Sprinter van came in with no working handbrake. We diagnosed a seized mechanism and fixed it with new cable and hardware at 1Stop Motor Shop in Newtownabbey.
This Mercedes Sprinter van rolled into 1Stop Motor Shop in Newtownabbey with a serious safety concern — no working handbrake. Not just loose or weak — completely ineffective.
After a full underside inspection, we found the handbrake cable mechanism had failed, with rusted components and a seized balance bar (pictured above), stopping the cables from applying pressure to the rear brakes.
Especially for larger work vehicles like Sprinters used around Belfast and Newtownabbey, handbrake issues are frequent due to:
Rusted or seized components from moisture and salt
Frayed or stretched cables
Worn-out linkage mechanisms
Lack of regular lubrication or servicing
In this case, the cable tensioner had seized, leaving the handbrake completely inoperative.
We:
Stripped down the entire rear handbrake assembly
Replaced corroded bolts and retaining pins
Cleaned and lubricated the equaliser bar
Fitted a new cable and adjusted the system
The result? A fully functioning handbrake that passed all load and tension checks.
Whether you're a delivery driver or tradesperson, this is a safety feature you can't ignore.
