Does anyone know what the handbrake cables are from on early Indy with drum rear brakes? The handbrake end has a thread on end of cable, tried mk sports but they only do cables for disc brakes.

I think they are Sierra, with the white adjusters. Iirc all the early IRS rear cars were Sierra based, looks like this -

You should have two tabs on the chassis for the adjuster ends to lock in.


Description

I built an early MK Indy and it was Sierra based. Sierra rear drum brakes and it used a Sierra handbrake cable. I reused the Sierra handbrake lever too.

I had to modify the cable to shorten it as the MK Indy is way shorter than a Sierra.

Here's how I shortened the cable...


Rescued attachment img_3.jpg

and another showing the white adjusters...


Rescued attachment img_1.jpg


[Edited on 8/12/23 by nick205]

There are two separate cables one has white adjuster , the ends screw into handbrake lever, on the end of cable there is a nipple which is where cable is broken. I am hoping to crimp a new nipple to cable but can only find them in China . If I can’t identify cable will have to fit Sierra cables & shorten them as suggested.

Mine was a single Ford Sierra handbrake cable. I cut the nipple off to shorten the cable and then clamped the ends together in the drilled bolt (as per my photo). The Sierra handbrake lever had a metal arc on it which the cable ran around (to balance the pull between L & R).

Have to say it was fairly simple and worked faultlessly. My drive is fairly steep and it held the car solid as a rock (brand new shoes, wheel cyclinders and pipework etc).

how tight did you have to get the cable?

I've shortened mine and find i have to 'pull' the cable really tight before clamping and its a pig to setup. I do wonder if i've got something wrong in the brake drums.

Fairly tight, but easy to setup. Remember it's a Ford Sierra.

Follow a Haynes manual if you have one.

I needed 3-4 lever clicks for full hold on a steep slope.

I think I have two seperate cables because there is a t piece on lever which looks specially made & cables have nipples crimped on & then screwed into t piece. Thanks for all the helpful replies .

Stick a picture up so we can take a look.

As mentioned before the sierra ones were very common. You have to have them really right by hand, lock them off and then use the screw adjusters to get the tension needed. I have only built up rear discs, drums may be even worse with their inefficiency.