182 Poor Brakes

[AliasOmega]

Being driving a 07 plate astra, when i got into the clio, i noticed that the brakes were not that good. It seemed that the brake assistant was not working.

The brakes worked, just that they were not the same as the astra..

Ive done a search and it seems that this is the norm, though im not 100% happy with them as ive been worried about them in the past.

The front discs are brembo & fairly new with ebc green pads
The rear discs are originals, with 1/4 worn pads (ie 3/4 left)

 

[Tom]

182 brakes are very very good.

They dont have that fake over servoed feel that recent cars have;

Have you had a fluid change?
Do you run braided hoses?

The rears are useless, they do zero braking.

 

[KDF]

I also find the 172 brakes to be very good ! very progressive, I fitted braided hoses which took away any spongyness though.

 

[Longy]

Probs just feels softer!

If you slammed them on you would stop dam quick! also don't forget the 182 is probs going a lot faster than you realise plenty of times i've come up to roundabouts and started breaking and wondered why its take awhile to slow down then notice how fast i did approach - unlike my GF's 1.2 where when i press the brake i butt the windscreen.

 

[Ollie82.]

I was talking to Saner about the very same setup on his 182 last night and he says the pedal feels softer than he has been used to in his past cars.
I have the same pad and disc combo anjd really the best thing to do is give it some beans on some deserted roads and then throw the anchors out....it'll give you an idea of their capabilites.
They are very good brakes despite the softer pedal.

Braided hoses will give you a firmer pedal if thats what you are really after.

 

[AliasOmega]

Hello again,

The brakes work, no problem with that.

Just sometimes i feel that i need to press the pedal, then come off, and go back onto it to get the most out of the car.

Its probably just me, but i was unsure when i drove the astra today and the brakes put me into the dash with a slight touch.

Nevermind the heavy hard clutch pedal.

 

[MRBILLYUK]

I've just come back from Poland where i hired a fiat panda . The brakes were so sharp , needed little effort on the pedal and from high speeds they stopped effortlessly with alot of confidence . Also hired a pug 107 a few weeks back and the brakes on that were hell of alot better than my 182's .When i jumped back in my 182 at the airport i was shocked just how bad the brakes felt . The 182's done less than 11k so pads and discs are fine . Gonna bleed them tomorrow and see if they get any better . Tbh all the cars i've driven , especially small engined cars seem to brake better than my 182 and my previously owned 172 . Maybe it's something to do with having alot of weight over the front wheels ?

 

[GordonD]

Are we talking about how the brakes actually work, or just the pedal feel?

If you're used to driving a car that has no slack in the pedal and that only takes the slightest touch to brake hard, then you get into one with more slack that takes more brake pressure, yeah, you're likely to have an "oh sh-- are they going to work" moment. But who wants to drive round in a car that throws you into the dash when you just touch the brakes. That's a good way to end up with someone else's car rammed up tour backside.

 

[MarkCup]

Exactly.

Also, try heel and toe changing in a car with over-servoed brakes...it's almost impossible to keep a constant braking pressure as the slightest movement of your foot to blip the throttle alters the braking.

They've got the RS clios spot on for that in my opinion.