Brake pads

many of the longer pads are tapered at both ends, squarer pads are usually flat.

As the pads wear, the contact area with the disc will increase, and this

*may* compensate for a bit of knackeredness as they wear/age. Only reason I can think of offhand.

Steve

Do you mean the angled section at each end of the pad? I think it's there to avoid a square edge that can grab on the ridges of a part worn disk, until the pad has bedded in and has matching grooves.

SteveW

Good possible, I like it.

Do you mean the angled section at each end of the pad? I think it's there to avoid a square edge that can grab on the ridges of a part worn disk, until the pad has bedded in and has matching grooves.

SteveW

Thats exactly the bit I mean't. I've not come across it before on my limited brake pads and disc changing history.

Ahhh I see I always change the disc when I do pads usually quite a lip on it by the time the pads need doing so I kill to birds with one stone, clean up runners, guide pins etc, grease and new stuff goes on.

Do you mean the angled section at each end of the pad? I think it's there to avoid a square edge that can grab on the ridges of a part worn disk, until the pad has bedded in and has matching grooves.

SteveW

Thats exactly the bit I mean't. I've not come across it before on my limited brake pads and disc changing history.

Ahhh I see I always change the disc when I do pads usually quite a lip on it by the time the pads need doing so I kill to birds with one stone, clean up runners, guide pins etc, grease and new stuff goes on.

Do you mean the angled section at each end of the pad? I think it's there to avoid a square edge that can grab on the ridges of a part worn disk, until the pad has bedded in and has matching grooves.

SteveW

Thats exactly the bit I mean't. I've not come across it before on my limited brake pads and disc changing history.

Ahhh I see I always change the disc when I do pads usually quite a lip on it by the time the pads need doing so I kill to birds with one stone, clean up runners, guide pins etc, grease and new stuff goes on.

[...]

You might be wasting time and money. Invest in a micrometer, and measure the disc thickness. What appears to be a significant lip might not translate into discs below the wear limit.

For example, one MOT on my Focus had an advisory for disc wear. They did look worn, but when I measured them, they were 21mm. They are 22mm new, and the wear limit is 20mm, so they were only 50% worn. I think I got through two more sets of pads before changing the discs.

I have also found that the longer life of original ones more than makes up for the slightly higher cost, at least where Ford is concerned.

Chris

Yup, most of the lips corrosion.

[...]

You might be wasting time and money. Invest in a micrometer, and measure the disc thickness. What appears to be a significant lip might not translate into discs below the wear limit.

For example, one MOT on my Focus had an advisory for disc wear. They did look worn, but when I measured them, they were 21mm. They are 22mm new, and the wear limit is 20mm, so they were only 50% worn. I think I got through two more sets of pads before changing the discs.

I have also found that the longer life of original ones more than makes up for the slightly higher cost, at least where Ford is concerned.

Chris

Thanks for the tip it looks like I should have invested in a micrometer years ago. I guess appearance can be deceptive when look at discs. Mine had a lip on it they are originals at about 65k now, but not scored badly. I could have more than likely from it got away with just pads. Although I did not know the tolerance of 20mm. I'll make that my next Amazon purchase :)

I think I had always been taught to just change the disc as a matter of course when I do the pads as its all off but that was to save on labour but makes no sense if your doing your own thinking about it.

I know what you mean about Ford original parts, I've used cheaper parts and ended up with more grief and cost. I used only genuine parts now. The focus can act quite odd with pattern parts causes more grief so I have noticed.

Posting the same thing three times is probably enough.

The build-up of scale on the edge normally comes off easily - I use an old, thoroughly f***ed wood chisel. Just rest it on the edge of the caliper, and rotate the disc.