Dodgy brake - after TVR factory service?

[bryanlister]

I had my Chimaera serviced at Blackpool in December - all was well with it. It was the 18,000 miles service (17K on the clock) and they did their usual disassemby of the brakes, clean up and put back together. The technician noted that the hub part of the brake discs looked a little discoloured through corrosion so painted them up silver for me - nice!

Now, less than 300 miles on, I note that the rear offside disc seems to be wearing unevenly. It appears that about only 3/4 of the brake disc is contacting the pads (I presume?) as there is an inner radius that is not getting shiny from using the brakes. I have used a little left foot braking (with right foot on the gas) to put a little effort through the brakes incase it is just paint that needed burning off.

I am no expert on brakes - but could it really be me that my car has left the factory with the pads fitted incorrectly or something so I am not getting full contact? The brakes seem to work OK. Any answers???

[trefor]

It can happen. My inner discs were only getting about 30% contact from the pads. I had the pads and discs changed and the problem has gone away (not expensive). I don't think you can blame anyone, esp. after this long. If you haven't used the car much since the service then that's even more reason for this to happen.

You could have a sticking caliper though ...

Trefor/.

[GreenV8s]

quote:I had my Chimaera serviced at Blackpool in December - all was well with it. It was the 18,000 miles service (17K on the clock) and they did their usual disassemby of the brakes, clean up and put back together. The technician noted that the hub part of the brake discs looked a little discoloured through corrosion so painted them up silver for me - nice!

Now, less than 300 miles on, I note that the rear offside disc seems to be wearing unevenly. It appears that about only 3/4 of the brake disc is contacting the pads (I presume?) as there is an inner radius that is not getting shiny from using the brakes. I have used a little left foot braking (with right foot on the gas) to put a little effort through the brakes incase it is just paint that needed burning off.

I am no expert on brakes - but could it really be me that my car has left the factory with the pads fitted incorrectly or something so I am not getting full contact? The brakes seem to work OK. Any answers???

I suspect the pads went back in slightly crooked and it's taken this long for the effects to be noticeable.

It only takes a tiny amount of surface rust on the back plate, or a bit of paint scraped off, to stop the pad sitting completely square against the caliper. I've even had pads with a separate thin sheet on the back which corroded and then fell off as soon as I took the pads out. As long as the pads stay in the caliper nothing should change, but each time you take the pads out there's a small chance that it won't go back *exactly* the same as it came out. The pad will wear flat soon enough and should be back to business as usual.

Cheers,
Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)

[bryanlister]

Thank you chaps. I will just ignore it for now and carry on using the car as normal - well, I hope to do more than 300 miles in the next couple of weeks anyway!
TVR recommended that the pads be changed at the next service but I might get them done before then.

Thanks very much
Bryan

[ToroTVR]

Just as a matter of interest how much did the service cost at the factory? Does the factory charge the same as the dealers?
Cheers
Andy.

[bryanlister]

My experience of factory services has always been good - and slightly less expensive than the main dealers. My last one cost £499 for an 18,000 mile (6.5 hrs labour at £42 + VAT) and this included a new clutch master cylinder and some very minor niggles. The hardest part of the deal was going Xmas shopping for 7.5 hrs in a cold and foggy December Blackpool!