Handbrake, adjustment or renewal

[dantheram]

My handbrake lever is coming up a considerable distance from the centre column.

Read somewhere that it's likely to be that the cables need renewing as opposed to an adjustment (someone mentioned it's self adjusting??)

What are people's opinions?

[alexperkins]

The cables have adjustment on the base of the handbrake lever. The calipers are self adjusting as such but only to a point

[dantheram]

I'm renewing the cables - one side is sticking like mad an the other isn't much better.

[alexperkins]

If that's the case definitely renew

[dantheram]

any tips alex?

can you get at the screws without ripping the whole of the plastic trim off in the car?

[alexperkins]

If you remove the two plastic speed nuts under the gearstick gaitor, and the trim in front of the handbrake lever, you can lift the center console up enough to get to the nuts

Its two 10mm nuts from memory on each cable.