Brake Issues FINALLY Sorted
Discussion
My M12 had new discs and pads fitted all round shortly before i bought it 18 months ago.
I've always had an intermitent issue with vibration under braking - anything from a small pulsation through the pedal all the way to vibration though the chassis. Have tried to work out whether it's temperature related, car been standing related etc. but never identified a pattern. Sometimes, it's not there at all.
Two major Noble specialists have checked the brakes to their satisfaction and found no faults whatsoever.
My gut feeling was to dismiss the conspiracy theories related to off-centre stub axles etc as tosh and look at the basics, so this week i decided enough was enough.
Stripped front brakes. Discs showed obvious evidence ... outer face bright and shiny, inner face matt, tarnished with light surface corrosion in places. So inner pad doing not a lot.
Time to remove pads. So bolt caliper back onto hub, pins out, outer pad removed. Inner pad had to be HAMMERED OUT with a punch! Seized solid! No wonder inner pad not keeping disc shiny!
A closer inspection of caliper showed each pad is held between two stainless plates. Each plate held in place by a button head socket bolt. The two top plates nice and snug against caliper. The two lower plates raised by 1-1.5mm.
So, time to remove plates. BUT someone had been there before me!! Bolt head chewed up to bugge*y! Dremel a slot, and out it comes. Once removed, the problem became apparent. Thick surface corrosion of the aluminium had forced the plate away from the surface, thus reducing the space for the pad.
Lots of scraping smooth solved the problem, copperslip under the plates, reassembled with new bolts, and pads are held firm but move easily.
Same repeated for other side. All done.
So new discs and pads, and a re-fluid with SRF and my brakes are smmmmooooth
This is obviously an age related problem so worth checking before getting discs skimmed, shafts checked etc.
Oh, and to the "specialist" that fcuked my bolt and then couldn't be ars*d to finish the job properly, thanks for nothing.
PS. Anyone needing the button head socket screws, i now have a small stock of them.
I've always had an intermitent issue with vibration under braking - anything from a small pulsation through the pedal all the way to vibration though the chassis. Have tried to work out whether it's temperature related, car been standing related etc. but never identified a pattern. Sometimes, it's not there at all.
Two major Noble specialists have checked the brakes to their satisfaction and found no faults whatsoever.
My gut feeling was to dismiss the conspiracy theories related to off-centre stub axles etc as tosh and look at the basics, so this week i decided enough was enough.
Stripped front brakes. Discs showed obvious evidence ... outer face bright and shiny, inner face matt, tarnished with light surface corrosion in places. So inner pad doing not a lot.
Time to remove pads. So bolt caliper back onto hub, pins out, outer pad removed. Inner pad had to be HAMMERED OUT with a punch! Seized solid! No wonder inner pad not keeping disc shiny!
A closer inspection of caliper showed each pad is held between two stainless plates. Each plate held in place by a button head socket bolt. The two top plates nice and snug against caliper. The two lower plates raised by 1-1.5mm.
So, time to remove plates. BUT someone had been there before me!! Bolt head chewed up to bugge*y! Dremel a slot, and out it comes. Once removed, the problem became apparent. Thick surface corrosion of the aluminium had forced the plate away from the surface, thus reducing the space for the pad.
Lots of scraping smooth solved the problem, copperslip under the plates, reassembled with new bolts, and pads are held firm but move easily.
Same repeated for other side. All done.
So new discs and pads, and a re-fluid with SRF and my brakes are smmmmooooth
This is obviously an age related problem so worth checking before getting discs skimmed, shafts checked etc.
Oh, and to the "specialist" that fcuked my bolt and then couldn't be ars*d to finish the job properly, thanks for nothing.
PS. Anyone needing the button head socket screws, i now have a small stock of them.
Edited by peterguk on Thursday 24th January 21:41
Well done, doesn't it feel good when you get something sorted, and at the end of the day it's not rocket science, so how on earth so called "specialists" missed that.
But as you say, they might have tried, found the seized bolt and left it, still not good enough though, especially a safety related item.
Do we know these "specialists" no need to name them, just give us a clue, might save some of us time and money going there.
Steve.
But as you say, they might have tried, found the seized bolt and left it, still not good enough though, especially a safety related item.
Do we know these "specialists" no need to name them, just give us a clue, might save some of us time and money going there.
Steve.
Ive refurbed a lot of calipers now and this is common, so i straighten the stainless shims as these become bent with the force of the corrosion, ideally the area should be cleaned (corrosion removed) and treated and i re-assemble using a sealant. If you dont do this, 6 months on and you will need to strip them again.
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