Upgraded discs with greenstuff pads

This might be useful to someone

So, just under 2000 miles ago i fitted some drilled and slotted brake discs to the front of my freelander coupled with some EBC greenstuff brake pads. The old discs worked well enough but did make me nervous a few times even though the pads that were on there had only recently been replaced. Once i got the old discs off there were flakes of rust falling off everywhere, so i think it was just as well i changed them.

Its an easy job to do. took me half an hour to do both sides with basic tools

1. Wheel off
2. Remove 2 bolts from rear of caliper and hang caliper out of the way using a bungee or rope
3. Remove screws from the front of the disc and remove disc
4. Replace new disc (once it has been cleaned with brake cleaner) and screws
5. Put new pads in caliper using copper grease
6. Replace caliper and rear bolts and torque them down
7. Replace wheel
8. Beer


Anyway, if anyone wants to do this id recommend it. I don't know what the figures for braking distance are but they stop my hippo on a dime and i have much more confidence in them. plus, they look pretty good too The instructions for the pads say give 300 miles for them to break in but i gave 500 because i did the discs too.

Anyone else had good results with this setup? And what about braided brake lines, would these make any difference?

The discs are nothing but show, standard discs are fine, EBC pads are what made the difference, maybe the callipers needed seeing to. If you off road, the holes may fill with mud.

New discs need less time to bed in. Nice looking discs those although as said, they are mostly for show
I don't like EBC pads but others do. Braided flexys will improve pedal feel, giving more confidence
To improve the brakes further, you are best fitting the later vented setup

thanks for the replies. the discs needed replacing anyway so im happy even if they are just for looks i would offroad but there is nowhere around here where i can go. "studies show that most people that own a 4x4 dont take them offroad" thats because there is nowhere to go :/ aaannnywayy, rant over. i might get the braided lines in the future. but this setup feels much more confident than stock. maybe just because its all new but then the old pads only had about 3000 miles on.

You have done exactly what I did! Looks the same brand of disc rotor too. Don't think mine will 'fill with mud'. Not with an average rainfall of about 350mm p/a - dust more likely!

htr said:

You have done exactly what I did!

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so it is tried and tested how do you like it? i think mine were the dreaded britpart. the stock ones are also vented so i cant see the mud being that much more of a problem. that being said i cant go offroad anyway apart from the odd wet field.

Quite satisfied. I took the opportunity to put new seals in the callipers and cleaned and painted the caliber paraphernalia.

htr said:

You have done exactly what I did! Looks the same brand of disc rotor too. Don't think mine will 'fill with mud'. Not with an average rainfall of about 350mm p/a - dust more likely!

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Did you see Country Calendar on Saturday? A dust bowl of a farm right on the banks of Lake Benmore!

GrumpyGel said:

Did you see Country Calendar on Saturday? A dust bowl of a farm right on the banks of Lake Benmore!

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No - missed that, but did see Road cops on Sunday afternoon it was based around here, Wanaka and around Mt Cook / Omarama. Oversees drivers...

loads of lanes on the shire of pigs - just come up Alton -Basingstoke way.

htr said:

No - missed that, but did see Road cops on Sunday afternoon it was based around here, Wanaka and around Mt Cook / Omarama. Oversees drivers...

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I am always watching those motorway cops from New Zealand, it is great to watch, those discs with holes in are they not suppose to cool quicker. I have just brought some disc's and pads for mine last time I brought pads they had the one chamfered side this time they are chamfered both ends
are we not loosing braking surface on these pads. I know they do it to stop squealing but really they have not thought about it, or is it another way of saving money on the coast of producing them .

teddywood1 said:

I am always watching those motorway cops from New Zealand, it is great to watch, those discs with holes in are they not suppose to cool quicker. I have just brought some disc's and pads for mine last time I brought pads they had the one chamfered side this time they are chamfered both ends
are we not loosing braking surface on these pads. I know they do it to stop squealing but really they have not thought about it, or is it another way of saving money on the coast of producing them .

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Two valid points
X cross drilled disc's are supposed to increase area that cooling air can reach. This is an attempt to reduce brake fade. I find that it's mostly for show at the expense of disc and pad life.

Chamfered pads is a good point. The Reduction in pad area will increase pedal effort and reduce pad life. Me I'd rather have noisy but effective brakes.

Nodge68 said:

Two valid points
X cross drilled disc's are supposed to increase area that cooling air can reach. This is an attempt to reduce brake fade. I find that it's mostly for show at the expense of disc and pad life.

Chamfered pads is a good point. The Reduction in pad area will increase pedal effort and reduce pad life. Me I'd rather have noisy but effective brakes.

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aren't they meant to disperse any gasses that can be trapped between the pad and disc too?

New Zealand motorway patrol stuff is great. I remember once there was an angry cockerel on there for some reason and his face was blurred to protect his identity.

openfold said:

aren't they meant to disperse any gasses that can be trapped between the pad and disc too?

New Zealand motorway patrol stuff is great. I remember once there was an angry cockerel on there for some reason and his face was blurred to protect his identity.

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New Zealand is all for civil liberties and protection of identity.

There is a murder case in court at the moment. He is saying that he accidentally ran over the woman which killed her and he didn't know what to do, so he took her back to his garage. This took so long that he ran out of P and because he was on a curfew with ankle bracelet the cops would know if he left his home. Without his drugs his state of mind wasn't very clear and somehow the woman's corpse was raped and stabbed. You've got to feel sorry for the fella! Anyhow the NZ justice system did, so granted him name suppression. This chap is defending himself in court and his face has been plastered all over the evening news for the last couple of weeks - we don't know his name though!

GrumpyGel said:

New Zealand is all for civil liberties and protection of identity.

There is a murder case in court at the moment. He is saying that he accidentally ran over the woman which killed her and he didn't know what to do, so he took her back to his garage. This took so long that he ran out of P and because he was on a curfew with ankle bracelet the cops would know if he left his home. Without his drugs his state of mind wasn't very clear and somehow the woman's corpse was raped and stabbed. You've got to feel sorry for the fella! Anyhow the NZ justice system did, so granted him name suppression. This chap is defending himself in court and his face has been plastered all over the evening news for the last couple of weeks - we don't know his name though!

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Brilliant - that is an excellent summary!