Rear brake balance

[Michael4]

Our camper has just passed the mot but with an advisory that the rear brakes are imbalanced, driver's side being the weaker.

While it was on the rollers I asked him to check the balance of the handbrake (not in the MOT). This was fine.

My thinking behind this being that if handbrake adjustment was fine then footbrake adjustment would be OK and the culprit would be a sticky wheel cylinder.

So...am I right in jumping to the conclusion that the problem is the wheel cylinder?

[lefty67]

Could well be rear cylinder. A leaking one was the cause of mine although there was no sign of it leaking. However it did leak from the drum eventually and by this time had contaminated the shoes. Check the brake fluid level.

[Stesaw]

The handbrake system is different to the hydraulic system of the brake pedal.
As Lefty said, could be a brake cylinder, could be shoes either worn or not adjusted correctly, but if the hand brake works OK then its probaby a cylinder thats duff or you need to bleed the brakes.

When was the last time the fluid was changed?

I thought the Handbrake was part of the MOT as its part of the brakes, they always check mine and the vehicles we put in for MOT..

[Michael4]

Thanks all.

Now I come to think about it the brake fluid will be at least 6 years old.

The handbrake is part of the MOT but as I understand it handbrake balance isn't. I know, that doesn't seem to make a lot of sense...

[TONYT25T25]

If it is a leaking brake cylinder it is not clearly visible until you take the drum off, they tend to weep when seals have gone, quite easy and cheap to replace. When I last replaced mine I also balanced the brakes by adjusting the brake shoes with the drum off.