We found a rare brake imbalance during a free health check at our Newtownabbey garage. Here’s what it means, why it’s dangerous, and how we caught it early.
At 1Stop Motor Shop in Newtownabbey, we recently carried out a free health and safety check on a customer’s vehicle — and found a brake inbalance at the rear, putting safety at risk without the driver even knowing it.
Brake issues don’t always show symptoms like squealing or grinding. In this case, it took our experience to spot that one side was doing most of the braking — a clear imbalance.
A brake imbalance means the braking force isn’t evenly distributed across the axles. One wheel might be braking harder than the other, causing:
Pulling to one side under braking
Increased tyre wear
Reduced stopping distance
Possible MOT failure
This issue is more common in older vehicles or those with worn, seized, or unevenly worn brake components.
This customer booked in for a free health check — which includes:
Brake condition inspection
Tyre tread and pressure checks
Suspension and steering check
Lights and fluid levels
Our checks picked up an imbalance in rear braking force, likely due to uneven wear or a sticky caliper or wheel cylinder.
Left unresolved, this could have led to poor braking in an emergency — or a brake-related MOT fail.
Common causes include:
Uneven brake pad or shoe wear
Seized calipers, cylinders or handbrake mechanisms
Faulty brake hoses or hydraulics
Corroded brake components
Tyre pressure differences
We advised this customer to have the affected components repaired and re-tested for safe, even braking across all wheels.
If your car pulls to one side when braking — or if you haven’t had your brakes checked in a while — book a free health and safety check with us.
At 1Stop Motor Shop, we offer:
Brake diagnostics and repairs
Brake fluid replacement and caliper servicing
MOT prep and retests
Honest advice, always
Trusted by drivers across Belfast - how to contact us:
- Call/WhatsApp (phone and text): 07951 728365
- DM our socials (Facebook & Instagram)
- Email: OneStopMotorShop@hotmail.com
- Contact us via our website
