Brakes - Poor performance

T

Toby

My brother has just purchased an r27. Now I didn't get to test drive this one and my brother didn't really get chance to test it thoroughly and with him being new to hot hatches at the ripe old age of 18, he didn't know much difference.

In a nutshell they are **** (not just in comparison to what they should be like). My lard arse 3 series has far greater stopping power. There's very long pedal travel, poor initial bite and they wont even bite enough to get the abs to kick in.

I have already bled the brakes fully but there is/was no air in the system (made very little difference) and the pads are OEM with about 50% life in them.

The brake servo is working correctly (brakes hold pressure without power and pumped up, then release power as the engine is fired up).

The car has been stood since Nov and had very little use (less than 50 miles) and did pass it MOT in Jan.

Now i will try cleaning up the brakes/pistons etc when im back in case its a pad/piston sticking but I'm clueless with these cars so any suggestions would be great.

Cheers.
 
These cars do require regular brake stripdowns the front pads are probably seized in the calipers and a slight possibility of a stuck piston or 2
 
Yup I'd say a strip clean and lube will sort. You might need new pads if they have corroded in badly... Along with pins for the front which like to bend and seize in
 
fully strip front and rears...clean / deglaze / lube / refit

and when removing the pins give them a proper hit with a hammer non of this fairy taps :innocent:
 
I found the best way of removing the pins was a hammer combined with this:
ftd4450_stainless_steel_cupboard_handle.JPG


Forget using a punch at the start. You want something beefier that you can give a real wack with a hammer. Once it's moved a bit, use the punch to push it through the rest of the way.
 
Cheers, will look to get them stripped down front and rear when were both back at my parents.

cooper666 said:
These cars do require regular brake stripdowns the front pads are probably seized in the calipers and a slight possibility of a stuck piston or 2
Click to expand...

Do pistons just seize up or do the pads seize in the caliper and in turn don't make contact with the disc?
 
Toby said:
Do pistons just seize up or do the pads seize in the caliper and in turn don't make contact with the disc?
Click to expand...

Both. 99% of the time it's the inside pad seized in the calliper, bit annoying but can be freed (if worst comes to the worst then take the calliper off to make it easier).

There's a good how to guide in the relevant section.
I'll see if I can get a link
 
Goose said:
Both. 99% of the time it's the inside pad seized in the calliper, bit annoying but can be freed (if worst comes to the worst then take the calliper off to make it easier).

There's a good how to guide in the relevant section.
I'll see if I can get a link
Click to expand...

only for paid members!!!
 
I had similar problem when i bought my 197. Front pads was basically glued with rust to caliber. I had to use hammer to get those off. When i replaced pads, pins and discs the braking power was massive.
 
My brakes are pretty poor too much as you describe long travel before they bite. How difficult is this work is it something simple enough to do myself or should I take it to a garage?
 
I have a load of pins for sale in the sale section.

Those are the right ones though, and for £15 a set of new pins is a great price!

Not sure about the seals...I've never had to source them.
 
Got my car in the garage to have new front pads fitted (weren't confident enough to do it myself) and it was a good job I did take it in. They had to strip off calipers cut pins just to get pads out. Inside pad had corroded into the caliper and weren't making contact with the disc, disc had then corroded too on the inside face! £350 later with new pads and discs my brakes are awesome!!!
 
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