Servicing std dedion rear disc brakes.

[Brucey]

Hi

 

Now that I have bedded in my new front discs and Mintex pads I have decided to service the rear brakes.

 

How good should they be? They only just held when I undid the hub nuts. That was with the handbrake on and my 18 year old son pushing the peddle as hard as he could.

 

I have removed the pads (thanks Myles for your website guide. I would have spent hours tying to get the pads out without splitting the calipers!).

I'm glad I did as I had less than 1mm left on the inside pads and about 5mm on the outside pads. This may explain why I was experiencing fade under heavy braking.

 

I will give the discs a light skim using my new faceplate and the fixure I've just made for my lathe.

 

Will fitting new (thicker) pads help the handbrake efficiency (by changing the angle of the lever mechanism on the caliper for instance)?

 

Is there anything else I can do/check to improve the handbrake and rear brakes in general while it's apart? The caliper slide mechanism looks fine and moves freely.

 

Bruce.

[captain chaos]

Nothing more than a fresh bleed (how old is the fluid?) and and what your already doing should bring things up to scratch.

[Shad]

Are there any parts which need extra attention? Cleaning or greasing?

 

My right caliper binds slightly but my left releases fully and the wheel spins freely. Not noticed any handling problems but the right side ends up squealing quite a bit.

 

Simon

niknak.org

[captain chaos]

Shad,

Check there is not an excessive build up of brake dust around the base of the caliper piston. A good squirting of brake cleaner and a some gentle scrubbing will get the worse away. It may need a bit of a service (new seals) which is alot easier than it sounds if your not a techie, but try just cleaning it up first.

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

Bruce - is your handbrake the old under-the-dash type or tunnel top mounted ?

 

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[Brucey]

Capt. C,

I thought about changing the brake fluid as it could be upto 15 years old

I don't have any issues with the 'feel' of the pedal (still solid), just how hard it needs to pushed to stop the car!

Looking at the rust on the bleed nipples (especially on the front calipers), I just know replacing the brake fluid will end in tears

 

Ian,

Under the dash handbrake I'm afraid. The only time I used it last year was parking on hills (incase some toe rag knocked it out of gear), Waiting in a que on a hill at Lydden Circuit for 40mins (left leg went into spasm after 15 mins!) and for the MOT.

 

Bruce.

 

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

Give your nipples a careful soak in Plusgas each day for a few days (Obviously avoiding spraying it on discs !!!!). Use exact size of hex spanner - they should come undone ok. Maybe throw a few prayers in too. Should replace any mineral brake fluid every couple of years, due to absorption of water from the atmosphere, which can corrode internals of the system and lead to boiling under heavy use !

 

Under-dash handbrake - oh dear - can't help there ! Good luck

 

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Edited by - Stationary M25 Traveller on 20 May 2008 12:59:33

[captain chaos]

Brucey,

The quicker you get around to facing up to changing the fluid the better!..15 years

 

As M25 says, a few careful squirts of GT85, WD40 or similar and the right size spanner should see the job done.

 

That is possibly the wrong sort of pads..race type which need lots of ehat to give some bite, but from the sound of it facing up the discs, your new pads and if you can sort it, some new fluid will see you stopping on a sixpence in no time!

 

Good luck!

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

Is there a local supplier to Bruce for the famed 'ehat' ?? 😬 Hopefully a generous dollop of it will get his handbrake working !!

 

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