Parking Brake Efficiency

TriComm

TriComm

0
Does anyone know how to check for brake efficiency?
Clara has just had her M.o.T. and she failed because the parking brake efficiency was "below requirements".
She passed after a quick adjustment but it got me thinking, how do you check for parking brake efficiency? We spent part of our holidays on the North Yorkshire Moors and the parking brake held her on some pretty steep hills so it was good enough to do its job but not good enough to satisfy the man from the ministry.
 
He did know that the handbrake is on the front wheels?
I guess the only home method to test the handbrake is to find a quiet stretch of road and try it on the move. Be careful though, not too fast and be prepared for it to pull to one side if there's an imbalance.
 
I don't know if he knew they work on the front but I would hope he'd be able to work that out if he's allowed to test vehicles.
He didn't mention an imbalance just the "efficiency" was below requirements.
 
Unless if you know someone that has a rolling road tester or the old type in vehicle inertia tester, there is no way of knowing. I had so many problems with imbalance, I put a rolling road tester in!
 
TriComm said:
I don't know if he knew they work on the front but I would hope he'd be able to work that out if he's allowed to test vehicles.
He didn't mention an imbalance just the "efficiency" was below requirements.
Click to expand...

That's what got me thinking, I usually remind the MOT man where it is as they need to key it in to the brake tester.
 
I thought maybe if you had a couple of reference marks on the road and jumped on the brakes at a certain speed at the first mark then if it stops before the second mark it would be ok. I'll just remind the tester next time then and keep my fingers crossed.
Maybe if I take my good lady out and slam on the brakes... if she hits her head on the windscreen that'll be a pass :D
 
Yes, you could estimate the brake efficiency by the size of the bump on her head - trouble is the healing time between tests:rolleyes:
 
I didn't think about the healing time. You're right Panky, new windscreens can be hard to find sometimes :)
 
I paid fourty quid (classic friendly garage)after several attempts at getting the colonels brakes balanced.front drums were swapped over hey presto mot
 
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