9 replies to this topic

[stolenmoment]

The local garage (generally trustworthy) is trying to tell me that I need to get my rear disks replaced to pass inspection.  I drive in L and use the brakes sparingly, so like other stories here, my disks look bad but work perfectly.

 

What do I have to tell them to convince the mechanic that I don't need to replace them?  The regulations that I can find seem to be performance-based, not appearance...

[Tom_NC_1]

The first question that comes to mind is how much of the pads are left on the rear brakes. Usually the front brakes wear faster than the rear brakes so it is a bit surprising that there would be a problem with the rear brakes before having to service the front brakes. They should be able to tell you what it is about the brake pads that cause them to believe they need to be replaced. If they are actually worn down then there may be some issue that caused that condition to occur that needs to be addressed. Since your driving patterns indicate that you should not be using the brakes much there could be a build up of rust the the local garage is concerned about. 

Without a reason from the garage it is hard to tell what might be going wrong with the brakes of if they are wrong to suggest the brakes need to be replaced.

 

Tom

[komondor]

Maybe they are thinking parking brake?

 

Safety Inspections

1. Visual Overview

• Certificate of registration
• License plate(s): For more information about the license plate inspection requirements, check the Motorist Resources section.
• Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

2. Brake Tests

• Parking brake
• Service brake

[rbort]

Noway, first Cmax I drove 73k+ miles and the brake pads were still like 11/16 and 5/8th thick or there abouts front and back.  Looked like new and I don't even drive in L, I can feather the brake pedal and only use L when I need max deceleration.

 

Maybe you need to step on the brake hard a few times going forwards and even better backwards just to wipe the rust off the rotors.

 

-=>Raja.

[stolenmoment]

Yeah, I decelerated in N all yesterday, even choosing the hilly way home. I'll do that again today. We'll see how that goes.

Thanks!

Dennis

PS: boy, did my range suck on that trip!

Edited by stolenmoment, 28 June 2018 - 03:52 AM.

[bobs]

I actually had chips out of the rear rotors, so I did replace them here in the salt state (NY)

Rbort I would guess your long winter trips helped out a lot.

Bob

[Levi Smith]

On the parking brake note, mine has suddenly gotten far out of adjustment.  Anyone know where the adjuster is?

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUP]

For the parking brake, mine had seized and worn down one of the brake pads tremendously.

 

I had to get my rotors replaced for PA safety inspection, according to the local Ford dealer. Probably salt a chips.

[stolenmoment]

To wrap up the story: I braked in N for another day, and the rotor was hot enough to burn my fingertip, so I *knew* that the pads were grabbing the disc;  I made this case to the mechanic when I had him mount new tires (the old ones were cupped, showing belt, and getting noisy), and he continued to assert that the condition of the discs indicated that the pads were stuck in the calipers.  Ultimately, he awarded me with the sticker, but admonished me to fix the brakes.

 

I'll choose to believe that I convinced him, but he couldn't admit it...

[rbort]

Wait a minute Max, if the calipers are getting stuck that's not a good thing.  You need to check for that.  Drive the car around and use the brakes, then check the rims for heat.  Feel the left right and then feel the right rim.  Are they the same temperature or one is hotter than the other?  If you sense what one is hotter, then that caliper is getting stuck and needs to be addressed.

 

Also visually inspect your pads, they should be the same thickness.  It the issue is recent, they may very well be and that may not tell you much, if the issue has been going on for a while, it may show a difference.

 

Also beware that if the issue is extreme, that's how you can have a tire blowout on the highway.  The rim gets so hot with speed that the tire explodes, and you can pull over with being startled to say the least, or crash in the worst case, so be careful and make sure they are not getting stuck.

 

-=>Raja.