Which Spares to buy?

Hi Gang

I have to buy a multitude of spares over the comming months for my RR P38 4.6L Petrol.

I would like opinions on what are good reliable makes for each part. Obviously Landrovers own spares are the best to buy but they are quite pricey as you Know!!

This is what I need:

Front Brake Disks
Rear Brake Disks
Front Disk Pads
Rear Disk Pads

Front Air Suspension Air Bags
Rear Air suspension Air Bags

I am looking at buying Terrafirma High Performance Drilled
and Grooved Brake Discs and Genuine Mintex Brake Pads. Is this a good option?

I appreciate there will be many conflicting opinions but I will probally like to have a concensus!

Thanks as ever for your opinions.

Bison

On the brakes you've got to remember that the original set up was designed to haul a Rangie with a trailer over mountains etc. So, unless you've got a specific need, like you're going rallying, then it's unlikely that you'll notice much improvement with the groovy discs. If you have managed to induce brake fade then I might suggest that you change the fluid, it doesn't last forever. As for the pads, any good make will work well as long as you bed them in, especially on new discs.

On the suspension I've gone for Arnott GenII because they do give a slightl;y better ride than the Dunlops but what swayed me was the lifetime guarantee.

Avoid most Brit Part stuff and IMO the Arnott Gen 2's are well worth the small extra cost. If you want top quality brake pads & discs, take a look at EBC Direct.

Would not get mintex pads as mine squeal although they brake good so will end up changing them but the Bearmach discs seam good and I have no complaints about them although they are not grooved, OE are not drilled and grooved and has been said if the manufacturer thought that they were needed or you are very spirited with your driving thier really is no need for them. Remember performance pads need heat to work right and not great when cold. Can,t comment on the air bags as I have fitted coils (and glad I did)
Davie

Datatek said:

Avoid most Brit Part stuff and IMO the Arnott Gen 2's are well worth the small extra cost. If you want top quality brake pads & discs, take a look at EBC Direct.

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I go with Datatek and also when you come to do the bushes dont fanny around just get the original rubber ones trust me they give the best ride

Thats the type of response I want. Brilliant comments.

Thanks all

Bison

Davie F said:

Would not get mintex pads as mine squeal although they brake good so will end up changing them but the Bearmach discs seam good and I have no complaints about them although they are not grooved, OE are not drilled and grooved and has been said if the manufacturer thought that they were needed or you are very spirited with your driving thier really is no need for them. Remember performance pads need heat to work right and not great when cold. Can,t comment on the air bags as I have fitted coils (and glad I did)
Davie

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Blimey Davie, I almost agree with you on something here! I bought Bearmach rear disks and they have proved excellent. Got to do the fronts now though.
I'm not getting any squeal from my Mintex pads though - I used lots of brake grease and new calliper slider pins so not sure if that helped...?

Guy

kooky_guy said:

Blimey Davie, I almost agree with you on something here! I bought Bearmach rear disks and they have proved excellent. Got to do the fronts now though.
I'm not getting any squeal from my Mintex pads though - I used lots of brake grease and new calliper slider pins so not sure if that helped...?

Guy

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Brake squeal is mainly caused by not having a chamfer on leading edge of pad. If the pads you buy don't have a chamfer file a 3/16-4.8 mm 45 degree chamfer on leading edge. Copaslip grease on all metal to metal contact points also helps.

Cheers will try that with the chamfer, they were put in with copaslip but will see if its all washed away, did try to get anti-squeal shims but can't seam to find any up here, used to get them before though they were thin self adhesive rubber strips. Good to see someone agrees with me some of the time, won't get carried away though ha ha.
Davie

Davie F said:

Cheers will try that with the chamfer, they were put in with copaslip but will see if its all washed away, did try to get anti-squeal shims but can't seam to find any up here, used to get them before though they were thin self adhesive rubber strips. Good to see someone agrees with me some of the time, won't get carried away though ha ha.
Davie

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Proper Copaslip is heat resistant and water proof. Beware of copies with slightly different names. The reason it's called Copa Slip is because it's ceramic, made from very fine clay (slip) with copper particles in it. And various other things to bind it together. Origonally anti seize assembly compound for high temp applications. All anti squeal shims do is load the trailing edge first then gradually apply the leading edge.

My Mintex pads seemed to have quite thick backing pads which I assume are effectively anti-squeal shims?

kooky_guy said:

My Mintex pads seemed to have quite thick backing pads which I assume are effectively anti-squeal shims?

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Yes that is there to grip the piston to stop them vibrating. But it compresses after a while and loses effectivity. Would never fit any set of pads that does not have a lead chamfer, without filing one on. Old garage trick to stop customers coming back and having to do it for nowt. Not much point in doing the job twice. Specially if your not getting paid for it. Most important thing with new pads and discs is to bed them in NO harsh braking for 250 miles (unless an emergency) also important to bed new pads into old discs. New flat pads fitted to grooved discs causes highspot heat build up and is the most common cause of old discs warping after new pads have been fitted. The bed in period even more critically applies to them.

wammers said:

Yes that is there to grip the piston to stop them vibrating. But it compresses after a while and loses effectivity. Would never fit any set of pads that does not have a lead chamfer, without filing one on. Old garage trick to stop customers coming back and having to do it for nowt. Not much point in doing the job twice. Specially if your not getting paid for it. Most important thing with new pads and discs is to bed them in NO harsh braking for 250 miles (unless an emergency) also important to bed new pads into old discs. New flat pads fitted to grooved discs causes highspot heat build up and is the most common cause of old discs warping after new pads have been fitted. The bed in period even more critically applies to them.

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That's interesting - I've read completely different recommendations for bedding in new pads and/or disks. RangeRovers.net, for example, recommends repeated heavy braking from 60 to about 10 until the pads are almost smoking! Didn't seem like a good idea to me so I've always bedded mine in as you suggest.

kooky_guy said:

That's interesting - I've read completely different recommendations for bedding in new pads and/or disks. RangeRovers.net, for example, recommends repeated heavy braking from 60 to about 10 until the pads are almost smoking! Didn't seem like a good idea to me so I've always bedded mine in as you suggest.

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One train of thought maybe, but not my way of doing it. It does pay if your in a garage to take the vehicle out on test and gently bed the brakes before the customer gets hold of it. Have know of situations in the past were the owner has had or come near to an accident because the brakes he thought would now be **** hot did not retard as he expected. However times change, it was common in the days before self adjusting brakes to have to, after road test, readjust everything. That's how much bed in there was after a short road test. Not as important these days i suppose.

Hi Guys

looks like it has turned into a brake forum! lol Great advice as ever.

Cheers

Bison

fitted EBC drilled(dimpled) & grooved discs all round with mintex pads last year, had no problems so far......

I fitted drilled and slotted discs as well as Mintex pads. No change in performance. They do look a bit better in my view. Next time I need to change them I'll probably go for stock parts now. I'll try EBC green stuff pads next I think to try and keep the dust down.

I fitted Arrnot Gen 3's and I'm happy with them. Need Bilsten shocks next I think. Had I been more on a budget I'd have gone for the Gen 2's.

Lone_Wolf said:

I fitted drilled and slotted discs as well as Mintex pads. No change in performance. They do look a bit better in my view. Next time I need to change them I'll probably go for stock parts now. I'll try EBC green stuff pads next I think to try and keep the dust down.

I fitted Arrnot Gen 3's and I'm happy with them. Need Bilsten shocks next I think. Had I been more on a budget I'd have gone for the Gen 2's.

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Unless you do some serious off roading gen IIIs with 2" extra lift not needed. If you do, make sure you get extended travel shocks to compliment them.