Hand Brake removal???

[Nicky753]

Hi...may sound a bit of of a nothing question...but how do you remove the hand brake handle grip?
looked at it loads of times and can't fathom it out without destroying it.

[thai-wronghorse]

What handbrake do you have, is it the standard plastic one? If it is you need to poke a long thin flat screwdriver or similar implement into the slot beneath the button. It's fiddly and takes a few goes but basically you need to release the plastic retaining tab on the inside whilst yanking it quite firmly.

[Nicky753]

I actually have a vento hand brake cover that i was gonna try to fit...but it won't go straight over the existing colour concept leather handle as it's a too tight a fit. Don't want to knacker the old hand grip up tho just in case it doesn't look/fit right.
I'm assuming you mean go in from the button end?

[Nicky753]

Just managed to dismantle it safely...looks like i'll need another colour concept handle to butcher as the plastic sleeve is missing from the vento one 

[thai-wronghorse]

If i'd known it was a leather one i'd have said it was easier to unbolt the handbrake from the floor and stick something long and pointy under the grip sleeve from the back rather than the front to release the internal prong. Glad you got it off anyway.
I've recently been chopping and changing a variety of mk3 handbrakes together, I've currently got a mk3.5 Cabrio lever with chrome button, a leather handgrip from a colour concept i believe and the leather gaitor from a US spec center console modified to fit between the two.

[Nicky753]

mmmm....chrome button..