Front & Rear Brake Pads average mileage usage.

[sheldon1]

On Mikes advice looking to change to Mintex front Brake pads . Had Ferodo on before.

What mileage can I expect to get from these driving carefully.


Thanks

Paul

[J44EAG]

Almost impossible to answer due to so many variables. A likeness with the length of a piece of string!!

Pad spec, disc spec. mileage, town or motorway use or infinitely variable proportions, hills, driving style, number of applications etc, etc. No car gets exactly the same use so hard to answer accurately.

Measure front pad starting thickness at a service interval, then measure again at the next 10,000mile service. Amount worn off the pad material can then be used to calculate a probable service life.

In my experience, an early model with 300mm diameter front discs, 20k miles should be possible with a sensible driving style. Later cars with 326mm diameter discs could do a little better. Early cars have always been known for fast wear down on front pads.

Hope that helps.

Mike

[sheldon1]

Thanks Mike, My car is a 1999 model 3.Lite SE.

Never changed the Front Brakes myself on a S Type always got the garage to do it.

Havnt changed brakes for quite awhile whats the best approach and do I need any special equip?

Paul

[J44EAG]

Front pads are easy.

Remove the master cylinder cap to release potential air pressure. Unbolt the calliper from the carrier and lift away. Dis guard old pads and note position of the anti squeal shims. Clean everything up and using a large g-clamp gently push the two calliper pistons fully back into the calliper. Copper grease the piston to brake pad faces and the running surfaces on the calliper. reassemble and pump the foot brake pedal to push the pistons back out again and check for a firm pedal. Repeat for the other front brake unit. Conventional work and no special tools or procedures needed.

The Rear callipers need pistons to be wound back in under gentle pressure. A Laser 1314 tool is useful at around £15 from ebay or Halfords. Frustratingly the thread is conventional and useful on one side of the car and is used with a reaction plate. Sadly the other side of the car has an opposite thread and one has to use the unit by hand without the plate. A little more difficult but not impossible. Look elsewhere on this brake section of the BB and you will see I have another post on relining the rear brakes. When you have a rear calliper off, clean up and check to ensure that the calliper sliding pins are free and not sticking due to corrosion and that the manual handbrake lever operates without sticking. reline the carrier ensuring the two raised pins on the brake pad line up with the two detent slots on the piston.

When you fit the rear calliper back on, ensure the butterfly springs touch the back face of the calliper and don`t appear in the viewing slot of the calliper. Those springs ensure the pad is pushed fully home towards the centre of the hub. Not as difficult as it sounds. reline both callipers, pump out the pistons w ith the footbrake and check to see the handbrake is working. release the handbrake and ensure the pads release fully from the disc.

Check also flexi pipes for age degradation and also metal brake pipes for corrosion. That issue is now beginning to emerge with the first cars in the run now being 15 years of age. You will see Martock, Oldtimer and I have all been active on our cars recently in this respect.

Have a good look at our brake section on this BB before you start work. There are loads of hints and tips to help you deal with brakes and other common S-type issues.

Let us know if we can help further.

Mike

[oldtimer]

Paul,
If you have the Dec 2013 JEC Magazine there is an article covering rear brakes that you may find useful.
Oldtimer

[sheldon1]

Thanks Mike & Oldtimer.