Jump to content
Do Not Sell My Personal Information


Brake change.


Halloween Jack
 Share

Recommended Posts

Does anybody know what intervals the brake pads/disks should be replaced (Focus 1.8 petrol, front disks, rear drums).

Think it may be the weather but the rear brakes were stuck on today and front making grinding noise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Does anybody know what intervals the brake pads/disks should be replaced (Focus 1.8 petrol, front disks, rear drums).

Think it may be the weather but the rear brakes were stuck on today and front making grinding noise.

before or when they reach the legal limit...wouldnt say there is a time limit for replacement it just depends on wear.

it might be worth popping the drums off for a look and give the brakes a good clean.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

its not a legal limit, just a reccomended limit to brakes...illegal is not working!! crap eh

Sounds like your rear brakes need a service and the relevant parts lubricating as the cold is keeping them locked on....as you release the handbrake a spring pushes the shoes off the drum...but the shoes can stick to the back plate with enough force that the springs do nothing!!

White spray grease is excellent for this...remove drums, free off any parts, check wear in shoes and drum, ensure no leaks from cylinders, then gently and firmly lever the shoe away from the back plate, spray the grease on the spots where the shoes rub, the grease then drys, gently lever the shoes back in place, clean off any excess on the shoes and refit :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

surely with brake pads if they are down to the metal near enough they will fail an mot so that makes them illegal then? no?

is it not 1.5mm for brake pads?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

surely with brake pads if they are down to the metal near enough they will fail an mot so that makes them illegal then? no?

is it not 1.5mm for brake pads?

you sure the gring from the front wasnt just the surface rust being removed by the pad that would be normal it should go away after a few brakes the rears may have stuck due to water getting in the inspection hole and freezing there was a revised cover that was meant to stop this could just be the weather

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Cheers everyone, rear brakes not got stuck since the snow has gone.

Due to be ripped off for a service in 2k miles at main dealer, hopefully they will check the brakes !!!!!!!!!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can anyone recommend any websites to buy brakes? Or do I just get the original ford brakes from Ford?

I have used http://www.brakeparts.co.uk/ in the past and did receive and excellent service but i tend to just go to my local motor factors and get them. personally i would never go to ford because i feel i can get parts of the same or better quality at a much more reasonable price.

if you want ford parts, give this place a try. http://www.fordpartsuk.com/default.htm they are well known on here and i use them regularly to get spares. highly recommended, fantastic service. i think on brake parts, they can generally save you about 25%

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah thanks, yeah I've come across that website you gave. But I didn't know whether to trust it. I'm not too familiar with my local motor stores so I'll do a bit more research in case I get ripped off.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah thanks, yeah I've come across that website you gave. But I didn't know whether to trust it. I'm not too familiar with my local motor stores so I'll do a bit more research in case I get ripped off.

its worth phoning round a few of your local factors, get some prices. if they are all about the same then you are probably not getting ripped off.

fordpartsuk are good but they are off until the 4th of january.

what year of focus is it? what parts are you looking for?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2003 focus

I'm a new driver so I don't have any knowledge about car parts and stuff. I've been reading around and analyzed my brakes so I think it is probably the brake pads that's worn. But my brake discs are also quite rusty so I think I'll change that too.

I think my car has been neglected by the previous driver. I don't think it has been serviced for a sad 2-3 years. There are quite a few things that is not running well and I want to get to the bottom of all of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2003 focus

I'm a new driver so I don't have any knowledge about car parts and stuff. I've been reading around and analyzed my brakes so I think it is probably the brake pads that's worn. But my brake discs are also quite rusty so I think I'll change that too.

I think my car has been neglected by the previous driver. I don't think it has been serviced for a sad 2-3 years. There are quite a few things that is not running well and I want to get to the bottom of all of it.

If you are fitting yourself or have a mate who can fit brake pads/discs you will save a fortune on garage costs.

if its just front discs and pads, standard 258mm diameter i would expect to pay £70-£80 from a motor factors.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

dont spend cash you dont need to siurface rust on discs is normal as the brakes scrub this off the first few presses if they arent badly pitted or cracked and they arent thin then youll be wasting money putting new discs on leave the new ones in the rain for a day or two and the surface rust re appears if you have alloys look down there at the front and youll easily see the pads and if they are thin or not if they arent thin or down to the metal youre fine for the reasr apply the handbrake and try to push the car backwards have someone sitting in the drivers side to apply the brakes if needed if it wont budge youre shoes are likely fine as well

Link to comment
Share on other sites

surely with brake pads if they are down to the metal near enough they will fail an mot so that makes them illegal then? no?

is it not 1.5mm for brake pads?

nope, crazy enough, but if they work and the MOT man can't see the pads, IE wheel trims completely covering, then he can't remove anything to inspect and could only advise...however it is likely that a good MOT man guna use mirror and LED light to have good look!

He was referring to problem with rear drums/shoes tho, so that was what I was reffering to!

No legal limit though (you were saying 1.5mm) however there is a advisory the MOT man can issue on the pads if below 2mm I think, and advisories are stated to be done within 6months...but not much that realy, 2mm!

As to parts, I would always reccomend local motor factors :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

nope, crazy enough, but if they work and the MOT man can't see the pads, IE wheel trims completely covering, then he can't remove anything to inspect and could only advise...however it is likely that a good MOT man guna use mirror and LED light to have good look!

He was referring to problem with rear drums/shoes tho, so that was what I was reffering to!

No legal limit though (you were saying 1.5mm) however there is a advisory the MOT man can issue on the pads if below 2mm I think, and advisories are stated to be done within 6months...but not much that realy, 2mm!

As to parts, I would always reccomend local motor factors :)

that is pretty crazy! then again the whole, no mot for the first 3 years is also crazy imo. think of all the drivers who can do 100k miles in a year...hmm but thats another matter for another time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


its nuts what could pass an MOT...and thats with an honest garage!! :lol:

yes indeed, i have a mate who is a tester. i always think very highly of him but some of the stuff he has told me that can and does pass is absolutely stupid really.

like as long as your plates are secured to your bumper, the bumper can be hanging by a thread it will pass. just silly things like that. i really dont know who thinks up these things...

i always worry about the 'next mot' but i really shouldnt...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

you can have a crack in your windscreen from one side to the other...so long as it not in wiper sweep, your good!

you can have a hole in the floor...but so long as its not within 30cm of a seatbelt mounting and not part of the chasis....your good to go

Link to comment
Share on other sites

you can have a crack in your windscreen from one side to the other...so long as it not in wiper sweep, your good!

you can have a hole in the floor...but so long as its not within 30cm of a seatbelt mounting and not part of the chasis....your good to go

and even if the crack did fail the mot, kick the windscreen out and they cant test it, the washers or the wipers. oh dear this gets worse.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

would fail for no windscreen!

not from what ive heard? if its not there they cant test so cant fail. only an advisory :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

not from what ive heard? if its not there they cant test so cant fail. only an advisory :lol:

certain things must be in place....

it would be a "refuse to test" or something like that, the MOT would just not be carried out.

Could go without rear window...maybe thats what you heard!?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

certain things must be in place....

it would be a "refuse to test" or something like that, the MOT would just not be carried out.

Could go without rear window...maybe thats what you heard!?

hmm, i will need to ask my tester friend at some point but im pretty sure it was him who told me. definetly the front windscreen though, hence why i mentioned washers and wipers as these are not testable on the rear anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Talking about MOTs I need to check when my next one is. I doubt it will fail but I know my car is not in a complete healthy state.

I guess I can get some rust removal for the brake discs but I definitely need to change the pads. It feels like my braking distance has increased over the last 2 months.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i know i have knocked this about off topic but piggy, ive got the answer...straight from the testers mouth

Nope,the car doesn't need a windscreen for an MOT,and if it hasn't got a windscreen then the washers and wipers aren't testable.Some early Land Rovers had a windscreen that could be folded down,and on those you checked the wipers and washers but if they didn't work it was just a pass and advise as the windscreen could be folded out of the way.

The MOT does have a few foibles like the above,the thing is it's to cover all cars and not just modern ones.You have to test a 1910 Model T the same way as you test a 2006 Laguna,although of course there are things that are only fitted and checked after a certain build date.Some early cars only had door handles on the inside,but because they didn't have a roof or windows you could still access them from the outside.If you had a front outer door handle fail on your Focus but the inner one on the door still worked,if you presented the car for a test with that door window wound down,then the tester would have to pass and advise the car due to the fact that the handle could still be accessed from the outside of the vehicle!.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share




×
×
  • Create New...

Forums


News


Membership