dear all
after a failed MOT for handbrake looseness (no more adjustment available in the cabin) I've replaced the rear brake shoes, but not the drums (which were rusted but in good shape and adequate thickness. 
I'm finding now that the handbrake is being a little temperamental to adjust - the situation is that one wheel spins freely and the other is grabbing somewhat significantly.  I've pumped the brakes quite a bit to get the adjustment spring to set where it wants. 
is this just new brake shoes needing to be worn in or is there some magic that is advised ?
thanks to all as ever
Justin

The car drives fine and there's no squealing from the shoes.  Handbrake feels well adjusted 

 

So I'm going to chalk down the grabbing to the coating on the new shoes or some lack of adjustment that needed some running to get right.   The cars going to sit unused for a week and then I will jack it up and check again before its moT  retest

 

 

I've had problems!s in past with my 2004/car.

Mine was down to partially stuck handbrake cable, on rear arm, where clip holds cable to radius arm.

Next was problem with one adjuster not dropping properly, so that auto adjust was not working. Once solved,I adjusted cable to get one side just stopping wheel to rotate. And check force needed to rotate wheel with handbrake on a few notches. Repeat on other wheel. I used an old torque wrench to check force.

But there is a known problem on older shoes where rivet on shoe join seizes.

I'm assuming handbrake operates on rear drums.

10 hours ago, VWD said:

I've had problems!s in past with my 2004/car.

Mine was down to partially stuck handbrake cable, on rear arm, where clip holds cable to radius arm.

Next was problem with one adjuster not dropping properly, so that auto adjust was not working. Once solved,I adjusted cable to get one side just stopping wheel to rotate. And check force needed to rotate wheel with handbrake on a few notches. Repeat on other wheel. I used an old torque wrench to check force.

But there is a known problem on older shoes where rivet on shoe join seizes.

I'm assuming handbrake operates on rear drums.

Yes. Handbrake operates on drums. 

I don't think it is the cable in my case as I can pull the cable quite freely from inside the cabin.  But when I get back I will check the cable just in case.

Set the cables evenly, whip the drums off, back the adjusters off.

 

Check the end of the cable at wheel is sat evenly on each side.

 

Get an assistant to gently work the handbrake lever while you watch how much free play there if before the shoes start to move. I'm guessing you've got a stretched cable. 

 

If it's not a stretched cable, take it all apart, clean, lubricate (including the backplates) and reassemble.

Steve , other place to look is for damage/ rust where cable is clipped to arm.

If replacing cable, do both..it makes for less problems with balance and stretch.

As said, other problem I had was with dirty adjusters. Next change will be adjusters.