Brake pads

[stuart_hedges]

Dammit - things always come at the wrong time. My brake pad warning light has just started coming on and I'm going away to Oxfordshire for the weekend. Halfords is the only place round here on a Sunday and they don't have them in stock, so I think the only option will be to pick them up on Thursday morning before I set off and do the job on the campsite while I'm there... or possibly on mnde's drive on my way back! How long have I got left in the pads once the light's on? Is it too risky to do 150 motorway miles on them?

I've never done pads on a BX before, oddly. Is there anything particular I need to know, or any special tools I need to take with me?

[Kitch]

Depends how hard you brake! 150miles is probably pushing it, but the worst that'll happen is that you'll grind through to the metal, your braking efficiency will reduce by about half and you'll grind the discs into oblivion. Luckily the discs are also cheap if that happens (though not from Halfords!!!)

They're easy enough to change, but I can never get the anti rattle springs back in....its a really stupid design! So every time I reverse and hot the brakes I get a clonk!

Just make sure you put the little bar back in the right way round, otherwise the pads can fall out.

[stuart_hedges]

I've ordered a set from GSF. With a bit of luck they'll arrive in time for me to do the job on Wednesday evening before I set off on Thursday morning.

[DavidRutherford]

How long have I got left in the pads once the light's on?

Loads.

When pads are new, they're about 10-12mm thick. When the lamp comes on, that means that one of the pads is down to about 2mm. If it's taken 10k miles to wear off 8-10mm, the last 2mm isn't going to disappear in 150 miles*. I've often managed several thousand more miles with the warning lamp flickering at me.

*Especially as you're talking about motorway miles, which is far less harsh on the brakes than town mileage is.

The only thing you need to be aware of when changing them is that you can't just wind the piston in, you have to rotate it clockwise at the same time to wind it down the thread of the handbrake mechanism. Make sure you leave the groove in the piston horizontal too to allow the lug in the back of the pad to engage.

[mat_fenwick]

What he said! /\

I've done over a thousand (nervous) miles in a BX once the light started coming on. So if they haven't arrived, relax and don't let it spoil your weekend.

Incidentally (although not to be recommended!) it is possible to do a further couple of thousand miles once the pads are down to the metal! A girl I work with wanted me to sell her car via ebay, so I gave it the once over before advertising it. "Don't worry about the brakes" she said, "They've got a bit of sand in them from when I took it on the beach a few months ago." (This is what her husband had told her).
The first time I hit the brakes I could tell they were down to the metal, the rusty swarf all over the wheelarch was also a giveaway. The guy who won the car brought a new set of discs and pad with him at my recommendation, and one side of the vented disc was almost down to the ribs. Ouch. The brake pad warning light wire had also been cut, very suspicious.

[DavidRutherford]

one side of the vented disc was almost down to the ribs.

Makes this passat rear brake pad look in good condition then:

[stuart_hedges]

In that case:

Mark, do you fancy swapping my brake pads on Sunday? I suspect your driveway will be a nicer place to work than my road, or a muddy field in Oxfordshire surrounded by beardy folkies.

[mat_fenwick]

Hmmm, yes - that's lost its newness. In my case the pad backing was so thin that I could (easily) break it with my finger. The whole thing made me quite angry at the time, as she was probably only weeks away from the piston jamming in the disc ribs and locking the whole thing solid.

Did you ever establish whether it was the pads affecting the handbrake adjustment on your BX?

[DavidRutherford]

Did you ever establish whether it was the pads affecting the handbrake adjustment on your BX?

Yes, and it still is. If I brake normally, then they work fine. If (like today) some berk pulls out in front of me when I'm doing 60mph, and I have to stand on the brakes, the handbrake mechanism adjusts up more than it should. It's getting better though. The more the pads wear, the less the effect such that today they didn't bind on, but I only now have about 1 click on the handbrake lever before it's on.

Nothing more than rubbish pads that squeeze too much. I've had the same on other cars before, but with conventional brakes it just means that the pedal feels a bit spongey rather than anything more serious. You can tell these are rubbish pads from the way the car feels under braking too. Hard to describe, but it's just not right. They also stink when they get hot during "enthusiastic" driving.

[mnde]

They also stink when they get hot during "enthusiastic" driving.

Here's a little diagram:




Am I right?

*runs*

Mark.

[DavidRutherford]

What are you saying Mr Evans?

Depends a lot on the car really. A BX TD responds well to being thrapped, and as Stuart will confirm, you can get quite good economy out of them even when driving fairly hard.

But put me in a CX and I drive completely differently.

Likewise, put me in an X1/9 and the driving style changes again....

[stuart_hedges]

Yes. Rather irritatingly, the best economy my car's ever managed was on an enthusiastic Rutherford thrapping. Pedal to the metal and never brake for corners seems to be the way to achieve 48mpg.

[docchevron]

Uber smug me then!
I'm disappointed if I get less than 48MPG out of mine, and thats tuned to reasonably silly levels!

[stuart_hedges]

It will be better when it stops leaking...

[docchevron]

It's still doing that?
Blimus!
Er, you going to Stratford Stu?
If so I'll bring that pump off DLM's car.