Brake Parts

[BertieWells]

Hi Guys,

Just want to make sure i have the right stuff selected before i buy. My van is 1985 with the early bits.

I plan on changing the brake pads all around on my van. So i am thinking I will get this for the rear. And these for the front.

Are these parts suitable?

I hear that doing the back is relatively straight forward. What about the front? Anything i should be watching out for or prepare to get stuck for a while with?

Any tips or comments are happily recieved

Regards

Rob

[kevtherev]

Hi Guys,

Just want to make sure i have the right stuff selected before i buy. My van is 1985 with the early bits.

I plan on changing the brake pads all around on my van. So i am thinking I will get this for the rear. And these for the front.

Are these parts suitable?

Brickwerks parts are well described and straightforward, they are correct

[BertieWells]

Thanks Kev, in terms of swapping everything over am i likely to run into any particular problems?

[kevtherev]

Thanks Kev, in terms of swapping everything over am i likely to run into any particular problems?

Patience is required when replacing the rears, take a photo or two of the shoes and springs before you rip them off, the shoe spring retainers are a pain, but essential.
study the way they are fitted and replacement will be easy.

[BertieWells]

Ace, thankyou! Will report back if i run into trouble

[California Dreamin]

Fronts are actually much easier than the rears.

Tips for the fronts:
As you will need to push back all four pistons, make sure you wrap some cloth around the reservoir cap to catch any overflowing fluid.
Clean the channels in the callipers well so the pads move freely.
Apply some plastilube or other antiseize paste to the edges and back of the brake pads.
Remove any loose rust around the disk outer edge.
Don't forget to pump your pedal before driving.
Rears:
Slacken your hand brake cable adjuster off before attempting to adjust the shoes at the drums.
Be careful NOT to fit the return springs upside down (very easily done but prevents correct adjuster operation)
After cleaning the back plates apply plastilube/copper slip to the raised contact points before fitting the shoes.
Adjust at the drums until it locks then 'back off' the adjusting wheel until the drum spins freely (4 - 6 clicks )
Then take the slack out of the hand brake cable
Bleed all brakes starting from the furthest away from the master cylinder first, working towards the closest.

I notice the rear kit includes the rear wheel cylinders..normally these wouldn't be changed UNLESS they were leaking.
You need brake fluid (1.5 litres of DOT 4)
You need brake grease (plastilube or other)
You don't necessarily need the 'Black Diamond' brake pads, the standard ones are just fine.
Obviously check the front brake disc's and rear brake drums for excessive wear..these may also need replacement...they both have wear limits.

Martin

[BertieWells]

Thanks thats great,

Although iv replaced the disks and pads on my dads car im pretty much a noob at brakes so have some brake simpleton questions. Im sure everything will be obvious when i actually come to do it but ....

make sure you wrap some cloth around the reservoir cap to catch any overflowing fluid

I take it this means i wont have to remove the brake hose?

Apply some plastilube or other antiseize paste to the edges and back of the brake pads.

Copper paste good for this? I think that is what i used on dads ...

I notice the rear kit includes the rear wheel cylinders..normally these wouldn't be changed UNLESS they were leaking

Basically iv been meaning to do the brakes on the van since iv had it purely for piece of mind. The previous owner mentioned that they hadnt really been touched in a while. Now that im trying to diagnose another problem (see my knock knock thread) i thought now would be an ideal time to get them all out of the way. I was advised on the other thread that i should have a spare cylinder handy and it worked out cheaper to buy the set like this. So i will now atleast have them spare if i dont need them although i think atleast 1 bleed nipple is missing somewhere on the van (cant quite remember which corner) so atleast one will be used here.

Thanks again for your reply

[California Dreamin]

Thanks thats great,

Although iv replaced the disks and pads on my dads car im pretty much a noob at brakes so have some brake simpleton questions. Im sure everything will be obvious when i actually come to do it but ....

make sure you wrap some cloth around the reservoir cap to catch any overflowing fluid

I take it this means i wont have to remove the brake hose?

Apply some plastilube or other antiseize paste to the edges and back of the brake pads.

Copper paste good for this? I think that is what i used on dads ...

I notice the rear kit includes the rear wheel cylinders..normally these wouldn't be changed UNLESS they were leaking

Basically iv been meaning to do the brakes on the van since iv had it purely for piece of mind. The previous owner mentioned that they hadnt really been touched in a while. Now that im trying to diagnose another problem (see my knock knock thread) i thought now would be an ideal time to get them all out of the way. I was advised on the other thread that i should have a spare cylinder handy and it worked out cheaper to buy the set like this. So i will now atleast have them spare if i dont need them although i think atleast 1 bleed nipple is missing somewhere on the van (cant quite remember which corner) so atleast one will be used here.

Thanks again for your reply

1) No..you don't have to remove hoses to replace pads or shoes...just push the pistons back on the calipers to make room for the new thicker pads. This means fluid will be pushed back up the brake lines into the reservoir, hence the cautionary note about the reservoir overflowing.
The Reservoir resides under the plastic binnacle (behind the speedo) pull up from the rear closest to the windscreen.
2) Copper grease is often used for brake applications but contrary to popular belief, isn't the best product for this application. Use Coppaslip if you want...it will be absolutely fine, however, if you were having to buy something I would go for a dedicated brake grease such as plastilube which is designed for this purpose.
3) If you are buying the rear wheel cylinders then you might as well replace them.....however, this particular job can often snowball into 'others'...changing the short metal pipe to flex or even the brake flex itself...and will of course require bleeding.
TBH...I would really recommend that you change the brake fluid..this should be done every two years anyway, irrespective.
At this point I would add that you need all 4 bleed nipples free and unblocked so hopefully the broken one you mentioned will be on the rears and replaced with the new cylinders.

Martin

[CovKid]

Give the rear brake fitting kit (springs, pins etc) a coat of zinc primer if you can get any at reasonable cost. They last a hell of a lot longer if you do. I bought a fitting kit this week (MOT end of March) and did exactly that. Better than seeing them all rusty the next time you have to fit new shoes. Coat of grease/oil is a good alternative but nowhere near shoes obviously.

[what2do]

Do only one side at a time, then you've got the reverse image to look at when it comes to reassembly - better than a diagram or photo in my opinion. Despite recently giving advice on a similar thread before Christmas (I think I said don't be shy about tapping the drums, they WILL come off), I have since come unstuck and made an a*** of myself. Pulled in at the LPG pump for a refill and the o/s wheel was 'simmering', smelled it, touched and singed my bloody fingers! Got home, scratched the proverbial and had a ponder. The only thing I did to stop it was to 'rewind' the adjuster one click so that it no longer just catches when rotated by hand. I'd like to point out that previously when I'd done the brakes, I was adjusting them with the wheel off and just turning the drum by hand until the 'bind' was just audible. That wheel stopped getting hot after unwinding one click, I've no idea why it should have got so bloody hot with such a small amount of freehand friction but there you go. Yes, the other side did the same too! Readjusted, all fine but probably cooked the grease which will reduce the life of the bearing - far too cold outside at the moment to worry about this.

It's the little things......

[California Dreamin]

Sure is difficult establishing 'that perfect point' with minimal clearance but not binding.
My advice would be to always er on the side of caution and come back to them after a thousand miles (after they have bedded in a little) to re-adjust them. Doing this you get a much better feel for the point of binding.
Personally I wouldn't say 'just binding' but just 'Not' binding.

Martin

[chuggers72]

(From experience!), be aware that if you change your pads and your discs are showing signs of wear, then you may find it tricky to get the firmness back in your pedal after bleeding. The answer to this is to either fit new discs...or go on a 200mile journey to bed them in! I went for the latter and brakes are good now but not as good as they were. Looking to get some fresh discs on in the Summer

[BertieWells]

Hi Guys, thanks for you replays hedence has been taken and luckily the sheered bleed screw is on one of the rears.

Bits arrived and iv got as far as taking the hubs off and thought id ask before i go any thurther ... here are some pictures.





The rubbers were not seated on the cylinder and could definetely see some brake fluid milling about so these will definitly be swapped out. Iv bled the brakes before so hopefully it shouldnt be too hard to do again *grabs wooden desk with white knuckles*




Here is my main question, do the drums need replacing? having never seen them off a van before im not really sure what im looking for. Id like to do as good as a job as possible but funds are a little low so if they are in an ok condition i will leave them.

Im sure ill have some more questions for you soon

Rob

[CovKid]

I think I would. You could probably use those ones (shoes would bed in) but new ones would help. If you can afford it, yes. Check Euro & GSF as you may get a bargain. If money is tight, just bung it all back together.

[kevtherev]

There's the grinding noise then.. leaking wheel cylinder