Well, guess what I've been doing this week......
Yup, car went in for the MoT and failed on the back brakes and handbrake!
So I stripped the back brakes down yesterday after the pads took almost a week to arrive via eBay, usually takes two or three days at best in my experience.
MoT said the pads had less than 1.5mm of linings remaining, 3 of the pads were at least 5mm and one might have been 3mm...but I digress.
They were not moving freely so a full strip down and re-greasing everything plus the obligatory filing down of the "ears" on the new set, to get the buggers in!
Once fully assembled, I tried the hand-brake...not much resistance but I decided to have a cup of coffee and pick up the lad after school.
I've been back out this morning and removed the centre console, checked the cables and that everything was moving correctly. All looks A-OK.
Tried the handbrake and virtually non-existent... MoT re-test is Monday afternoon...hmm.
So I fully slackened off the adjusting nut and pulled the handbrake way up. Shock horror the brakes actually came on!
I've been slowly increasing the tension and it seems the handbrake is now working properly but I think I need to add washers to get it exactly where it needs to be.
Is the correct procedure to slacken off the handbrake then pump the brakes multiple time with the foot pedal, then adjust the cable, or, is that just a coincidence?
Some time next week, assuming the brakes pass the re-test I'm going to go a service on the front brakes.
It's weird, because the old "02" plate never needed anything done to the brakes at all really during the 5 or 6 years of ownership.