2002 1.4 failed MOT on uneven rear brakes,balance plate thing at handbrake end was on slant as though one cable had stretched.Had drums off,shoes all in good condition,loads of meat on them,evenly worn etc.Cables pulling smoothly,but one looks longer.Want to take them both out and measure them,how do you get them out of that little tunnel thing they each go through into car.Have ordered 2 new cables.Once again,everything drum end seems all how it should be.Thanks.

Just pull, hard.

I had this problem.

 

To level up the bar at the handbrake lever I cut a diagonal slot into a suitable size nut slid it over the cable next to the 'nipple' at the end to effectively shorten the stretched cable.

 

This leveled up the adjustment and lasted another 3 years before I decided to change the cables.

Can't work out why one would stretch? As I said,everything drum end is in good order,got cables all unattached now,just need to pull them through the tube things below lever,proving tricky though,will get them out and compare them.