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I have a severe lack of brake efficiency on both hand and foot brakes.

Braking feels like there is no servo.

The efficiency is down equally on both sides.

 

The servo is working. (The test - start engine with foot on brake pedal to feel for pedal movement)

New calipers

New pads

New master cylinder

New pipework throughout

New servo

 

The only thing I haven't changed are the discs and rear shoes. They discs do have a bit of scoring but not too bad.

Could this be the cause of the poor/dangerous brakes and why are they equally poor on both sides?

Is it possible that I have the wrong master cylinder and is there any way to tell. It has LUCAS on the side and looks correct shape.

 

Bob

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Hi Bob,

what were they like before all the new goodies.?

 

New pads on scored/ridged discs will reduce the surface contact for quite a while until the ridges cut into the pads.

have they been bled properly/fully.

 

Did you bed the pads in as per the manufacturers instructions?

 

Roger

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Strangely I would say that the fact they're bad on both sides is a good thing. Just how scored are the discs? If I could definitely feel it running a screwdriver across them I think I'd change them. Also what pads did you choose? Some of them are a bit wooden - in my experience EBC Greenstuff are not very good. I just this afternoon fitted Hawk HPS pads, bedded them as per the instructions and they seem pretty good - much better than the Mintex 1144s they replaced.

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Hi Bob,

you say that the HB is also not good. Did it become not good coincident with the other brake issues or has it always been iffy.

 

If the latter then there are two mod's that will significantly help.

Extension arms on the backplate - look on ebay. This will give another 25%+ improvement

On the hand brake lever move the cable attachment hole up towards the main pivot - this will nearly double the effect.

 

Roger

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Hi Bob,

what were they like before all the new goodies.?

 

New pads on scored/ridged discs will reduce the surface contact for quite a while until the ridges cut into the pads.

have they been bled properly/fully.

 

Did you bed the pads in as per the manufacturers instructions?

 

Roger

Nothing existed before. I bought a rusted heap, so everything is new.

 

Didn't know there was a specific way to bed in pads. I'm not allowed to drive it legally on the road yet, no MOT, it failed on brakes.

I'll buy some different discs today and try them, there's nothing left that's not new.

Bob

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Brake disks are cheap so with the work you have done i would recommend changing them.

 

my last car had terrible brake performance which i eventually traced to contaminated front pads and disks, new pads and disks transformed the car.

 

steve

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Bob, highly recommend the extension bits for the handbrake, fitted them to my 4A and nearly doubled the brake efficiency, cost about £35 and money well spent in my view, Cheers, Andrew

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From memory the instructions for bedding in (they also call it burnishing) the Hawk pads, for example, are thus:

 

4-6 stops from 30-35 mph using moderate pedal pressure.

2-3 stops from 45-50 mph using hard pedal pressure.

Let them cool for 15 minutes.

That's it. They also say Do Not drag the brakes by which I think they mean don't left foot brake while you're driving along.

 

Also, +1 for the handbrake extensions.

 

What's the condition of the drums and shoes? All parts moving freely?

Edited by peejay4A
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Make an MOT appointment and bed them in on the way to the appointment, sometimes it may mean a slightly circuitous route. As regards not dragging the brakes left foot braking is ok, just don't rest your foot on the brake whilst driving along at speed, it will glaze the surface.

 

Mick Richards

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You need to adjust the rear-shoes so as to have them vitually touching the drums all the time.

The wheels should rotate easily but there should be a little drag from the shoes.

 

If you have a big gap here you will need a lot of pedal before any pressure builds up.

 

Think how a disc-pad runs against the disc all the time. You'd smell a rat right away if the pads were 1/4in away from the disc.

Well you got to have the same thing inside the brake drum where you can't see. So you must do it by feel.

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I've fitted new discs and new rear shoes so now everything is new.

 

The handbrake appears to be slightly better but the foot brake's the same, maybe just need bedding in but I can't do that as the car is not allowed on the road except to go to the MOT station.

 

B

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You have connected the front & rear pipework to the correct outlets ?

As Mick says, book an MoT and bed them in on the way.

If there is no improvement, go home and cancel the test.

'On the way' might require a longer route/earlier start in this instance.

Jerry

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