FRONT DISCS & PADS

CONTINUED

1 The front brake discs were worn close to the limit and, judging by an initial inspection, the brake pads look like they were ready to be renewed, so we sourced a new set from Autovaux.

2 The front brakes feature single-piston calipers secured with a couple of 14mm slider bolts. Once undone, the caliper was levered off and the true condition of the brake pads could be seen.

3 The inner pad on the offside front was particularly worn. The overall condition of the brake disc was rusty, most noticeably around the outer edge (the car had sat for some time). There was also a significant lip. 4 To renew the brake disc, we had to detach the caliper carrier, secured by two 21mm bolts, but they came undone easily. Autodata recommends they should be torqued to 150Nm, followed by 45° and then 15°. 5 A small Torx T30 screw locates the brake disc, so it had to be undone. It was a little tight and required the brake disc and hub to be locked with a pry bar across the studs for the wheel nuts.

6 Luckily, the old brake disc didn’t need any persuasion to be removed once the locating screw had been undone. We compared the size of the old brake disc to the new Delphi one, along with the pads.

7 The new Delphi discs were coated in a thin film of oil to help prevent corrosion, so this was removed with brake cleaner before fitting them. We noticed a groove cut away in the outer edge of the brake disc, which shows the disc has been balanced. 8 The caliper carrier was cleaned with a wire brush and the slider bolts checked to ensure they were free. The carrier was then refitted onto the hub and secured with its 21mm bolts. Next, the old anti-rattle clips were fitted. 9 We tried to fit the new brake pads, but found they were too tight. The old anti-rattle clips were a little distorted, so we used a flat file to remove the paint from the top and bottom edges of the brake pads. This time, they fitted.

10 Water pump pliers were used to retract the piston inside the caliper, then the caliper could be refitted over the thicker brake disc and brake pads, along with a new shim plate. The slider bolts were reattached and we moved onto the nearside front.

11 The nearside brake discs and pads were just as worn as the offside, although the offside inner brake pad was marginally worse. Once the front brakes were completed they needed to be bedded in. The rear brakes look like they were recently renewed.