How long do brake disks last?

[Firefox]

Just had my B service on my S2 sports tourer and at £405 it wasn't cheap....ouch. They did mention that my brake disks were just above the minimum limit that lotus specify. My fronts were 25.1mm, rear 25.4mm and the minimums 24.9mm. They wanted to replace them and would like to relieve me of another £640 in the process.

What I dont understand, and I must admit I'm not a very mechanically minded person, is how can the disks be worn already. Ive only done 11,000k and shouldn't the bake pads ware out before the disks?

As I seem destined to need some new ones quite soon I have seen some turbo groved brake disks on elise parts website and am thinking about getting some of these. Anyone have any experience of these or suggest something else?

[bogie]

the 24.9mm is WRONG - Lotus have admitted it should be 23.9 or 24mm (sorry cant remember) I think the service manual is wrong - stamped on the disks somewhere is 24mm - point that out to the dealer and get them to check with Lotus.

Mine lasted 32K miles FYI

[Bonce]

Blimey! My front discs lasted nearly 30,000 miles before I replaced them with EBC Turbogroove (which work nicely with my pagid pads but sometimes squeel like hell)

[firefox]

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll get the Turbo grooved disks then and the Pagid RS4-2s when my pads go. Also just brought the Elise gear linkage kit and the short shifter as recommended by people on this forum so cant wait to get that fitted.

I guess I'll just have to brake a little less late and a little softer if I want to get more K out of my disks.

[DanH]

Here's the info I got from Lotus when an independent tried to sell me 4 new disks! It would be excusable except for the fluff the main service guy gave me about having seen the discs and their being a prounounced lip. There simply isn't and I'm still pretty annoyed about it. I did raise the fact that I was a tad sceptical at the time as my disks had measured at 25.1 too. At 25.1 they are still almost new!

----------------------------------

Dear Mr. Harman,

Re your query about minimum brake disc thickness:

I believe that the 24.9mm figure published in the Service Notes is a carry over from the MMC discs. The correct figure for the iron discs is as cast onto the discs themselves = 24.0mm

Yours sincerely,


Dave Massey - Technical Service
Senior Technical Author
Lotus Cars Ltd.

[Bonce]

that explains a lot! Thanks Dan!

[pley]

Dont forget that there are Eliseparts ali belled discs available and of course the muttsnuts!

hth

[bogie]

If you are replacing the disks then you have to do the pads at the same time - you cant just do the disks, you will need new pads to bed into them

[VTECMatt]

Bogie I put old pads on my new Ali Belled disk, and although it is not recomended you can do it, with out damaging the new disks.

If the Pads are scored or uneven then definetly don't do it.

Ive had new disks put on Thursday 2 x sets (1 set FOC) in 1 month, as I had a problem with the first set

Another few weeks of bedding in

[jfrf]

i had the same problems at my local independent

was advised the disks were 70% worn at 15k miles.

I find it hard to believe that people dont know the correct facts given the s2 has been around for so long

[firefox]

So if Jfrf and I are 2 examples and DanH has even asked Lotus, how many other people have been advised wrongly to change there disk brakes?

Surely Lotus now know that their service book is wrong ( pointed out by DanH) and have notified all their dealers of this fact. Or am I just dreaming of an efficient Lotus service.

I don't mind changing / upgrading my disk and pads when they really need changing but how many people are going to be less better off because of the incorrect information in the service book?

[ehammock]

If you think that £405 is harsh for a service then try £1485!!! The brake disks and wheel bearing wore out on mine at 27,000 and the bulk of my service was 4 disks (~£400) new pads for each and a set of New Yoko's (~£400) plus labour and MOT. In heinsight I would have gone for better disks than the standard replaicments i have had fitted but I was out of the country at the time so had no say. As an asside, for anyone in the west country I had the work done at Penninsular Lotus (advertised on the banner - just noticed) They accepted the bill was steep and as a new customer offered 10% reduction and cleaned the car to within an n'th of it life. So a reccomendation to them for doing a top job - cheers