Handbrake adjustment

[Meggyman]

I've posted several times about my handbrake woes

The car failed its MOT because the caliper that was fitted was the incorrect type. That was Renaults fault for supplying the wrong one

Now I've got the correct one "Hurray" and fitted it ok.
It passed the MOT. The technician said that the caliper is not as efficient as the one on other side when applying the handbrake.
How can you balance the handbrake so that it pulls the same as the other side?

[davelowe]

If the handbrake has an internal balancing bar then you can't adjust the cable tension manually.

To be honest, I wouldn't worry about it. MOT tests will measure the braking difference between the front pair of wheels and the rear pair. Each pair is allowed around a 20% variation and there is another figure to take into account. The handbrake is only designed to keep the car stationary. If it works within the statuary limits, I would regard it as a non-problem. The only other solution I can think of is to replace the other calliper which in my opinion is a waste of money.

It's worth popping the trim inside and having a look at the balancing bar - if it's lop sided when the brake is applied then the problem could be the cables being of differing lengths (or not being adjusted properly at the calliper) - this should be an easy-ish fix.