Why are my brakes so shiiiit?

Site Subscriber Joined: 29 Jan 2005 Posts: 1108

I've just fitted some EBC Turbo Groove discs & Black Diamond Predator pads to the front of my 19, and I've heard on here and from other people that you gotta give new pads / discs time to bed in etc............but........these are like PROPER SHITE lol. I mean......I got no hope of stopping for nobody, it seems a bit wrong to me? I have only had them on a for like less than an hour, just driven home from mate's house where I fitted 'em (15 min drive) and tried 'em a few times on way home.......complete shit like. Pulled into my GRAVEL driveway when I got home, SLAMMED on the pedal, and the wheels didn't even lock.......just came to a slow stop......on gravel!? Dear oh dear. This normal? I spoze I'll have to wait & see......I've only had 'em on the car a few hours like and I'm already worrying.

Site Subscriber Joined: 29 Jan 2005 Posts: 1108

Update: Just been out for a quick blast now, and the pads did seem better. Like if I'm goin along at 60mph, and I quickly press the pedal in and let off, they feel quite sharp y'know. As if they're really good brakes.........but when it actually comes to STOPPING......completely rubbish still. My pedal actually feels quite spongy now.......and I dunno is that cuz of pads, discs, or I got something wrong elsewhere. I guess that's an impossible question to answer yet tho innit. Ah well, sure I've bored you guys enough now, so I'm gonna go to bed. See if they're any better tomorrow. Night

Mr Quoter-vator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 7405

did you clean the disks first? new disks quite often come with a protective coating to stop them rusting which you need to clean off when ready to use.

also maybe you got grease and oil and shit on them when fitting...

maybe you havent used them hard enough yet to bed in better...

what were your brakes like before you changed them? was the pedal firm or not?

Site Subscriber Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 2929

Try bleeding them if they are that spongy.

Breaks take at least 20 - 30 miles of good use to bed in properly, if you havn't given them a chance to bed in then they will of course be crap.

however if they don't get any better I'd take another look at them. There shouldn't be anything too wrong if they were working fine before you changed the disc's and pads.

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

you got ABS?

Site Subscriber Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 1575

how old is your brake fluid, when upgrading brakes imo it is always a very good idea to change fluid. also these pads are they race spec?

Site Subscriber Joined: 29 Jan 2005 Posts: 1108

Not sure how old my brake fluid is, but I've had the car for a year & 1 month now and I haven't changed it during that time. My pedal felt a bit spongy before, but I can't really compare cuz I never really had to SLAM on the old brakes.....whereas I've been trying to SLAM these new ones on to bed 'em in like.......and it feels quite spongy now. They feel good for slowing down though, like if I'm going 60, I can slow down to 30 or 20 say, quite quickly like, but it's comin to a standstill they are rubbish. It's weird. I didn't clean that coating off no, I didn't realise you had to. It has come off now though, like the discs are silver where the pads have been in contact with 'em. So will that coating be on the pads and buggering things up? The pads are Black diamond predators and I dunno about 'race spec' but they are 'performance' ones......like bit better than standard I spoze. Mate said to try and find a bedding in guide for 'em, but I can't find one anywhere. doh

Oh yeah, was gonna say.......if I'm just parked in the car and I pump the brake pedal, everytime I press it it's like "tsshhh" like air or something. This normal?

Site Subscriber Joined: 05 Jan 2005 Posts: 589

I fitted Black Diamond 12 groove discs and Mintex Fast Road Pads to my 21t a few months back and they took a while to bed in properly, definetly did not happpen in 30 odd miles, to start off with i thought they where rubbish, but as time went on they did improve, and i dont think its a good idea to be slamming on your brakes so soon, you could be doing more damage than good, this was the bedding in instructions for my Mintex pads,

"Apply 2-3 light applications of brakes at 30mph down to 0mph

Apply 3-4 steady applications of the brakes at 70mph down to 30mph

Leave as long as possible to cool down, then they should now work from cold."

One 21toc member did point out to me once that the grooved discs and better pads ar'nt actually meant to stop you quicker, but instaed are meant to reduce brake fade cuased by constant excessive heavy braking ????

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

the brake fluid is probably original.

The coating on the discs is oil basically.

Also it take a good 100 miles or so to bed in brakes.

And yes uprated pads don't actually stop you any quicker, they do prevent fade and grooved discs prevent a gas layer building up and making the pad float on the disc.