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Thread ID: 139938	2015-07-26 21:14:00	Brake imbalance 2002 Toyota Corolla 240 000km	Johs (17388)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1405437	2015-07-26 21:14:00	So I took my Corolla in for a warrant and the rear brakes were out by 45% they said. It flew through the last warrant no worries and the guy said that it was odd that the brakes were out of balance, left and right that is. I took it home and ripped off the wheels and the calipers to see I the pads were shot. Pads were fine, side which was doing less of the braking is shining up the disc nicely, the other side however is not. Half the disk is not touchin the pad and so only a small part of the disc is shiny. Unless I'm reading the warrant paper wrong this seems opposite to what it should be. Also the disc has been like that for a long time, and passed the last warrant like that. The hydrolic calipers on both side slid back into there slots without too much force and not noticabke different from each other. On a side note the day before I adjusted the handbrake (the evening before) as it was locking too high up and so tightened it using the Adjustment under the centre consule between the front seats. Would this have any affect on the rear foot brakes? As the handbrake passed in the wof. So after removing the brake pads I blew all the dust off and reassembled them and went for a drive to try some heavy braking.... On gravel I couldnt get the rear brakes to lock up without the front tyres messing with the skid marks. On the Tarmac I got the tears to lock up but the rear brake that was supposedly not braking (also the one with the shiny disc) was the one that locked up... Maybe the mechanic wrote them down wrong... Unsure what to do next, was thinking of putting new rear brake pads on. Any ideas? May need to get brake place to take a look but hoping to save some dollars. Thoughts would be really helpful!	Johs (17388)
1405438	2015-07-26 22:06:00	Maybe they tested wrong, could happen. I have a 2002 camry that failed a warrant for brake balance but on the front. It was a valve in the brake system that I forget the correct name for and had to be replaced. I really couldn't tell much was wrong in normal driving. Maybe this is something similar? See here www.corolland.com	dugimodo (138)
1405439	2015-07-27 00:03:00	For a start this thread can be moved to Chat When was your brake fluid last changed?, had a problem not long ago with a brake Pad/Rotor change(front) got the service done at the Dealership as got a good deal Driving home noticed dragging and when home had smoke and quite a bit of heat coming of them,long story short the Calipers had to be cleaned out as the pistons were not moving freely and were allowing to much pressure to be applied when in motion Calipers cleaned then no more problems Firstly for a start I would change the fluid making sure there is no air in each line this is where a imbalance can occur	Lawrence (2987)
1405440	2015-07-27 06:53:00	Are they drums or rotors in the rear? You need to check all brakes, imbalance is with the side, not necessarily front or rear, so it pays to check them all. Usually take the pads off, check if they've worn evenly and not glazed, sand them with emery cloth (watch the dust), clean the drums/rotors, check they aren't warped. Swap the pads around, left with right, etc. Seems you've checked the calipers as seizing can be the issue here too. Bleed the brakes, then test. However, brakes are not really something you want to fail, so see a specialist. Cheers, KK	Kame (312)
1405441	2015-07-27 07:41:00	I had this with a corolla on the rear drums. Couldn't work it out. Paid to get it retested and passed	plod (107)
1405442	2015-07-27 07:56:00	Get the rotors machined and replace the pads, Make sure the caliper pistons are free, and also check that the caliper slides are free to move on one sided calipers (the pins that pass through the caliper and secure the caliper to the mounting/axle must not be tight or stiff to move (they can rust up); double sided (pistons on both sides of the rotor) are normally solidly mounted. You can get brake machining done at your house in most larger towns. I would advise you to take it to a good garage or brake specialist though, brakes are not the sort of thing you should mess with if you're not sure what you are doing (you could die!)	feersumendjinn (64)
1405443	2015-07-27 10:43:00	Had the same problem (rear brake imbalance) with my 1996 Toyota Sprinter (equiv to a Corolla). The problem was the same as dugimodo's (above). It is a valve that equalises the hydraulic pressure for both sides I think. $500 to replace the valve or $200+ to refurb the existing valve. Apparently another problem can cause this issue as well, when the lining of one of the hydraulic lines peels off and partially blocks that line. This can be checked reasonably easily I gather. If that isn't the fault you could move on to checking the state of the valve. Sorry I can't recall its name either.	John H (8)
1405444	2015-07-27 18:30:00	My little brother (in his younger and moron years) had a similar problem. He simply took his car down the steepest hill in Auckland at full speed, and braked the heck to stop. Then when re-tested... pass! (I don't recommend this fix!)	Greg (193)
1405445	2015-07-27 19:09:00	Find a gravel road or long drive way get up some speed and slam the brakes on look at skids marks. If one is really out you will know as the front of the car heads to the ditch.	prefect (6291)
1405446	2015-07-27 19:37:00	For a start this thread can be moved to Chat When was your brake fluid last changed?, had a problem not long ago with a brake Pad/Rotor change(front) got the service done at the Dealership as got a good deal Driving home noticed dragging and when home had smoke and quite a bit of heat coming of them,long story short the Calipers had to be cleaned out as the pistons were not moving freely and were allowing to much pressure to be applied when in motion Calipers cleaned then no more problems Firstly for a start I would change the fluid making sure there is no air in each line this is where a imbalance can occur Cheers Lawrence, I will get the flush as I think it has been awhile since it was done. Still working on how to change to a chat.	Johs (17388)
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