Brake Pads - Checking Em.

[S800VXR]

As a word of warning, looking through the wheel at my pads they looked to have about 4/5mm left but I removed the wheel to check the inside ones and they were down to about 2/3mm so keep an eye on them guys.

Only went to the effort to check them due to Thunder Road soon and then 4k mile euro trip although they were and still are working perfect.

Gone for stock pads as they seem to work fine for me.

[TheLostProphet]

Top tip cheers

Checked them through the wheel the other week when it was on a ramp and eye level. Looked fine but will get the wheels off in the next few weeks and check properly.

[mik_ok]

Just make sure you get the anti-rattle shims too!

[SteveMJ]

How true, I came unstuck on that during my VXR8's MOT in 2012. Saw plenty of meet through the wheel, but the car failed as virtually nothing on the pads on the inside of the wheel :-(

Steve

[HSV Keith]

mik_ok said:

Just make sure you get the anti-rattle shims too!

What noise does it make with out them fitted ?
Just had mine changed at vauxhall and they started knocking when I went over bumps took it back and had some springs replaced that kept falling out so im told. Just started doing it again and getting kind fed up traverling from kent to Southampton every other week

[ARAF]

HSV Keith said:

mik_ok said:

Just make sure you get the anti-rattle shims too!

What noise does it make with out them fitted ?
Just had mine changed at vauxhall and they started knocking when I went over bumps took it back and had some springs replaced that kept falling out so im told. Just started doing it again and getting kind fed up traverling from kent to Southampton every other week

Perry's Canterbury (on the A28 at Hersden) are a VXR8 service and repair centre.

[pah250]

HSV Keith said:

What noise does it make with out them fitted ?

Find a bumpy road (not hard near me), put windows down and coast over the bumps. If your car sounds like you have a set of ladders shaking around on the roof then that's the pads rattling inside the callipers. Repeat the test but with your foot very lightly on the brake pedal, just enough to hold the pads against the discs without slowing the car, and you'll notice the rattling completely ceases.

I had the shim kit fitted to my old VXR8 and it made the world of difference, although I did need to get the rear sticky strips removed and fitted to the top of the calliper instead of the bottom. I now have the same problem with the GTS and I'm about to do the same fix again.

[HSV Keith]

pah250 said:

Find a bumpy road (not hard near me), put windows down and coast over the bumps. If your car sounds like you have a set of ladders shaking around on the roof then that's the pads rattling inside the callipers. Repeat the test but with your foot very lightly on the brake pedal, just enough to hold the pads against the discs without slowing the car, and you'll notice the rattling completely ceases.

I had the shim kit fitted to my old VXR8 and it made the world of difference, although I did need to get the rear sticky strips removed and fitted to the top of the calliper instead of the bottom. I now have the same problem with the GTS and I'm about to do the same fix again.

Thats exactly the noise im getting when the windows are down.
do you know if the kit is a vauxhall part that they can order and fit

[HSV Keith]

ARAF said:

Perry's Canterbury (on the A28 at Hersden) are a VXR8 service and repair centre.

Thanks for the info. A lot closer to me

[pah250]

HSV Keith said:

Thats exactly the noise im getting when the windows are down.
do you know if the kit is a vauxhall part that they can order and fit

It's a GM part. They cost around a fiver from Monkfish and they usually have them in stock. VX will likely charge you a lot more and have to 'ship then in specially from Oz' or something, just for you. Easier to go to Monkfish.

All they are are some strips of rubbery material with sticky tape on one side. To fit them just remove the pads, clean out the inside of the calliper, stick the pad to the base of the calliper, then slide the pads back in so that they are sat on top of the pad. On my rear brakes I had to re-move and re-stick the pads to the top of the calliper instead of the bottom for some reason to totally kill the rattling, but it has the same effect in that it removes the wiggle room in the calliper so that the pads can no longer rattle around.

[HSV Keith]

pah250 said:

It's a GM part. They cost around a fiver from Monkfish and they usually have them in stock. VX will likely charge you a lot more and have to 'ship then in specially from Oz' or something, just for £300 you. Easier to go to Monkfish.

All they are are some strips of rubbery material with sticky tape on one side. To fit them just remove the pads, clean out the inside of the calliper, stick the pad to the base of the calliper, then slide the pads back in so that they are sat on top of the pad. On my rear brakes I had to re-move and re-stick the pads to the top of the calliper instead of the bottom for some reason to totally kill the rattling, but it has the same effect in that it removes the wiggle room in the calliper so that the pads can no longer rattle around.

Thanks. Just ordered some from monkfish and will get a local garage to fit them. Also noticed how cheap monkfish are for brake pads. Vaux quoted over £500 for just the fronts and after they phoned around got them for £300 inc fitting.

[HSV Keith]

pah250 said:

It's a GM part. They cost around a fiver from Monkfish and they usually have them in stock. VX will likely charge you a lot more and have to 'ship then in specially from Oz' or something, just for £300 you. Easier to go to Monkfish.

All they are are some strips of rubbery material with sticky tape on one side. To fit them just remove the pads, clean out the inside of the calliper, stick the pad to the base of the calliper, then slide the pads back in so that they are sat on top of the pad. On my rear brakes I had to re-move and re-stick the pads to the top of the calliper instead of the bottom for some reason to totally kill the rattling, but it has the same effect in that it removes the wiggle room in the calliper so that the pads can no longer rattle around.

Thanks. Just ordered some from monkfish and will get a local garage to fit them. Also noticed how cheap monkfish are for brake pads. Vaux quoted over £500 for just the fronts and after they phoned around got them for £300 inc fitting.

Edited by HSV Keith on Thursday 31st July 18:18

[HSV Keith]

pah250 said:

It's a GM part. They cost around a fiver from Monkfish and they usually have them in stock. VX will likely charge you a lot more and have to 'ship then in specially from Oz' or something, just for £300 you. Easier to go to Monkfish.

All they are are some strips of rubbery material with sticky tape on one side. To fit them just remove the pads, clean out the inside of the calliper, stick the pad to the base of the calliper, then slide the pads back in so that they are sat on top of the pad. On my rear brakes I had to re-move and re-stick the pads to the top of the calliper instead of the bottom for some reason to totally kill the rattling, but it has the same effect in that it removes the wiggle room in the calliper so that the pads can no longer rattle around.

Thanks. Just ordered some from monkfish and get a local garage to fit them. Also noticed how cheap monkfish are for brake pads. Vaux quoted over £500 for just the fronts and after they phoned around got them for £300 inc fitting.

[ARAF]

HSV Keith said:

Thanks. Just ordered some from monkfish and get a local garage to fit them. Also noticed how cheap monkfish are for brake pads. Vaux quoted over £500 for just the fronts and after they phoned around got them for £300 inc fitting.

Vauxhall get plenty of credit for bringing the cars here, and Dougie's help with problems is second to none but not so much for their parts supply and cost.