Bedding-In New Discs and Pads

[gazjacko]

Stick with it! they seem to get better and better over the first couple of weeks. I then started playing 'chicken' with myself ( I have been accused of this before!) on my favorite slip road, braking at later and later marker posts from the same speed. (70 of course!). eventually I got to the point where I was frightening drivers on the roundabout who could see me approach with no sign of stopping!
I ceased this stupid practise because my eyeballs were leaving marks on the inside of the windscreen and everything not bolted down in the car ended up in the front!

[Okete]

Thanks gazjacko,

Don't think I am quite ready for playing chicken just yet! However, they are improving by the day - wont be out to play this weekend though because I now have a problem with the top engine mount - my fault entirely (see my other thread in this section!). This also means I will have to withdraw from the East Anglia Meet tomorrow, which is a bit of a bummer!
I think the BD brake set-up will turn out fine - just taking longer than I anticipated and of course being a low mileage driver (during the week!) doesn't exactly speed up the process!
Heigh Ho - going to be a weekend of beer & telly by the looks of things!!

Cheers,
John.

[BLD]

My V70 has done 48,000 miles and is on the same brake pads since the car was bought in 2004. The brakes are very spongy and have been since new but I am expecting the dealership to check that out today and come up with a solution.

I know it's not really a performance thing but it could be a life-saver. can anyone offer advice on how long a set of pads should last?
Thanks.

[Terminator]

My V70 has done 48,000 miles and is on the same brake pads since the car was bought in 2004. The brakes are very spongy and have been since new but I am expecting the dealership to check that out today and come up with a solution.

I know it's not really a performance thing but it could be a life-saver. can anyone offer advice on how long a set of pads should last?
Thanks.

Pad life will depend on the compound of the pad and how often/hard you break. 48k sounds about the limit on OE pads but the Volvo OE ones are extremely good quality and worth the extra imo.

The spongyness will be caused either by air in the system or water in your brake fluid (its hydroscopic so absorbs water).

When was the last time you had your brake fluid changed?

[dooby]

EDIT: Beaten to it :-)

Hiya,

I think pad usage is completely dependent on how hard you use the brakes. My pads don't last long but I use the brakes hard (especially on track days).

I'm not sure sponginess would be pads, anyway - sounds like it might be old brake fluid to me. Worth checking when that was last changed. When I got my car I replaced the brake fluid and the stuff coming out was the colour of Coke - yech! The new stuff was a nice clear yellow colour. I think brake fluid is recommended to be changed every 2 years or so as it absorbs water and can give the spongy feel you describe.

If your pads were badly worn you would probably know it, as when the pad material has all gone the backing plate would scrape on the brake disc. This makes a terrible racket, ruins the brake disc and offers very little braking (no sponginess, just no stopping power).

You should be able to see the pad thickness if you look carefully through the wheel spokes. The backing plate is usually about 3mm thick, and I think a good rule of thumb is to think about replacing them when the pad material gets to or below the same thickness.

HTH, Pete