Balancing brakes - Chch

[jtkp61]

failed wof on "breaks to be balanced" is this an easy task or where can I pay someone to do it?

[Taistorm]

Get someone to test them and see whether its the hydraulics that are imbalanced or the caliper/drum assembly.

Recently failed wof on imbalanced brakes so I checked the drums, changed brake shoes and wheel cylinders then turned out to be hydraulic :S and ended up replacing the master. Should of got it checked in the first place..

[sholdowa]

It's pretty easy, although easier with a mate...

1. If the car is diving when brakes are applied, then it's the fronts that aren't working - almost certainly a stuck piston on the side that it didn't dive to. Quick and dirty way: Take out one of the pads, and insert a tyre lever. lever the piston out, making sure the master cylinder doesn't overflow. Then use the brake pedal to tighten up on the tyre lever - making sure the MC doesn't empty. Do that a few times, then replace that brake pad and do the same for the other side. It the rubber dust cover on the piston is perished, it's worth oiling the piston with some brake fluid as you're doing this.

( obviously, it's really time to rebuild the caliper )

2. If it's not diving ( or not much ), then do the same with the back brakes if they're discs. If drum, then take the drums off ( usually easier said than done ) and inspect the slave cylinders for leaks, and the shoes for gunge. Usually replacing the slaves is the easiest/cheapest option, but they can be rebuilt if rare.

Once that's done, it's always good to bleed them. If they're sticking, then they probably havent been touched in a few years, and the fluid will be wet = fading.

But it is better to get calipers rebuilt... it's pretty easy, but everything must be very clean.