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Car again: Brake discs

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MarJay
But it's British!



Joined: 15 Sep 2003
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PostPosted: 12:53 - 09 Nov 2005    Post subject: Car again: Brake discs Reply with quote

Hi guys,

Yes, the ongoing saga of the MX3 is continuing, this time with a loud metal on metal noise emanating from the front left wheel.

I am sure that this is due to the brake pads being worn through, and as such I have not driven the car since I noticed the problem.

Being that the car displays some characteristics of warped brake discs, I took the opportunity to buy four new discs and four new sets of pads.

They cost £100 for the lot off of ebay, and appear to be of excellent quality. However, I examined one of the brake discs out of its box, and found that it was coated in grease. This is obviously protective, but how the hell do I remove it?

Do I simply clean them with brake cleaner?

Do brake discs ordinarily arrive with grease on them?

How hard will it be to remove the brake disc nuts (as they will no doubt be rusted in place)?

Will I find the same treatment as bike calipers effective on my car?
(IE copper grease the back of the pads, liberal dosage of brake cleaner and a jolly good brush with a stiff nylon brush.)

Any other hints that may help me on the road to automotive braking nirvana?

Smile
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.
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Kickstart
The Oracle



Joined: 04 Feb 2002
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PostPosted: 13:38 - 09 Nov 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

Car disks are normally cast iron so rust rapidly. When new they put a coating of thin oil on them. Wash it off with brake cleaner.

The bolts holding the disks on will probably come out easily. They do not need to be tight as the wheel bolts are the main things holding the disks in place (the little bolt just stops the disk falling off when you take the wheel off).

Pretty much the same as a bike, same use of copper slips, etc.

Only issue is whether there is a proceedure to follow to push the pistons back in on a car fitted with ABS. Sometimes you cannot just push the pistons back. Haynes should tell you anything unusual like that though.

All the best

Keith
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finpos
World Chat Champion



Joined: 13 Sep 2005
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PostPosted: 14:15 - 09 Nov 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

You may find on a Mazda of that vintage that:

1. If the noise you heard was a squealing, then it might just be down to a bit of 'U' shaped springy metal tagged onto the brake pad which is designed to contact the disk (and, err, squeal) well before the pad was worn to a dangerous level. So no damage done. If it was a hideous grinding on the other hand...

2. There may in fact be nothing holding the brake disk on apart from the wheel nuts - and some rust. If you can't see any obvious method of fixing, look for a threaded hole in the disk through which you can see the hub. Find a bolt to go in that hole and screw it in, it will push against the hub and force the disk off.

Definitely recommend getting a manual though - there's often some trick to doing the brakes on any given car.

fin.
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finpos
World Chat Champion



Joined: 13 Sep 2005
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PostPosted: 14:17 - 09 Nov 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just noticed you're doing the rear disks as well - in which case definitely get a manual because there will be some handbrake - related nonsense to deal with. There may be a VERY hidden adjuster somewhere.

fin.
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MarJay
But it's British!



Joined: 15 Sep 2003
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PostPosted: 23:33 - 09 Nov 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cheers guys. I do have a Chilton manual (American Haynes) so I'll have a look at some point.

Top! Thumbs Up (edit) Yeah the noise was a squealing too! Bloody annoying it is though! Smile (edit)
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.
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ZRX61
Victor Meldrew



Joined: 05 Nov 2003
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PostPosted: 16:35 - 11 Nov 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kickstart wrote:
The bolts holding the disks on will probably come out easily. They do not need to be tight as the wheel bolts are the main things holding the disks in place (the little bolt just stops the disk falling off when you take the wheel off).Keith

Evidently you've never changed the brake rotors on a front wheel drive car...
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Kickstart
The Oracle



Joined: 04 Feb 2002
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PostPosted: 00:00 - 12 Nov 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

ZRX61 wrote:
Evidently you've never changed the brake rotors on a front wheel drive car...


Have done regularly and these bolts have never been a problem for me. Only one where it is known to be a likely problem is the late Maserati biturbos.

All the best

Keith
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John C
World Chat Champion



Joined: 06 May 2005
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PostPosted: 02:50 - 12 Nov 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

kickstart wrote:
(the little bolt just stops the disk falling off when you take the wheel off).Keith

on a MK1/2 mondeo if you remove the little clips that hold the disc in place over the wheel studs the disc certainly won't "fall" off. Instead it'll be well and truly rusted on; and in order to remove it you have to cut a slot in it with an angle grinder, and then belt a chisel in the slot to crack it in half Smile

Arrow BTW, go easy on the brakes for the first few hundred miles, the bed them in properly:

shamelessly stolen from the w w w...

1. From a speed of about 60mph, gently apply the brakes to slow the car down to about 45mph, then accelerate back up to 60mph and repeat. Do this couple of times to bring the brakes up to operating temperature. This prevents you from thermally shocking the rotors and pads in the next steps.

2. Make a series of eight near-stops from 60 to about 10 mph. Do it HARD by pressing on the brakes firmly, just shy of locking the wheels or engaging ABS. At the end of each slowdown, immediately accelerate back to 60mph. DO NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP! If you stop completely and sit for any length of time with your foot on the brake pedal, you will imprint pad material onto the hot rotors, which can lead to vibration, uneven braking, and could even ruin the rotors. (Note: With some less aggressive street pads, you may need to do fewer than eight near-stops. If your pedal gets soft or you feel the brakes going away, then you've done enough. Proceed to the next step.)

3. The brakes may begin to fade slightly after the 7th or 8th near-stop. This fade will stabilize, but not completely go away until the brakes have fully cooled. A strong smell from the brakes, and even smoke, is normal.

4. After the 8th near-stop, accelerate back up to speed and cruise for a while, using the brakes as little as possible. The brakes need 5 to 10 minutes to cool down. Try not to become trapped in traffic or come to a complete stop while the brakes are still hot.

5. After the break-in cycle, there should be a slight blue tint and a light gray film on the rotor face. The blue tint tells you the rotor has reached break-in temperature and the gray film is pad material starting to transfer onto the rotor face. This is what you are looking for. The best braking occurs when there is an even layer of of pad material deposited across the face of the rotors. This minimizes squealing, increases braking torque, and maximizes pad and rotor life.

6. After the first break in cycle shown above, the brakes may still not be fully broken in. A second bed-in cycle, AFTER the brakes have cooled down fully from the first cycle, may be necessary before the brakes really start to perform well. This is especially true if you have installed new pads on old rotors. If you've just installed a big brake kit, the pedal travel may not feel as firm as you expected.


Last edited by John C on 13:12 - 12 Nov 2005; edited 1 time in total
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ZRX61
Victor Meldrew



Joined: 05 Nov 2003
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PostPosted: 03:42 - 12 Nov 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

NSRSparkie wrote:
on a MK1/2 mondeo if you remove the little clips that hold the disc in place over the wheel studs the disc certainly won't "fall" off. [/i][/color]

Those are *speed nuts* they're put on at the factory to stop the rotors from falling off before they get to the part where the wheels are bolted on.
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John C
World Chat Champion



Joined: 06 May 2005
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PostPosted: 13:11 - 12 Nov 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Copperslip on the back of the discs does the trick for easy removal next time.
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