How to connect two things 6" apart?

[micky]

What can I use to connect two things that are about 6" apart, which won't stretch or break in, I hope, 9 years?

My Chrysler Lebaron would turn the car's interior lights on when a door handle was lifted, but the Toyota Solara doesn't do this. I live in a safe n'hood but once in a while I go some place where I worry the car will be broken into. Turning on the interior lights can be used to set off the car alarm, before there is any damage to the car, so I want the Toyota to do that.

I could use a metal rod (part of a a thick wire hanger would be strong enough) stiff wire, like the Chrysler did, but then there would be problems attaching it at each end.

Right now I plan to use a microswitch at one end, 6" below the door handle, and cement a short metal extension, inside the door, to the handle at the other end. (The Chrysler door handle was made that way.)

So I was thinking of using nylon string, which is made like 1/2" sisal rope in miniature, strands wrapped together in a helix, then 3 of those bundles wrapped together. Will this stretch? It will be under very slight tension all the time, from the spring in the microswitch, except when someone lifts the door handle. (Handle goes up, other end of it goes down, relaxing tension.)

Or maybe monofillament. Weedwacker or fishing line. Will that stetch? And it's hard to tie in knots also.

Cotton string? Like kite string. I don't think that will stretch, but how long will it last? The car was made in 2000 and it's in great condition. I plan to keep the car 7 or 9 years, plus it would be nice if this works for the next owner too.

Metal wire? Won't stretch or break, will it? But hard to attach maybe. I can use insulated 20 gauge electric wire, multi- or single-strand, and solder a loop at each end, but I think it will be hard to get the wire the right length. And I wouldn't be able to tighten the loop once it was made. ,

I can open the door and repair the string if it breaks, but I don't want to now, and I'll want to less 5 or 6 years from now.

What would you do? Thanks.

[bob haller]

yeah go commercial they have ones that can even detect motion around the vehicle and say step back, there are also options that will call your cell phone to alert you something is going wrong.

you could add door switches to detect any door being opened too.......

theres a wide variety of commercial products avaliable to discourage problems

[Joe]

Answering your question, stainless steel picture hanging wire is available at HD, other box stores, rated 100 # or so, and making loops and swaging them with vise grips is easy using small diameter steel tubing like brake lines. For higher strength, double the wire. Mechanics have done this for years to make/repair things like throttle cables.

Joe

[micky]

FTR I meant , What would you do to connect these two things?

I've bought alarms in the past. For my previous 2 cars, the alarm went off when the door handle was lifted, but ONLY because there was a switch connected to each door handle.

This car already has those. Don't all cars? They turn on the courtesy lights, and they are part of the factory car alarm.. But they are not enough.

I know all of them. I've had car alarms for 36 years.

Thank you both.

[clare]

Stainless steel fishing leader, complete with the spring snaps on each end to connect to the linkage, or a magnetic reed switch right on the latch linkage - no string, rod, or whatever required.

[Tony Hwang]