Front and rear brakes question:

cavmad · Post by **cavmad** » Sat Feb 04, 2006 9:18 am

My `new` BX estate has failed MOT on rear discs being corroded and the o/s/f handbrake having little or no effort.
I have some new discs and pads which came with the 1.6 petrol hatchback I bought, will these fit the 1.9 n/a diesel estate?
Also, and I appreciate it`s probably hard to tell without actually seeing the car, what is the likely cause of the o/s handbrake having little or no effort please?
I thought it mayhave been the front disc pads being low on one side but then surely that brake would have failed the MOT too?
As ever any help/thoughts greatly appreciated, cheers.

sleepy0905 · Post by **sleepy0905** » Sat Feb 04, 2006 9:27 am

Not sure if the 1.6 parts will fit but the handbrake could be a broken cable,worn cable, seized handbrake mechanism without looking it could be a few things but check the cable first mine was like this when i got her 5 years ago it turned out to be a seized cable 1 new cable and all was cured although the new cable was a bitch to edjust so it pulled even on each side and even now it still has about 2 notches of slack and free play in it.

tim leech · Post by **tim leech** » Sat Feb 04, 2006 12:15 pm

Rear brakes are the same on all models matey.

Sounds like a seized mechanism, if the cable was snapped it wouldnt work at all and you would get no effort.

Brian · Post by **Brian** » Sat Feb 04, 2006 12:52 pm

Hi,
Regarding the front hand brake, if it's not the cable, then just remove the spring circlip from the rubber boot, then carefully fold the boot off one side to reveal the mechanism..

Look for water ingress and corrosion...

You should be able to move the lever by hand, and it should spring back again...

Best of luck

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Sat Feb 04, 2006 3:56 pm

It could be the cable if the outer casing has gone.

cavmad · Post by **cavmad** » Sat Feb 04, 2006 5:42 pm

Thanks folks and welcome along Brian! Got the car down to the unit today and a couple of quick calls to Ian Fearn later and we`d cracked it. The return mechanism on the o/s/f caliper was u/s so luckily for me my £1.60 BX saved the day with a perfectly good caliper. Car now repaired to what we think is a good enough standard and ready for re-test next week.

cavmad · Post by **cavmad** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 4:25 pm

B*ll*cks. Just phoned to see how it got on and here`s what they said: front brakes out of balance and handbrake still inoperable or weak.
Can`t see how as we replaced caliper with a working one with a known (and tested) handbrake release lever which we saw working. The old one didn`t work so how can it still fail MOT now it`s been replaced?
Also wonder how/why they tested all front brakes to come up with imbalance when they were previously fine and therefore surely they`d only re-test the handbrake operation on the o/s/f?
I`m a bit p*ssed off to be honest, I`ve always used this garage and they`re normally very reliable. However to fail on something that passed a couple of days ago and has literally done less than 50 yards since last time is both strange and bloody annoying.
Anyone any ideas on why this may be please?

sleepy0905 · Post by **sleepy0905** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 4:45 pm

Had a similar thing a while ago make sure the handbrake cables are adjusted equally and make sure both brakes have been bled fully and if you are using new pads on old discs then take it for a good spin with your foot partially on the brake pedal to bed the pads to the discs ottherwise there operation for the first couple of hundred miles will be crap.

Stewart (oily!) · Post by **Stewart (oily!)** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 4:53 pm

I agree, your fifty yards is probably the answer as long as you are sure about the condition of the cable. did you fit new pads to both sides?
Stewart

Cornishbx16v · Post by **Cornishbx16v** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 5:46 pm

Stewart (oily!) wrote: did you fit new pads to both sides?
Stewart

Sorry but i dont think anyone is stupid enough to only replace the pads on one side! inherantly dangerous imo!

cavmad · Post by **cavmad** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 6:17 pm

Nope, only replaced caliper and used existing discs and pads which we marked up and put back in the same place as before. Handbrake had never worked so good and only went up a few notches and was locking the front wheels very tightly. In fact I`ve never had a BX with such good brakes and having followed some advice on how to get the handbrake to work correctly it was working superbly. We even drove round a yard and slammed the brakes on a few times and measured the skid marks which were equal in length and depth. I now wonder if they didn`t give the suspension and pump time to rise and settle properly and therefore maybe there wasn`t enough pressure to make brakes work correctly?

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 7:10 pm

I suspect, if you've used the same discs and pads refitted in the same position, then you've not bled it properly. Or you've got the pads back in a different position.

As for the handbrake, did you adjust it up to a balance with the other side, this requires both front wheels off the ground.

It must be quite a long way out as the MOT does give quite a good tolerance regarding imbalance.

cavmad · Post by **cavmad** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 7:23 pm

No to be honest Ken! I recall we pulled the handbrake lever up with foot on brakes, then released both and repeated a few times. Certainly worked at the time, like I say never had brakes so good.

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 7:38 pm

In that case I think you need to drive round the block a few times to ensure the pads are bedded in, then put handbrake on 1 or 2 notches and adjust cables untill both wheels are locked and cannot be turned by hand, then release the handbrake and check to make sure it does release.

Both cables are linked by a compensator lever, as you tighten one cable, it will affect the other, thats why you need both wheels off the ground and keep checking both sides.