View Full Version : Cupra Brakes
When I changed my front pads last year I had to file some of the metal on the pad down as it was too tight to fit into the caliper. Last week there was a noise like a flat tyre so I pulled over, my front N/S disc was red hot as if the pads had been sticking on slightly.
I have taken them apart today and cleaned them up but again I have had to file more away to make them slide in freely.
Any ideas??, is this normal??, I haven't taken the O/S one apart will do it tomorrow but its never given any probs.
I often get a rubbing noise after coming off the brakes and think it's either a sticky piston or something to do with the pads not fitting in the caliper very well. I think it's coming from the N/S. Do you get any noises like this? Are they OEM pads or Ferodo DS2500?
I was gonna take a look today but probably gonna do it tomorrow now.
I only ever got that noise the once, they are just the OEM pads too. The caliper was really black with dirt too, here is a pic I took with the pads out.
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w193/derek0205/DSCF0051.jpg
cupra.al
21-02-2009, 16:44
sounds like you got the wrongs pads for it and your probally need to replace the discs now. i might be wrong on both of what i just said but ive never seen a road car with glowing discs. only smoke and purpley blue discs.
beezanick
21-02-2009, 19:39
Ive had my disks red hot before after a 'spireted' drive. The disks were fine after, eg not warped. I think what might have happened with you is where you filed your pads down the surface will have been uneven. Some of the pad might have been rubbing the disk when your foot was not on the brake, making the disk heat up untill it was red. This heat made the disk warp so you got the rumbling you heard as it rubbed against the pads. Just a thought.
NickyJam
22-02-2009, 14:38
i'd suggest you use the gears more to slow the car down...never good for the brakes if you just plant your foot down on the brake. would probably save you some money as well ;)
plus you shouldn't need to "file" pads down ever, so probably got the wrong pads
i'd suggest you use the gears more to slow the car down...never good for the brakes if you just plant your foot down on the brake. would probably save you some money as well ;)
plus you shouldn't need to "file" pads down ever, so probably got the wrong pads
The Cupra brakes are good enough to not need to use the gears to slow down, that's what they're there for ;) Cheaper to replace brakes then a clutch.
I have heard of a few people needing to file the pads as they are a tight fit in the Cupra calipers. The shims on the side get coated in dust and the calipers don't slide back on the retaining pins. I'm going to do the same to mine next week as mine are sticking
PS. I spent last Sunday grinding down some pads on some brand new Westfield calipers as the Westfield pads didn't quite fit...so it seems quite a common thing to do on these types of calipers.
The disc wasn`t actually "glowing." Red hot was just an expression. The pads were bought from Seat so are the correct ones, so as Kriso said its just a build up of crap which I think is possibly made worse by the "open front" design of the AP calipers that you don`t get with normal ones which will keep some of the dirt out.
Ric 2001
23-02-2009, 13:10
Sound to me like a build up of crap. Next time when changing the pads, take the caliper off and give the inside a good clean. But as yet I've never had to file the pads down to fit.
Yes I ground a little off to make them fit (Cupra). There are stainless steel springs that they react against fitted to the body of the caliper and there maybe corrosion under these.. anyway they should not be lose or they will rattle but they should be moveable by hand.
Normallly you just dig the corrosion out.. and pads go too slack but with these fancy AP calipers you cannot get to the corrosion (you could remove the stainless pads I guess).