Trouble shooting handbrake issue

[mlhs]

Hi,

Adjusting the handbrake in preparation for my car's MOT. I have completed all the necessary steps;
slackened cables
removed cables from calipers
wound in the piston and back out atleast 180 deg
pumped the brake pedal
reconnected cables and tightened (making sure the lever on the caliper isn't moved due to over tightening)

The offside is perfect engages after one click of the handbrake and can't spin the wheel at all around 3 clicks. However the near side is still able to be spun up until the 4th or 5th click.

Near side cable seems to be ok and not seized, although when all connected up it is noticeably tighten than the offside. Would this suggest the need for a new cable? Or is there someway of balancing the cables out that I have missed?

I am going to bleed the full system today or tomorrow, and repeat the steps above to reset the handbrake and hopefully it will balance the effort made by each side.

[PW@Woodsport]

Sounds like a cable issue or you have a problem internally on that one caliper, i would replace the cable and try again, if that doesn't work then i'd suggest replacing the caliper.

I trust your discs and pads are perfect?

[mlhs]

The pads and disks look fine, ill change the cable and see if that sorts it. I think the caliper itself is fine. I had the same issue last year as I got an advisory for lack of effort on the near side. Using the brake pedal it was fine. So all points to the cable, just didn't want to start buying parts if there was something I had missed.

Thanks for your advice, much appreciated.

[MartG]

Check that the yoke that connects the two cables from the calipers to the cable from the handbrake lever hasn't seized and isn't applying force to the two cables equally ( under one of the plastic guards under the centre of the car )

[PW@Woodsport]

^^^ Good shout ^^^

[mlhs]

From memory that part is fine moves freely, ill double check before I order any parts.

[mlhs]

All sorted, and didn't need to buy anything. Re-greased the connection that MartG suggested to check and made sure it was moving freely. Bled the system, and reset the left rear caliper making sure I got the piston as close to the pad as I could. Just need to get it booked in for MOT now.

Thanks again for the advice.