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Unresponsive brakes
Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 3:01 pm
by jiminwatford
Hi,
The brakes on my '93 216 GSI are a bit scary
they do work but are not very sharp
kwik fit did a brake check and they said all it needs is discs, and therefore pads.
could this be the problem. i thought the brakes would still work well even with worn discs, maybe not.
its a case of not knowing exactly if or when the car will stop when coming to junctions.
if its something else than discs i'd rather look there first
thanks!
james
Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 4:09 pm
by Adrian
From my experience on a variety of cars then worn discs will mean more travel on the caliper which equal more effort on the pedal and therefore the sensation that they are not working ...
... for what they cost I think new discs are always worth a go.
Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 4:55 pm
by jiminwatford
Thanks
Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 5:08 pm
by jiminwatford
Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 5:59 pm
by Marc
Yeah ditto what Adrian said. For the cost of them it's not worth ignoring worn brake componants. It's foolhardy to make compromises where brakes are involved, get them sorted.
Have you checked the level in the reservoir? It could be a leak or even just a case of them needing bleeding. Check all the unions around the hubs and master cylinder for signs of leakage. I would also whip the rear drums off (if you have drums!) and check the slave cylinders for leakage.
Hope this helps
Marc
Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 10:15 pm
by E_T_V
What do your front discs look like?
Are they scored or is there a huge wear lip on them? If not then they should still work fine.
What does the pedal feel like? Spongey? hard?
Are they only rubbish when they are hot or rubbish when cold?
Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 11:42 pm
by jiminwatford
i'd say rubbish always but certainly when warm
the pedal is spongy, i instinctively pump it sometimes (like when my mini's brakes needed bleeding
)
i haven't seen the discs, but kwik fit did a brake check on the car and they say they are below their limit.
Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 11:50 pm
by jiminwatford
Marc wrote:Yeah ditto what Adrian said. For the cost of them it's not worth ignoring worn brake componants. It's foolhardy to make compromises where brakes are involved, get them sorted.
Have you checked the level in the reservoir? It could be a leak or even just a case of them needing bleeding. Check all the unions around the hubs and master cylinder for signs of leakage. I would also whip the rear drums off (if you have drums!) and check the slave cylinders for leakage.
Hope this helps
Marc
i've bought some discs, and am bidding on some pads. There is fluid in the resevoir and i don't think any leaks.
kwik fit did one of their free brake checks (took about an hour) and said only problem is the front discs are below their limits.
* thinking out aloud* i've had cars before with low discs and the braking has seemed ok, however efficiency probably decreased over time without me noticing. i only bought this Rover two days ago so can feel the ineffectiveness of the brakes
Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 9:19 am
by T1M
I think it might be an R8 thing. In both the 416 and 220 i've noticed you have to apply a lot more force to the peddle to stop than in the 620 i occasionally drive, as well as the focus.
The brakes work, but just feel irresponsive unless you're heavy footed.
Changing the fluid, pads and discs i'd imagine would help a bit, but dont go expecting the world from your R8 brakes.
Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 10:15 am
by E_T_V
If the pedal travel is excessive before the brakes start working, then there are 3 possibilities:
1. If you have rear drum brakes then the self adjusters need cleaning up and free-ing off and reseting
2. Air or excessive water in the brake fluid - requires bleeding to remove.
3. Faulty or just generally degraded rubber brake hoses which are stretching as you press the brakes. Replace them with new ones or braided ones if the budget allows.
If the brakes just require a lot of pressure to stop the car then I'm afraid that is pretty normal, the servo isn't the biggest in the world and the the front discs are rather on the small side. The disc wear, (so long as it is even and not got scored discs), won't have much if any effect on how hard you have to press them or the pedal travel either. I struggle to get the ABS to kick in on the 220GTi turbo (pic at the top of the page) in dry weather just because you have to press the pedal so hard!.