Have I busted-mc-broken my discs/brakes?

[TonyHetherington]

Hi all

10 days ago I washed my Elise and, because it started raining just at the point where it was almost dry, I quickly rushed it into the garage. And then went away with work for a week.

Yesterday morning I went to move my car for the first time and the discs were fairly bound by the pads. They took a good deal of effort of the throttle to release them. When finally released I drove the car just up and down my road for a few minutes with foot on the brake to try and clear the rust and crap on the disc. This worked to a degree.

However, with 3 journeys of 7 miles now under my belt the discs, especially when braking from 50+, feel VERY unstable still and to look at they still have a mark where the pad was bound for so long.

Is it just a case of continuing to drive like my nan just to ware down the imperfections, or have I just royally buggered my expensive brakes?!

Thanks everyone for your thoughts
Tony

[nwtony]

I'm not an expert but it's fairly common for the brakes to bind after washing, it happens to my S2 elise all the time - I can feel them unstick as I pull off. Aside from this telling insight I know nothing about the long term effects! I'd have though though that it would just be a case of cleaning up the discs? Maybe take it on the motorway and slow down from high speed a few times on the exit slip roads?

Caveat: I know sweet FA about brakes, so this may be dangerously stupid or stupidly dangerous!

[TonyHetherington]

Thanks for the post. Yup, happens all the time when the car is left overnight; not just after washing either, just due to the damp conditions in my garage over the winter. However, the bind is very slightly and the brakes feel absolutely fine.

I keep trying to 'ware' the brakes down, but i'm a bit worried this will end up creating weird imprints in the discs and pads!?

Thanks!

Tony

[BliarOut]

Do a firm stop from high speed, progressively increasing the pressure on the brakes. It will take a few good stops to clean the surface. I don't think you've done any long term damage. After all, if you could wear the surface that quickly your brakes wouldn't last very long would they.

[S Works]

Mate, mine did this after 2 weeks away with it undriven and sitting on my Dad's drive in the English winter.

There's only one solution... rag it's bollox off and do lots of brake tests. They settle down again after a while.

[TonyHetherington]

Good point I hadn't thought about it like that before. The problem is that on my 7 mile trip to work the brakes don't really get much heat in them. I'll go for a blast at lunch - to be honest, it is worrying me a bit because they feel so wrong and, well, wk!

[TonyHetherington]

S Works said:

There's only one solution... rag it's bollox off and do lots of brake tests. They settle down again after a while.

PHEWWWWWWWWWwww.

Thanks

[sja]

Hi Tony I had a similiar prob coupel of weeks ago, cant find post at the minute.

Washed it stuck in garage then went snowboarding for ten days. Came back and thought "what the ****".. Brakes really bound on.. Eventually managed to driv it then felt like disks were warped. Again I only have short work journey, twenty miles of panic later all sorted and good as new..

TADTS.. (although I was scared)...

[TonyHetherington]

sja said:

Eventually managed to driv it then felt like disks were warped.

That's EXACTLY it at the moment - scaring the hell out of me!!! Phew ok then that's the deal, a 20 miles blast at lunch (the things I do for my car, I dunno hehe)

Thanks guys - you've REALLY put my mind at rest!!

[iaint]

Happens fairly regularly on my RX-7. Handbreak binds the rears if it's left out in the wet for a few days, usually requires a reasonable throttle application to break free. Rarely marks the surface though (after a drive) and has had no long term effect.

I'd be more concerned if it were the fronts as they do most of the breaking work. I've got non-standard pads on the rear with standard steel disks and the new pads are worse, maybe a higher metal composition - they're softer than the OEM stuff.

I really doubt it's something to worry about.

[dern]

You could ignore it if you like or you could have the wheel off and have a look. I'd expect the brakes to have cleared up by now from your description so I'd be having the wheel off to find out if any pad material had come away from the pad and was sticking to the disc and to see if any of the pad material had visibly started breaking away from the edges of pads. What I wouldn't be doing is ragging up and down the road until the brakes or got better or it suffered a complete failure. I left my westy outside after a wash the other week and half of one pad came away from the pad backing plate and welded itself to the disc.

Regards,

Mark

[iaint]

dern said:

I left my westy outside after a wash the other week and half of one pad came away from the pad backing plate and welded itself to the disc.

Very soft pads?

[Mr Whippy]

Rear discs, wet weather and handbrakes don't mix. My brother left his 406 Coupe like that for 2 weeks and it took me about 20 yards of driving on concrete and ragging/jolting to get the rear wheels un-stuck

If leaving for a long time stick in gear and chock the rear wheels with handbrake off.

Saying that, for the first time ever my cars rear discs bound this morning after a wash yesterday... weird. Must be the rain followed by warm conditions?

Dave

[TonyHetherington]

Crikey!! The pads are definitely ok with respect to being intact - I had a good old search around them (my wheels are very thin so it's a piece of cake to see all the pads). Like I say I have only done 3 x 7 mile trips and so very little braking has been done = I won't go 'ragging' but I will go for an extended drive, I think!! Thanks

[dern]

iaint said:

dern said: I left my westy outside after a wash the other week and half of one pad came away from the pad backing plate and welded itself to the disc. Very soft pads?

I've no idea how they compare with the pads in question.

The point was that if enough material has transfered itself from the pad to the disc such that you can still feel it more than a couple of brake applications later then in my opinion it needs a closer look rather than a rather reckless charge down the motorway because although that might work it might also end badly if the problem is the start of the pads disintigrating.

Regards,

Mark

[tuscan_thunder]

A friend swears by pouring hot water from a watering can onto his discs and then immediately going out and doing the full 'bed in the pads' routine (repeated stops to get the pads and discs fully up to heat) if his car's been sitting for any length of time when the pads might've had a chance to bind. Always seems to work.