my handbrake lever seems to be catching on the tubes where the cables run when i let the handbrake off. do the tubes move and is this a common problem.it's in a 70 bug.

The tubes can break away, but it's not common,
Check out the "Inside a bug" pics at my club site below, may give you a better idea as to what may be happening.

My handbrake lever was catching on wires in my Kombi, so I cut a piece of thin sheet metal to size and bent it into a wide "n" shape to make a tunnel-roof over the handbrake lever. It just sits on the two metal bits that hold the dash to the front (I don't know if that's the same as for a beetle). The wires go over the tunnel-roof so they don't get caught any more. It was really quick and easy to do, hope yours is as simple!