Attention Brits! I Need Your Help!

Bendrr

I've got a problem that I firmly believe only a Brit can help me with.

It's automotive in nature. Land Rovers to be specific. If you know, or are professionally , a Land Rover technician, I could really use some advice.

Yeah that's right, your old buddy Bendrr is stumped.

I have two customers who own late-model Land Rover Discovery's and I've done basic brake service on both of them. I started with Beck-Arnley parts, front and rear pads and rotors, then Axxis pads, which unfortunately aren't the true asbestos pads they used to be but are merely re-boxed generic organics, and finally OEM pads and rotors we got from Atlantic British. Unfortunately, I am unable to find ceramic pads but I don't know for sure even that would solve the problem.

Problem is, no matter what I've done the damn things squeal like crazy and I've got some unhappy customers. I've used every technique I can think of to quiet the noise but no luck.

So what do y'all do over there to keep Land Rover brakes from squealing? Find out for me if you don't mind. I'd sure be grateful.

Mike.

LittleToe

Tried oiling them?
Rancid polecat grease is the best

I suspect TruckerGB may know, or be able to find out, but I've not seen him around here for a while.

IronGland

Yes. This board would be the first place I'd go for all my automotive questions. Here's a link to a message board for former mormons, maybe that would also be a good place for auto questions. http://www.notamormon.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi

Gadget

Have you replaced the anti-squeel shims behind the pads? These quite often rust away to nothing, check your parts rpogramm to make sure there isn't a component missing. I do a lot of work on classic cars where we can't get them any more so we put a skim of copper grease between the back of the pad and the caliper, this has the same effect. Just make sure you don't get any on the friction material or the brake disk!

Editted to add: I'm not a rover technician, I grew up working on/restoring classic rovers and I know this works on them!

Aslo, do they drive the cars off road? I've seen a renault with a similar problem, and it turned out to be a buckled calipar mounting which made contact with the rotor every time the brake pedal was depressed.

Bendrr

Gadget, do you mean the shims on the pads' plates or the disc hardware?

I thought of the obvious stuff first, like a splash guard touching or missing hardware but no.

If you mean the disc hardware, as in the metal clips in between the pads and caliper brackets, then no the Rovers' don't come with them. The pads ride in the caliper brackets sans hardware.

Bad design IMO and probably part of the problem. The only anti-vibration provision is a spring at the top of the pads' backing plates, basically the same as you'd find on the 601's/598's on Ford Tauruses.

I've tried first silicone and then moly-lube at the pad contact points, no luck. Also, before installing the rotors I put them on the lathe (Hunter BL505 VERY well maintained) and shaved any possible runout off then ziz-wheeled them for the best finish.

I've thrown every trick I know at these two beasts, stuff that would have long ago silenced any other chronic squealer, and still no luck.

It's driving me nuts to think I may have to admit failure and send my customers to the Land Rover dealership. I hate dealerships.

Mike.

gypsywildone

ROFLMAO@IronGland :)

Funniest thing I've read all day :)

LittleToe

Sure they don't just need a little bedding in?
If you've lubed them up, as you say, they should be fine once you get them going.

(De Javu - I thought I was in "Chat", for a moment there...)

Englishman

I seem to recall that putting a very shallow hacksaw cut right across the pad material doing rthe trick when the old copper grease method didn't work.

Englishman.

Bendrr

Yes. This board would be the first place I'd go for all my automotive questions. Here's a link to a message board for former mormons, maybe that would also be a good place for auto questions.

Taken in humor as I assume it was delivered. Actually, I'm not a member of any automotive boards. If you want to see the behavior of an average discussion forum then take a look at clarkhoward.com. That my friend is why I am a member of only two discussion boards.

So while my post was WAY off topic, I figured what with all the Brits we have here maybe one of them might know a Land Rover tech and ask for me.

Little Toe, I seat in all my brake pads personally.

E-Man, way ahead of you on that. The pads come with slots pre-machined and I added a bevel on the leading edges before installation.

Looks like it's a non-issue from here on out. I had my manager tell the customer that I have done all I can and to take it to the Land Rover dealership in the future. And from here on out any LR's that come in for brake work, there's no garantee against squeals.

Mike.

TruckerGB

By pure chance, I looked in on this, I'm working on it.

Attention Brits! I Need Your Help!

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