Iffy brakes

[Roger200]

How does everyone find the brakes on the 200?
In all the write ups they say the brakes are immense, some of the best on any hot hatch. However, i find mine lack bite. Theres a decent amount of initial feed back but then the pedal seems to go stiff and the stopping power doesn't feel like it increases with pedal pressure as it should.
Thinking about getting them checked but was wondering what others thought, i might just have too higher expectations due to write ups.

 

[BenW]

I wasn't massively impressed when I got my 197 either (same brakes), got some uprated pads and they're amazing

 

[Jasey]

I was actually thinking this the other day on mine.

So I found a clear bit of road, took her up to 60 and slammed on the anchors as hard as I could.

Confidence restored .

I think day to day driving the feedback isn't the best but they do work well under pressure.

 

[Maz]

Mine are squealing like a biatch at the moment and doing my head in

 

[NICKHYND]

Yeah gotta agree....never had to stand on the brakes yet in anger !!! so hope your right jasey. My missus clio campus always feels safer on the breaks

 

[Carl Pearce]

Mine are squealing like a biatch at the moment and doing my head in

What mileage are you on? From around 500 to 1700 miles my brakes squealed but seem to have settled down now.

I also noticed that the surface of the disks look a lot smoother now rather than looking like an old record!

 

[Paul]

Yeah gotta agree....never had to stand on the brakes yet in anger !!! so hope your right jasey. My missus clio campus always feels safer on the breaks

I can assure you they are better than a Clio Campus, you need not worry.

I think the brakes are great. I don't do any track work but I have never found them underpreforming in any conditions. :thumbup1:

 

[Maz]

What mileage are you on? From around 500 to 1700 miles my brakes squealed but seem to have settled down now.

I also noticed that the surface of the disks look a lot smoother now rather than looking like an old record!

Im over 2500, cant remember the exact

 

[200cup andy]

What mileage are you on? From around 500 to 1700 miles my brakes squealed but seem to have settled down now.

I also noticed that the surface of the disks look a lot smoother now rather than looking like an old record!

yep mine done that got to 2000 now and its all gone but it still looks like an old record

maz, they may be glazed so give them some beans on a dry road it will hopefully go away

 

[Maz]

Willl give that a go, thanks

 

[Roger200]

I reckon they might just have bit of glaze on them and need a bit of punishment
Will probably invest in some better pads in the spring. Is there any other relatively inexpensive things i can change to make them better?

 

[Mike Roberts]

They've probably never been properly bedded in, they're hard pads, they need to be given some controlled abuse to get them to work efficiently long term.

 

[Maz]

What would you suggest Mike?

 

[Mike Roberts]

Everyone has a different way, but they all achieve the same result. You've got to get the pads as hot as possible (I'm talking smoking, fading style) so it transfers a load of material onto the disc and 'cures' the pads which helps stop them leeching deposits causing vibration.

Drive to warm the pads up.
10x 60-5 MPH medium stops
15 minute gentle drive
10x 60-5 MPH hard stops
15 minute gentle drive
Leave to cool, ideally overnight and just left in gear so you don't get pad imprints.

When on the cool down drive, don't be afraid to use the brakes, just be controlled in the way you do... i.e. plan stopping so you can do it without needing to stamp on the pedal and don't come to a standstill.

 

[BenW]

Good article on brake pad bed in, this is what I did for my CL pads http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_bedinstock.shtml

 

[Mike Roberts]

Excellent read.

 

[Roger200]

The cars done 6000 miles and has been driven hard, went to Scotland for 5 days but will try using above technique. So I only have to di it once?

 

[BenW]

To be honest best way to deglaze pads (if this is the problem) is to remove them and sand them down. You'll notice the pads are shiny if they're glazed

 

[Roger200]

Cheers :thumbup1:

 

[200cup andy]

thread revival

had the car on track yesterday, and had first hand experience of the dead peadal, its scary as hell going in to the esses at full chat to find that the brakes aint stopping the car as i was expecting, getting to the point where the abs is cutting in

will better brake pads and dot 5 or high temp dot 4 fluid help this