fun with brakes

Recently my s1 developed an awfully loud and horrible squeal which has gradually been getting worse. However, it disappeared after 5 or so uses of the pedal. Car stopped well even in trial emergency stops, slight pull to drivers side in heavy braking. Inspected the fronts a couple of years ago when I had to do the rears and they were both fine.

I just assumed it was rust or dust on the drums from lack of use so I ordered an axle set from dingocroft and investigated.

Took the drums off, passenger side came off easily without having to back off the snail cams so I would need adjustment anyway. Cylinder looked good, piston fairly even both sides. Had a senior moment wondering why the trolley jack wasn't lifting the car then remembered to turn the release shut and up it went.

Drivers side wouldn't come off by hand but came off fairly easily using a 10 inch puller.

Back end of piston wouldn't come out even with shoe held off, and there was tons of black dust all over the place, drum also smelled a little burn't so I guess this side is overheating and this is where the squeal was coming from, although to my ears it sounded like the passenger side.

stripped off the drivers side, dropped the wheel cylinder and bust it, ordered another, stripped passenger side and did it. I was in two minds whether or not to leave the passenger side as it was since there was plenty of lining and the cylinder did look good. Thought sod it better to have both new, I recall from bleeding when I did the rears that the bleed screws on both the fronts were well rounded and stiff.

didn't order the new cylinder in time for next day delivery it seems so its coming tomorrow

didn't notice the shadow on the finished passenger side pic until I had the wheel and everything back on.

looks nice and clean though

nice, hope you have a good time bleeding

Best put some red rubber grease in the cylinders helps to stop them seizing when not used a lot.

thanks for the heads up will try and get hold of some, looks like amazon do it, is there anything they don't do apart from make a profit

one thing I noticed is that the mintex linings have the ends chamfered but cheaper linings - like the ones already on the car - don't

That champer helps prevent brake grab and squealing. Second Blackburn about the grease.

just file ones without

cylinder arrived 9.15 am so its on gravity bleed and its on the road again

the other gripe I have with these axle kits, they include new screws to hold the drum on which aren't really needed and in any case the ones that come with the kit whilst being the right thread etc have thicker/taller heads. Although countersunk they stand proud of the drum on an s1 - maybe they don't on later series - so they are a waste of time.

What would be good is new nuts for the wheelcylinder imho, ought to be a standard part of the kit.

forgot to say, that god awful squeal has gone

when its hot like today the s1 engine runs as sweet as a nut too so I am as happy as a pig in ****e

The screws are worth fitting - to get everything lined up nice - make sure you clean off the hub and drum before tightening up. I use a impact screwdriver bit to nip them up. I've had a couple of times when I've not used them that its all gone together but the wheel has been wobbly - caused by swarf/****e between drum and hub. Using the screws you can nip them up and give it a spin to make sure the drum spins true to the back plate.

The screws standing proud doesn't really matter on normal steel rims as they sit in the pressed parts that are proud of the drum.

I agree about the nuts - I was surprised they didn't come free, nor a did a gasket.

sorry, i wasn't clear i use the original screws that are on the drum - well i assume they are original, certainly very old - they fit level with the drum surface, the countersunk bit goes right to the top of the screwhead there isn't that extra raised bit that the new ones have.

i did give the drums a good blast with the pressure washer to get rid of all the dust crap and spiders webs, why a spider would hang around inside a wheel beats me.