.
Alex B…
I went through Ed’s bag of tricks with the adjustment. The cable was still too long. Rather that wretching the whole thing out and possibly winding up with a botched job of clamping the end on a new location/shortened cable, I took the easy way outi and was done with it in very little time . Works like a charm. Adjuster bolt is screwed almost all the way in. Perhaps there were different sources for these cables or some were just longer than others. Switching around parts seems to be the norm when these cars were built.
Rob Walker
26-4889
Hi Ed…
Nah! I had no hang ups etc. The cable was just too feckin long! It was well slack! Even with the tree lever right back touching the chassis. I had to take off around 80mm of inner. I made up the Stainkess nipple and slid it along the cable to where I wanted it.Tightened the grubs.Then tightened the locking grubs. I then cut off the excess cable and measured it. That was the info I gave to Susan M… I think I should still have the cutting somewhere. It was fully the length of the screw adjuster part.
I also produced adjustable ends on the ‘rods’. Set them exactly to length and slipped in stainless clevis pins thro’ rebored holes. R clips hold them in place. Caliper ends have 5mm dia well copperslipped bolts with nylock nuts tightened to remove any slop but allowing free rotation.
My handbrake is great now. Thank goodness. Car has now done 2k mls and only adjusted the handbrake a small amount once. So far so good.
Rob is also dead on… You need to do something or you have a slack cable. His spacer to take up the slack will also work well.
Alex…
Has anybody fitted inertia reel seatbelts to their Elan, this would fix the problem of not being able to reach the handbrake? TOH has this problem when driving my Elan, so I get to drive up and down all the windy mountain roads, so it’s not all bad
Carl
I did a long time ago see: