Handbrake & MOT...

[Sponge Bob]

So what should the handbrake be like to pass an MOT?

Mine feels quite tight, and you can only click it about twice before it is fully on - is that how it should be?

[Sports Toyota Breakers]

Sounds fine. Easiest way is to pop the rear end off the ground, pull the handbrake a few clicks and see if you can move either wheel by hand. Sometimes one will hold great but the other not hold at all, which AFAIK, will result in a fail.

Jon @ STB

[Sponge Bob]

Ok great - good test! Thanks mate

[Jiff Lemon]

Ok, as long as the lever doesn't travel past the end of its working operation, there's no limit to the number of "clicks" it can do.

Make sure that the handbrake levers (on the calipers) move and return freely. Then pump the brakes to make sure the pads push out to the disk. Then and only then, adjust the cable. I tend to aim for 7-8 clicks; Sometimes if you have too few clicks, you'll end up with the handbrake cable pulled on even with the handbrake down.

[Sponge Bob]

Hmm good advice MOT maestro - will have to check the rears are not engaged with the lever down!!

[lodgeman]

has your gearbox got a lsd? if so you need to tell them as they cant be tested on the rollers! they have to be taken out on the road.:hand:

[Sponge Bob]

Unfortunatley not Alan... but it's probably a good thing - don't want anyone driving my car before I get a chance to properly drive it lol...

I tested the back wheel with the handbrake on, and the offside doesn't turn by hand, but does if you use a lug-but spanner... it's on one side, so would it be a failure...

[Sports Toyota Breakers]

How many weetabix required to rotate it? If a reasonable amount of force it should still pass - they may just give you an advisory.

[Sponge Bob]

Many weetabix...

[Jiff Lemon]

Should be fine - Any big hills nearby? Handbrake should hold on a 1 in 6 hill.

What about the nearside? Do we have equal amount of weetabix on each side?

[Sponge Bob]

Unfortunately not - you'd need tons of weetabix for the near-side...!

But only a bowl or two for off-side...

[Jiff Lemon]

ok; Stop adjusting the cable, start looking at the offside caliper.

You may just want to bung it through a test and keep your fingers crossed but I'd suggest pulling the pads off and checking everything is free and moving.

[Sponge Bob]

I've not adjusted any cables yet... but will just see what happens on Friday now...!

[Paff]

find a friendly mot tester who lets you operate the handbrake and accidentaly leave your foot on the pedal :)

[Sponge Bob]

Hahaha - I wish Paff... if I want to find a friendly MOT tester I'm going to have to travel 100m back home!!

[Marksman]

Hahaha - I wish Paff... if I want to find a friendly MOT tester I'm going to have to travel 100m back home!!

I'd say for a journey of one hundred metres it's worth the effort :slap:

O.S.

[b2hbm]

Hi,
If it's not too late, here's what the MoT tester told me last year when mine failed on the h/brake.

I thought mine was reasonable - I do the "can you turn it by hand when it's jacked up" test and I couldn't move it. It held both wheels on a slope but there's no 1:6 hills around here. But when it was tested it was only around 17% on the rollers, about even on both wheels (need 25% to pass)

Then he said that if it locked one wheel, even if the other was below 25%, it would pass. That's h/b only, if the footbrake is uneven, it's a fail. They have a check-box for wheel-lock on the DVLA screen where they enter the braking figures. And that's how it got through.... tick the box and the numbers are irrelevant as long as the footbrake is balanced.

[Sponge Bob]

Mine got through perfectly on the brakes ironically - but some top info for the archive there!