Brake pad fiiting kits - Are they needed?

[Akira2506]

Ok, I ordered some pads for my 1.4RT, im not the most mechanical chappie, but im gonna fit them myself.

What do I need? I've heard of brake pad fitting kits? Are these essential?

Is it a P of P to do? I'm learning as I go along with this clio... fitted my induction kit myself with no knowledge of anything, so now its brake pad time.

Anything I need before I immobilise my car and go "ooh, I need _____... lets drive to halfrauds to get some...with no brakes..."



-Akira

 

[Harry_manback]

its easy.
1) take wheels off
2) remove 2 bolts in caliper
3) remove caliper
4) change pads
5)reverse stages 3 -1.

*tip* get caliper bolts TIGHT!!!
also it may be worth removing any lips that have built up on the disk with a chissel or similar.

 

[Akira2506]

Cheers, I figured it would be easy... but with it being BRAKES and all (the whole life-saving element...) I thought I'd double check...

If I dont post for a while, u can assume I got it wrong...



-Akira

 

[Djw Dave]

Its easy all we be fine. Just as Harry_manback says. Ensure bolts are tight, tho. also might want to think about bleeding the brakes as well.

Dave

 

[Akira2506]

Quick mini-tutorial for bleeding brakes? Do I need some more brake fluid to replace? Or as long as im above the minimum level, am I ok?



-Akira

 

[edde]

Quick mini-tutorial for bleeding brakes? Do I need some more brake fluid to replace? Or as long as im above the minimum level, am I ok?

Best get a Haynes manult to help.
If your going to bleed brakes go get an easy bleed one perosn kit from Halfords there £15 or so and well worth it stick that on as the instuctions say then open the calipers in the correct order let the fluid come out there probably aload of air so you might have to wait a while before the fluid comes out then let the fluid drip out for a bit until you've definatly got a nice constant stream and do the caliper bleed screw back up. Move onto the next caliper etc and do the brakes like that.
A cheap two person kit is annoying to use.
when you push the caliper back in preferably loosen the caliper bleed screw and so the fluid your pushing back foes out vid this otherwsie you end up with a master clyinder with flipped seals which is a pain.
Your best getting some to top up but and you'll probably need it if you loosening the bleed cscrew as I said above. You can run on the minimum level I wouldn't recomend it though.

 

[Akira2506]

This is starting to sound fun

I'm sure it'll all make a lot more sense when im looking at it! So, my plan of attack;

-Take off wheels
-Disassemble brakes (removing pads)
-Bleed brakes
-Refil brake fluid
-Paint callipers
-Fit new pads
-Spread the love......




-Akira

 

[Lunner]

Make sure you don't over tighten the guide pin bolts.

Unless you are using the easy bleed kit you will need pads in to bleed them.

I got a cheapie 3 person kit from Halfords,about £3, only tok 2 people, one to pump the brake and other to watch for bubbles, topped up fluid after every 20 pumps

 

[Rob669]

Be very careful about tightening the guide pins (bolts). I easily stripped the thread on one last time! Ideally use a torque wrench to do it. Locking glue is recommended too.

 

[Akira2506]

*starts to fear he's in over his head*

meep!


-Akira

 

[Lunner]

TBH if you aren't confident brakes are not hte thing to mess about on, garage will charge £20 or so for pads, its only a 30 min job, or find someone local to you to do it.

If you are near to the midlands i'll do them for a tenner, and you can watch and then you'll know what to do next time

 

[Akira2506]

Bah, to hell with it, how hard can it be?

I'm gonna not bleed em... i'll get that done by someone else at another time... I think its adding too much to worry about... I'll just do pads instead.


-Jack up, Axel stands, remove wheel
-Remove retaining plate
-remove old pads
-reset the guidey piny thingies (I guess this becomes more obvious when ur down there)
-insert new pads
-replace retaining plate
-lock plate in position
-Robert is your mother's brother.



-Akira

 

[Lunner]

Rightm you need to find out what sorta calipers you have.

If you can see the whole of the top of the pads you have a retaining plate, or more common is there will be a bit covering most of the top of the pads.

If you can't see the top of the pads.....

Jack up

Remove wheel
R
emove guide pin bolts and bin

Lift off caliper, and hang off the spring or somnething, don't let it hang off the brake line.

Cover the backs wiht coper gearse, NOT the friction surface

Remove and replace pads, making sure to remove any crap along the caliper carrier where they sit and slide along (you'll see when you have them in there)

Push piston back inot caliper, but do it slowley.

Slide caliper back donw over pads, anti rattle spring will push it up, so will ahve to apply a little force to get the holes to fully line up.

Replace NEW guide pin bolts

Refit wheel, and drop to ground

 

[Lunner]

If you have the other type:

Jack up and remove wheel

Remove split pin type thing from end of retaining plate

Hammer retaining plate out, chances are this will be stiff

If you can slide one or 2 pads out, and then lever caliper piston back onot caliper, using a long screw driver or something (dont' think theyare the wind in type like found on rear wheels)

Fit new pads, remembering to grease the back of them

Refit retaining plate and clip

Refit roadwheel and drop to ground

 

[Akira2506]

I owe you Lunner I was about to chicken out but you've given me confidence, I owe you a couple of bevvies at the next meet (I'm in Stafford, Midlands.. you?)

I made this thread:

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=97874

Dedicated to seeing which I had. I have Bendix apparently! Which is where u can see all the pad, with the retaining plate... It seems like the easier option!!!

Only thing I'm missing are these split-pins! Are they re-useable? or do I need to skank / bodge some from somewhere? (tie-wrap do? )


-Akira

 

[Lunner]

They should be in the arse end of the retaining plates, if not go to a local hardeware store and get a pack of slipt pins, and just fould them round.

The orignal ranult ones are re-usable.

I always forget which is which, girling or bendix.

Might have to attend the next meet if there are free drinks on offer

I'm right down south, by stratford-upon-avon, but travel up to coventry most days to attend uni

 

[Akira2506]

Frak me that was an arsey job! Those retaining pins were STUCK like bejesus... got em out.... then I was... "how do they go back in?"

I'm ga-sunked.

I refurb'd my alloys while I was at it... what a waste of time that was!


So, fitted them, pumped the brake pedal a bit, it worked. Got out, refitted wheels... tried to spin the wheels... LOL, took all my strength to do a 90 degree turn. Went a lil' drive and they eased up. At first it was like I was towing a f**king JCB.

At first it was stopping crap, but a few 70mph > 0mph soon fixed that. (in a safe and controlled envrionment, of course...)



Mad props to:

Harry_manback
djw_dave
edde
rob669
and... Lunner!

Couldn't/wouldn't have done it without ya (hahaha, oscar speach )

^ They're the old pads... The two on the left came from the left wheel, the two on the right came from the right wheel.

They both looked the same age, anyone have any explination of the difference in ware-rate? *is worried*



-Akira

 

[Lunner]

" Hammer retaining plate out, chances are this will be stiff"

Did warn ya

The inside pad always wears quicker, becasue its being pushed directly by the piston

 

[Akira2506]

Nah... the two on the LEFT of the screen are from the front left... inside and outside...

the LEFT WHEEL has word more than the RIGHT WHEEL... :/ ... sorry for my bad explination...!

In the pic above, pads are positioned as follows;

....PASSENGER INSIDE ................ DRIVERS INSIDE......
...........................................................................
....PASSENGER OUTSIDE...............DRIVERS OUTSIDE....



Surely this much difference cant be normal from left wheel to right wheel? I'm guessing either one brake isnt braking enough (killing my braking power) or one brake is stuck-on... (killing my acceleration)



-Akira

 

[Harry_manback]

p.s. dont do any 70-0mph stops, go slow untill u bed them in..................doh!


i bet they smelt nice when u got home. i dont have either of the calipers mentioned above, mine are lucas, or were u refering to a design rather than a manufaturer???

 

[Akira2506]

Lucas / Girling take the same pads I think.


And yea, the smell was awwwwwwwful! and I 100% cleaned my wheels when I took them off... I got out teh car... OMG!!!!!!! Soooo annoyed; they're FILTHY!!! After a 2mile drive! :O



-Akira

 

[Akira2506]

WoW.... Locked-up my front tyres for the first time on the road today!!!!!!!!

I forgot I had my new brakes...oops!

Best £40 I ever spent!




-Akira

 

[edde]

To bed the pads in your need to get some heat into them but don't stop dead on them 60~10mpg a few times is what they need then let them cool down and don't apply the handbrake when you stop unless there cold again.
Thats wear is quite even though nothing to worry about bleed the calipers though you might have some air in one caliper if it was serious though you'd notice the car pull to one side.

 

[1fast6]

Next time you do this, upgrade the calipers so you can use valver discs.

The increase in braking performance is amazing. Best mechanical upgrade to 1.2/1.4 mk1's imo.