Vague Brakes

[Coops Mk1]

Tried to do a search but cant really come up with an answer, and I have a feeling that's because its going to be one of those hard to chase could be anything faults

however, the 182 brakes just don't feel very good, little bite to them, the car still stops still but they just don't 'feel' as they should.

I put it down to kippered crap grooved discs/cheap pads. however I have just swapped the discs and pads from the iceberg onto the 182 (felt great on the iceberg, loads of positive bite to them) and the cars still essentially the same.

now I noticed I have one front caliper that was a pig to wind back in, it went and still moves but the other side was much more freely moving.

could this cause the brakes to feel like they do? it doesn't pull to one side under braking or any other symptoms

any advice much appreciated

thanks

Ben

 

[imprezaworks]

Brake fluid?

 

[Knuckles]

Nothing's leaking is it? I had a bleed nipple leaking which made them spongy as f**k. Changed the nipple and fluid and all was reet again

 

[MartinR]

Remove the dust seal from the piston, have seen some calipers get aload chud and rust which forms a groove or burr, which stops/slows the travel of the piston. Stick the calipers off the iceburg on the 182 if the case.

All calipers moving freely on sliders? Recently bled?

Take the farty metal shims out from the ends of the pads, could be a sticking pad once hot?

 

[Adamm.]

Mine was the same, no bite at all when I first got it, almost dangerous, Gave Dan 519 a bit of a surprise when he went to brake in his garage.

Got the lot done disks, pads, fluid and some braided lines for good measure. Made a huge huge difference.

 

[Coops Mk1]

I may try the thin metal shims, but tbh its not when they're hot, its all the time

no leaky nipples (ahem) and no visible fluid loss anywhere in the system, all joints look clean on abs unit and under the car etc.

fluid has been changed on schedule with stamps etc to prove by mick @ diamond I think last so no qualms there I don't think.

I reckon i'll swap the calipers from the 75k 182 I broke earlier this year onto it.

the car has braided lines front and rear

 

[FLOBALOB]

Have you checked the vacuum hose ( rear of engine bay , in middle , quite close to speedo sensor )? Because these are near a hot engine they can occasionally touch something they shouldnt and get pierced/burnt through. This would give the symptoms you describe. A mate had brakes slowly going off over a period of time and like you replaced everything but then one day heard a hissing noise, which turned out to be the hose finally burnt a big enough hole to make a noticable noise. Fixed the hose, brakes back to normal.

 

[Coops Mk1]

ah, good call, never even thought about the servo hose. I will check that

 

[Dank182]

Have you checked the slider pins? It's pretty common for them to go. Depending on just how seized they are you may be able to take them out of the caliper and clean them up. Have you noticed any wheels getting more dust than others?

 

[Coops Mk1]

no extra dust and all sliders checked and fine

 

[H182]

Be interested in the outcome of this. My brakes have never been great on the 182, but they work well enough. Just thought it was down to the pads, as when pressing on and using them more they improve.

 

[Corby G]

de glaze the disks and pads and maybe the fluids lost it's - viscosity?

 

[Coops Mk1]

there cant be an issue with the discs or pads, they were fine on the 172 not 2 weeks ago, removed, put in dry storage, and haven't been used since until they went on the 182.

it could perhaps be fluid.

I think I will replace the slightly suspect caliper and obviously fluid at same time and see how I go.

cheers folks

 

[MicKPM]

Ben, check the fluid as Luke was a massive chav who drove hard!

 

[Dan519]

Sounds like a servo issue to me. More likely the VAC pipe has a hole than anything else.

 

[botfch]

+1 for fluid change

 

[Coops Mk1]

impatience may be it, despite matching the pads back to same discs etc on the swap seems they've just had to re-bed in. the brakes seem much better now having done 500 or so miles on them