Mike.......5,000 miles from a set of pads suggests to me that something else
may be wrong! May I suggest a simple test which will determine whether you
have a problem?
Jack up the front of the car, supporting it (as I'm sure you always do) on
jackstands. Apply the brakes then release the pedal. Try to spin the front
wheels. They should spin with minimal drag. If they are hard to turn, either
the caliper pistons are binding or the hoses are deteriorating internally.
Crack the bleed nipple; if fluid spurts out and then the wheels spin easily,
the hoses are bad. If no fluid spurts out, the calipers need rebuilding.
(Don't forget to retighten the nipple!)
If the wheels do not drag, then the pads were really poor quality or you are
harder on the brakes than you think! If you do find a problem, fixing it
will make your newly-discovered asbestos pads last a good, long time.
Lawrie
British Sportscar Center
-----Original Message-----
From: miker15@juno.com <miker15@juno.com>
To: borisri@earthlink.net <borisri@earthlink.net>
Cc: mgs@autox.team.net <mgs@autox.team.net>
Date: Wednesday, May 13, 1998 6:24 PM
Subject: A reminder to be a squirrel.....
>Had a little bit of luck today - though somewhat backhanded
>Driving back from Carlisle on sunday the brakes on my GT were
>spongy, really not dreadful but i was glad i didnt have to brake hard
>as i couldnt get them to lock even if i had wanted to! - i had put it
>down to
>possibly being time for an adjustment coupled with the fact that it was
>pissing with rain the whole 300 miles!!
>I took the wheels off this morning to find that the pads were wafer thin!
>- i was
>about 20 miles from metal!! - i only changed these about 5000 miles ago
>with some
>Moss or VB pads and i am NOT heavy with the brakes so it was a bit of a
>surprise.
>
>Whilst at Carlisle, Rich Boris had been on a one man crusade to seek out
>NOS
>asbestos pads since they are so much more durable and dont give out too
>much black goo ! - I hadnt known there was a difference until he
>mentioned it and hadnt given it much thought until this morning but then
>i remembered that about 6 months ago, whilst cleaning the workshop i had
>tossed a few old pads from a parts car in a tin (as opposed to the gash
>bin!) - after about half an hour i found the tin - four very slightly
>used ones AND four unused spares! - all asbestos- made my day!
>I cleaned the rotors with scotchbrite - they have to go on the list,
>quite a bit of pitting, cleaned the calipers and put the pads in - what a
>difference!!! - the car is stopping as well as my jeep now.
>So its thanks to Rich for the lesson - and thanks to me for being a
>packrat!!!
>(Aint it great when something gets fixed for free!!)
>
>mike robson
>69 roadster
>70 BGT
>72 roadster
>
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