www.jec.org.uk

Hi

Thinking of replacing front and rear pads soon as they now appear to feel 'spongy ' would appreciate any advice /tips for the change and approximate cost for the replacment parts and any sundry items needed.
Thanks

Hi ,
Does your car have standard or Brembo brakes
The type of brakes fitted to your "R" will alter the way you go about the job and the cost , especially if you intend to use Genuine Jaguar parts , I have recently retrofitted Brembo's to my "8" so obviously can help you with sourcing standard or Brembo replacement parts ,

as an afterthought ...... spongy brakes may not be down to worn pads , has the brake fluid been changed recently are any of the flexi-hoses perished and swelling up when applying the brakes If all is well with pads/fluid and you will probably get a real improvement in pedal feel by fitting braided Stainless steel hoses ,

All the best ,

Nik

Hi Nik
Thanks for the response
Will check to see what type of brakes I have.
Guy Salmon serviced the car last year and reported at the time that the pads would need replacing soon.
All hoses appear OK.

Nik

Have checked brakes - they appear to be standard fittings.

The pedal feel in the standard XKR system in good condition is quite soft but the brakes work OK. When Jaguar fitted Brembos, many drivers (me included) prefered the improved 'bite' available through the pedal. A large part of the improvement was actually due to Jaguar fitting braided hoses as part of the Brembo upgrade. Hence, in the real world, simply changing the rubber hoses for braided hoses gives an improved driving experience at a much more sensible cost than upgrading fully to Brembos. Worn pads, especially if they've been overheated, can produce a change in pedal feel, a feeling of lower friction/grip. Sponginess in XKs is due to hydraulic issues; old fluid; swelling flexies etc. Hydraulic seals don't last forever and leaking internal master cylinder seals can also produce similar effects at the pedal. Mike.

Agree with Mike entirely.

When I changed discs and pads recently on my S-type recently, the improvement was dramatic. Makes one realise how bad the worn set up had become.

I am often horrified at the condition of brake discs seen on many cars. Scored, erroded and frequently ribbed surfaces. All contribute to a reduction in braking efficiency. Also to be seen is excessive thinning of the brake discs which are often well down below manufacturers recommended thickness. Only when the disc is off the car does the true extent of the wear become apparent. Placing of an old disc alongside a new one makes the visual effect even more apparent.

Braided hoses are not as expensive as you might think. £45 or thereabouts on ebay seems to be the going rate for a Goodrich kit. One of the mods I must do in due course.

Mike K

.

Nik

Have checked brakes - they appear to be standard fittings.

Looks like everyone has the same opinion as myself re braided Stainless hoses , at least the disc's and pads for yours will be relatively inexpensive compared to "Brembo's" and dead easy to change ,

All the best ,

Nik

PS SNG Barratt will sort you out with good quality replacement pads/discs and braided hoses , if you ring , ask to speak to Kully and tell him Nik Antcliffe recommended him

Many thanks to all for the info.
Will now check pads and replace if necessary together with braided hoses as I to
prefer the ' bite ' when braking.