Pull Cable

A pull cable lets a handle in one place work a mechanism somewhere else, such as an external battery cut-off, a plumbed-in fire extinguisher or a bonnet release. The cables here come in 1.5, 1.7 and 3 m lengths, in black or red.

The principle is simple: a steel inner wire slides inside a flexible outer sheath. When the handle pulls the wire, the sheath pushes back with the same force, so both of its ends must be anchored firmly or the travel is lost. Every bend adds friction and tight bends add the most, so gentle curves matter more than a short route.

On closed cars, competition rules commonly place the external pull for the cut-off and extinguisher near the base of the windscreen, marked with the standard symbols. Marshals must be able to find it and work it at once. The exact position and markings vary by series, so check the current rules.

Pick by length and colour:

• Length: measure the route with its bends and add some slack, then pick the 1.5, 1.7 or 3 m cable.
• Colour: red makes a safety pull easy to trace, and black suits a discreet route.

Route the cable away from exhaust heat and moving parts, and tie it along its length without crushing the sheath. Clamp the inner wire securely at the mechanism, then test the full travel from the handle. Recheck it before each event and after any work along its route.