Second dumbest question of the day!

Mick Rae

Active Member
Thanks gents, the car is lifted. I bought new anti rattle springs to go with the new pads, and also the special pin retaining clips. I also bought new pins, but the wee hole is in the wrong end so didn't use (prob fine but old pins were serviceable with a clean). Sadly there were no antirattle springs on my car, and pictures in manual unhelpful to my eyes. Please could someone have a look at my picture and let me know if this is all correct before I do the other side? Also, the pins were dry, I installed them again dry, should the need a bit of copper slip? Brake is rubbing a bit tight currently but reckon that will just need bedded in a bit? Sorry for being daft, just unsure of the springs and need to be sure. Thank you so much in advance.
 

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It seemed no other way the spings could go, so I went for a gentle test drive on a country lane. All grand. So then went for a longer drive, did a bit of bedding in of the new pads - and they work great. So here is possibly a contender for my other daft questions - but can brake pads 'go off' with age? I'll explain.............whilst previously the brakes worked (good enough for MOT), I just was never happy with them. They felt, for want of a better description, well, wooden - mild pressure didn't seem in my opinion to do a lot, needed a strong firm push to feel them working, and when they did, they made a kind of graunchy noise. But the pads looked like new! The servo was sticking and very secondhand looking so I changed that, made no difference. I did the front hoses too (rear was new), no difference. So rather forlornly today I did the pads - difference is night and day! Brakes are now quiet, smooth, progressive and working as brakes should, less pedal effort etc. Now the 'old' pads I removed looked hardly used (marked TRW on the back). All I know is that the car had done very little moving until I got it - maybe a few hundred gentle miles over the last decade, and probably not a lot of braking - so it is possible the pads have been there a long time - anything up to 12 years I guess. Could them being a bit unused and aged have been the issue do you think? Or am I just making myself look even dafter for asking :) Regardless, my brakes are now how they should be, and thus I am happy!
 
Brake pads can make a difference, I had new ones which weren't great and squealed which disappeared when changed for a different brand.

The old pads might not have been moving freely and you sorted this when putting new pads and pins in.

I always put copper grease on, it will help in the future.
 
I think you'll find that the spring clips are the wrong way around. The long bit in the centre should be holding the shim to the pad on the outside, not doing nothing on the inside. That way the loops on the end are in the middle, and don't foul the "R" clips.
 
The springs on mine were of the same orientation as Micks, but a completely different shape. Where did you get those Mick?

AR Springs.jpg
 
Worst disc problem I have seen is corrosion on thecaliper pistons that makes them hang on and get very hot - new pistons is the only solution, with new seals. Whenever you replace pads I strongly suggest inspection of the rubber boots on the pistons, and replacement if perforated,or dry and cracked, usually due to age and heat cycling.
 
I got them from Wins, and like the picture from Quattro above, took the book to mean the clip loops went over the pins in between the calliper and shim hence ending up as they did . What you say makes more sense Harvey, but is opposite to that diagram in the workshop manual - or at least how it looked to my eye, (perfectly possible I misinterpreted the diagram of course!) . I thought it was a poor diagram, but lack of anything to see when taking to bits, and springs whose shape resembles nothing in any book had me guessing! So thank you Harvey, because otherwise I would never known - probably would make no difference as its still better than no springs, but I would prefer to have it proper and correct, and your logic above is well, logical, so I will dismantle and refit..........will take no time at all once I get some time, and be easier to fit with greater room for fiddling it all together if they don't have to go on the ends like I have them and can go in the middle. JP, the piston rubbers looked pretty good, I cleaned all around and couldn't see any obvious damage.
Thanks to everyone for the replies to my questions, I really appreciate your time and expertise. And loving my brakes now - it was the biggest let down of the Rover experience for me, and now that's no more - was out again yesterday driving around the countryside here, just enjoying going places with nowhere to go in the Spring sunshine.
cheers
Mick
 
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