Rear brake pad wear

[speedwaysnapper]

Started to hear a grinding noise from the rear nearside wheel last week. When I was getting a couple of tyres repaired todat took a look at the brake pads wear. Front looked about half gone but the back looked bare. Car is a Altea 1.6 05 plate with 25,000 on the clock. Does this not seem quick for the rear pads to wear out

 

[chrisash32]

aaaaaah thats what the noise is! i only noticed it the other day when i had my radio off...
How can i check that they need replacing? i always assume if they got too low a light came on the dash....

Second... are they expensive?

 

[speedwaysnapper]

Take the wheel of and have a look at how much material you have left on the pads.

Main dealer £98 inc vat local garage £70-£80

 

[chrisash32]

Took a pic of one of the rear pads,

Is that ok?

 

[googies]

Yours looks like mine, pads seem ok, it the disk that is worn out!

 

[chrisash32]

Yours looks like mine, pads seem ok, it the disk that is worn out!

Really? how can you tel? will post some ohter pics in a min.

 

[googies]

Discs have a minimum thickness and there seems to be a ridge at edges of pad contact region. Look worn, not completly done, but not long left in them.

 

[chrisash32]

Front:

Rear:

 

[googies]

Yours look like mine there. front starting to go and rears just about goosed!! must be soft discs to wear quicker than the pads!

 

[chrisash32]

hmmm so an i best going for new discs and pads all round then?

 

[CrispDust]

Minimum rear disc thickness is 9.5mm i think (will check on Elsawin)
so those look like they need replacing.

From what I can tell you can fit the larger 286mm discs as on FR/TSI in same calipers since it seems to be the same item on Ekta parts list. These discs are 12mm not 10 mm thick
The uneven wear on pads could be discs flexing due to thinness or the caliper slider is sticking and not sliding correctly usually unde light brake pressure.
Might be wrong about larger discs - others on here may know (the Leon posse)

 

[googies]

You would probably need the rear 286mm carriers from FR and fit the larger discs, same as the fronts. anyone idea of price for FR 312mm front and rear carriers then?

 

[chrisash32]

so the pad not being sat on the disc all the way across is not normal either?
crap! lol. Whats all this then about people putting bigger discs on? and real gain?
I was just looking at a standard set of replacement discs and some green stuff (or what anyone recommends) pads all the way round.

 

[googies]

The 312mm discs can be used on these using new caliper carriers form suitable car, mkV gti, passat and i would think mkII Leons with 312mm brakes. Bigger braking area = more stopping power, would probably wear slower too as slightly thicker discs and larger.
Recomendations i would say from here are the Ferrodo ds2500 pads, expensive though, have been told about pagid fast road pads though.

 

[chrisash32]

will try and find somewhere to get them pads from then - what sorta price are they?

Any special discs i should look for? i replaced my Megane ones when i had the car will drilled and slotted ones, together with greenstuff pads and to be honest they were crap compared to the factory ones that were fitted before.

Hmm i am not sure about all this size upgrade... seems like one hell of allot of work (and expensive) - or does it just sound allot? has anyone done it yet?

Wanted some new alloys for mine, but i dont think thats going to be happening now! need to get this sorted before i go away!

Whats the fix for my uneven pad wear then? would be interested to see other peoples pics. I will get some of all of mine later on.

 

[chrisash32]

just to add,

went out to the car a few mins ago, decided to have a look at the breaks as the car had not been used for a few hours and i noticed all of the pads were flat to the discs (well front were ever so slightly off on one side) got pics anyway and will post when i get home.

How odd....

Chris

 

[googies]

The pads on the front are angled for some reason if i recollect.

 

[CrispDust]

There are no carriers for the rear as far as can see. The caliper is its own carrier. There is only one part number on ETKA for both the 255 and 286 discs.

 

[googies]

Dont see how the larger would fit without moving the calliper out to accomodate then? sort of know what to do on the front, but not rear. From what igather the upgrade not hard and carriers the most expensive part of it all but worth the effort.

Brakes:
http://www.vwspares.co.uk/altea_brakes.php

EBC Site:
http://www.ebcbrakesdirect.com/car/parts_pad.asp?part=pad&make=SEAT&model=Altea&year=1%2E9+TD+%2817%22+wheels%29+%282004%2D%29

and EBC discount code:
http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=43173&highlight=ebc+discount

My Front and Rear brakes taken last week:
Front:

[/IMG]

Rear:

[/IMG]

 

[loadswine]

My rears went at 20k and they are due for replacement again at nearly 40k. Discs were replaced under warranty at 20k, but nobody has ever explained why the rears have worn faster than the fronts. Fronts lasted until nearly 30k!
Mine is a 2.0 TDi Sport DSG.