Brakes and mechanics

[mnde]

My old Meteor had a sheared handbrake cable guide-bracket, which was the cause of the rubbing noise from the n/s wheel when going round left hand bends. The bracket is there so that when you turn the wheel, the handbrake cable does not foul the inner edge of the wheel.

My local Cit specialist told me they were unavailable from Citroen. So I rang Rob Moss at Chevronics and he looked it up and gave me a part number. I rang the garage back and quoted this part number, and lo and behold, the bracket IS available from Citroen. Or at least it was in 2003. So no welding required!!

Anyone who is on this fabled citroen.pr-net thingie should be able to get the part no. for you

Mark.

[ken newbold]

Sorry Stu I don't buy it.

The braket is bolted to the hub, not the strut, it's held on by two allen screws. You could sourse one from most scrap hubs. As for the angle of the brake cable, it's unlikely to make much if any difference. The brake hose should not be tiewrapped to the strut as it needs to move with the steering.

You really could do with the correct bracket, I'm sure someone on here will have one. But I doubt this is the problem.

[stuart_hedges]

Neither the mechanic nor I were convinced either Ken, but these intermittent faults are just such a pain to track down It wasn't binding in the garage so it's hard to say what the problem was.

My major worry is my breakdown cover - according to the small print they won't come out to the same fault if nothing's been done to fix it. I might give them a call and see what's what.

[ken newbold]

You might find, it doesn't bind when it's cooled down.

If it mine, I'd try have an assistant press the brake pedal down while you keep hold of the hose and try to feel any abnormalities. If the hose feels OK I'd strip the brakes down completely and make sure the sliders are free to move, also from what you tell us, I'd want to check that the pads are fitted correctly, i.e. with the notches on the back of the pads located in the groove on the piston, and at the same time that the piston moves OK.

Thats one beauty of BX discs brakes, they're so easy, it's also one of the disadvantages, they're too easy and many garages take the short cuts.

[DavidRutherford]

We decided that that one brake must be binding on; but not enough to prevent the car being pushed by one hand.

This is something I have a problem with. I've driven all manner of heaps-of-crap cars over the years, many of which have had sticking and binding brakes, and you can tell.

If you can push the car with one hand, then a brake isn't binding. The moment a brake even slightly binds, you can instantly feel the car won't roll easily, and will come to a noticeable stop all on it's own. This is best felt in traffic jams: you pull away up to about 0.25mph, and then dip the clutch. Usually the car will roll on for a surprising distance, but if instead the car then perceptibly stops, the brakes are binding.

But.. if they are binding, and the caliper sliders haven't been lubricated, I'd be back to whoever fitted the pads and discs, having a bit of a rant. It's not rocket science to make sure the caliper is serviceable when pads are fitted, it's just that most garages couldn't care less.

Have you had the brakes apart since the smoke incident?

[mnde]

If you can push the car with one hand, then a brake isn't binding. The moment a brake even slightly binds, you can instantly feel the car won't roll easily, and will come to a noticeable stop all on it's own. This is best felt in traffic jams: you pull away up to about 0.25mph, and then dip the clutch. Usually the car will roll on for a surprising distance, but if instead the car then perceptibly stops, the brakes are binding.

You've just described *exactly* what my Meteor is like. The rear brakes need lubricating I think... I'm sure it's affecting fuel "economy".

Mark.

[ken newbold]

Rear brakes are usually a problem with BX hatchbacks, they sieze up due to lack of use. Once you've got them freed off it'd pay you to keep something heavy in the boot to keep them working.

[mnde]

like a dead mechanic in Stu's case...?

Mark.

[ken newbold]

That's a bit harsh.

No, just his wallett.

[mnde]

I was jesting

Yeah, the mechanic's wallet, as opposed to Stu's, which would be as light as a feather once the garage had finished fleecing him...

By the way, that's the best excuse to have a large crate of beer in the back if ever I've heard one.

"It's to help my rear brakes..."



Mark.

[Stewart (oily!)]

That sounds good, Im going to do my rear brakes a favour right now
Stewart

[stuart_hedges]

Well... I haven't been able to get the brakes apart myself so we're just going to have to take the garage's word on it for now.

Going to Brighton again this evening and with a bit of luck I will actually make it in the car this time; that way I might be able to get the brakes apart myself over the weekend!

Wish me luck.

[ken newbold]

Good luck

[stuart_hedges]

I finally had a chance to have a look for myself at the weekend - and the fault is absolutely, blindingly obvious. In fact, Jeremy hit it in the first reply of the thread.

The sliding caliper is sticking.

It's still not serious enough to affect the handling of the car, but it was convincingly bound on. With the wheel off, we couldn't turn the hub by hand. A tap from the tyre iron freed it enough to be able to turn the hub, but as soon as you apply the brakes it sticks on again. Dead simple - why didn't the Hi-Q mechanic spot it? Now I've seen it with my own eyes I really don't believe it wasn't binding on in the workshop.

New calipers are 58 plus vat each from GSF so next weekend I'm going to pop up to Mum's, where I can work on the drive, get the caliper apart and grease it.

[DavidRutherford]

the fault is absolutely, blindingly obvious.... ....Dead simple - why didn't the Hi-Q mechanic spot it?

Do you even need to ask?

Now, don't get me wrong, there are SOME good mechanics in fast fit places (although they are probably trying to get a better job elsewhere) but in general, most "fitters" in fast fit places have both a room-temperature IQ, and couldn't care less about their work.

If you want a job done properly, I'm afraid you generally have to do it yourself!