First thing you need to do is to inspect the vehicle in question.
Check for play in ball joint. Makes it easier if you have a helper.
Jack up front tire off ground and hands at 9 and 3 Push and pull on wheel.
Should not move. While push and pull, look at ball joints (this is why easier to have helper)
The hands at 12 and 6 Push and pull on wheel. Should not move.
Also, take crow bar or any long bar, put it under tire and see if you can (easy)pull up on it.
While pulling up, look at the ball joints to see if it moves. Should not have movement.
Check parking brake cable.

Tools: Socket set with ratchet. Pipe to get more leverage. Long screw driver or brake spring tool.
Screw drivers (philips and flat). Preferably solid shaft to hit the handle to loosen screws.
Impact driver capable (air or electric) with enough power (very useful but not necessary)
Set of wrenches. A good hammer. Large enough "C" clamp to retract calipers.
Jack (at least 1 and 1/2 ton preferably 3 ton). Jack stands. Wheel blocks. Safety first.
Set of good pliers. A torch preferably oxy-acetylene but Mapp gas will work for most stuck nuts.
File. Brake clean. Anti-seize. Brake Grease.

Watch a lot of youtube videos on how to do the work you want.
They will help give you ideas on how to remove stuck rotors and drums
How to put tough springs back on. What to look for. Changing brake pad hardware. etc.
Come back here for more questions, answers. Good luck.

Note: Do not drain the brake system (master cylinder). Just cut lines and plug leaks
Or do whatever is needed. But do not drain all the brake fluid. Master cylinder.
Maybe there is a video on what happens if one does this?

 

I think you need a trusted local friend to assist in this matter.
The internet is not the way forward from what you posted.
Take care

 

Good advice in any situation

Sadly, I am the trusted friend when everybody else have mechanical issues, so I will take advice where it is offered, but of course double check any information given.

In general I find that there are some very knowledgeable users on this forum which have worked a lot on these cars, so I have had great value in reading about or discussing issues here before I start working on anything. The most useful advice is often along the lines of "What ever you do, don't do XXX - I tried it and it did not end well"

The reason for my post seeming to be rather "green" is that I have so far only got the report from the shop, and I have not started to assess the situation myself due to little time, I will however take almost a week off work shortly and will dive head first into this then. I just need to get the relevant parts off in the mail as soon as possible, so I can start the job when they arrive.

Also; I would like to post my progress here, so that others can find it useful should they embark on the same journey.

I question the need to replace the parking brake shoes, as they would normally not wear much unless the car is regularly driven with the brake still on. The lining is QUITE thin, even new. Just lubricate the shoe-to-backing-plate when you have the rotors off.

I use Honda OEM pads, and aftermarket 'coated' rotors which are cheaper than OEM

You don't need any special tools just to remove the rear rotors incorporating the center parking brake, just don't disconnect any of the shoe's springs. Can be difficult to get everything back together if you do. Take pictures.

Brake line piping: If you are flushing the brake fluid every 3 years as Honda recommends, they should be fine, no action needed.

Ball joints: If there isn't any play in the other ball joints, don't worry. BUT, on Gen2 CR-Vs, the forward bushing on the lower trailing arms often fails. Inspect those bushings, and if you are tempted to replace, just buy aftermarket lower control arms, which include all the bushings and the ball joint.


You can forestall further ball joint issues by injecting grease into the (non-greasable) rubber boots. Use a needle attachment on your grease gun to accomplish this.

Amazon.com: Plews & Edelmann Plews 05-037 Grease Injector Needle : Automotive

Buy Plews & Edelmann Plews 05-037 Grease Injector Needle: Grease Guns - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

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Brake pads:
The pads on one side are most probably worn down, I have previously had an issue where one side was stuck, and now that it is fixed, they pull differently. I need to remove and check them anyway, so I though I would swap them just to be sure. But I have checked out the process, and it does seem like quite a bit of work, especially the springs....if I am in doubt, I will post pictures to get a second opinion before I pull them out, but I think it would be wise to swap them on a almost 20 year old car anyway? If I can drop this point in the process, believe me, I will.

Brake pipes:
They failed the test due to corrosion on the outside, so I need to replace them to get the car approved..

Ball joints:
I hope and pray that it is just the lower one, I will find out today. If I swap one, would it make sense to swap the one on the other side, if they are "a weak link"? I will grease up the remaining ones as you describe.

If the contact area of the brake disks are rusty I'd be tempted to check the calliper pistons whilst you have the system open. Rust is a sure sign that the pads are not contacting and retracting properly.

It's a pain as you wont' know if they are rusty until you pop out the pistons and then you'll need to order the piston and seal kit.

My 2003, 280K kms had four rusty pistons when I did mine last year. Brakes like a new car now.

I echo what Carbuff2 said about handbrake pads, they are probably not even an eighth of an inch when new...

Front lower ball joints are a common failure. The OEMs last ten years or more, aftermarket ones, not so long.

Don't try to remove the ABS wheel sensor, it'll be rusted in, just unclip the wiring and be careful around it, it's only plastic.

Oh, and good luck with the center/drive/hub spline. Mine were rusted in solid, I even rode around town with the nut backed off one turn and still they were solid!

Brake discs:
The problem is not rust on the contact area of the discs, but on the edges. They seem to be ready for a replacement though. The brakes have been sticking a bit, but I think that this is due to them not being maintained for a long time, I did not see any rust on the pistons or calipers in general when I checked (did not pop the caliper pistons out), but the "gliding brackets" were actually missing on the rear....either someone did a replacement job and did not put new ones in, or something a lot more mysterious has happened....

(Thank you for the hint about the ABS sensor, just the kind of advice I am looking for)

I will post back here once I get a look at things, and will update this thread with my progress (or lack thereof, fingers crossed)

 

I question the need to replace the parking brake shoes, as they would normally not wear much unless the car is regularly driven with the brake still on. The lining is QUITE thin, even new. Just lubricate the shoe-to-backing-plate when you have the rotors off.

I use Honda OEM pads, and aftermarket 'coated' rotors which are cheaper than OEM

You don't need any special tools just to remove the rear rotors incorporating the center parking brake, just don't disconnect any of the shoe's springs. Can be difficult to get everything back together if you do. Take pictures.

Brake line piping: If you are flushing the brake fluid every 3 years as Honda recommends, they should be fine, no action needed.

Ball joints: If there isn't any play in the other ball joints, don't worry. BUT, on Gen2 CR-Vs, the forward bushing on the lower trailing arms often fails. Inspect those bushings, and if you are tempted to replace, just buy aftermarket lower control arms, which include all the bushings and the ball joint.


You can forestall further ball joint issues by injecting grease into the (non-greasable) rubber boots. Use a needle attachment on your grease gun to accomplish this.

Amazon.com: Plews & Edelmann Plews 05-037 Grease Injector Needle : Automotive

Buy Plews & Edelmann Plews 05-037 Grease Injector Needle: Grease Guns - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

If the contact area of the brake disks are rusty I'd be tempted to check the calliper pistons whilst you have the system open. Rust is a sure sign that the pads are not contacting and retracting properly.

It's a pain as you wont' know if they are rusty until you pop out the pistons and then you'll need to order the piston and seal kit.

My 2003, 280K kms had four rusty pistons when I did mine last year. Brakes like a new car now.

I echo what Carbuff2 said about handbrake pads, they are probably not even an eighth of an inch when new...

Front lower ball joints are a common failure. The OEMs last ten years or more, aftermarket ones, not so long.

Don't try to remove the ABS wheel sensor, it'll be rusted in, just unclip the wiring and be careful around it, it's only plastic.

Oh, and good luck with the center/drive/hub spline. Mine were rusted in solid, I even rode around town with the nut backed off one turn and still they were solid!

 

Here are pictures of the brake pipes:

From this I have come to the following conclusions: 1. They really do need replacing, and 2. I need to make them myself anyway, I cannot see this as a ready-made part coming safely through the mail in any kind of packaging.

 

I must be missing something re the brake pipes from the images. The red looks too red for rust, more like paint?

It's unusual for those 'high level' pipes to go rusty enough to fail inspection. The usual place on the CRV is under the master cylinder (more so if some clod in the past has spilt fluid) and around the 4 way; and of course all the 'extremities'...

 

From the looks of it someone or something redid the brake lines mines don't look like that at all? But if there is no leaks at the modulator or caliper connectors then your good. I had to recently on my 02 CRV replace both rear calipers/pads and rotors because they were so worn and showed streaks but the front I replaced both calipers/pads because the passenger froze on the rotors. But inspection of it showed it was still ok and nothing wrong. But I am still thinking someone redid those brake lines as they don't look OEM curves and bends.