Freelander 1 Better Brakes

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htr

htr

Well-Known Member
Posts
1,555
Location
Central Otago, Southern New Zealand
My brakes work OK, but each time I come up for our WoF, MoT in the UK, the tester rates them at about a low 50% area efficiency which is perilously close to a fail.

My test is coming up again and I thinking about trying to improve things. I've already given the drums and rotors a buff with emery cloth to remove any glaze that might have been there. The shoes and the pads were also given a rub. The pads are the st'd type OEM ones. There's plenty of 'meat' on both shoes and pads and the rotors are the drilled and groves type by Britpart. I replaced the flexible brake lines about 3 years ago so they should still be a-ok.

I'll pull off the drums and check the auto adjusters, give them a clean and lube. I may have the workshop replace the brake fluid. I was thinking about replacing the pads with the EBC Green stuff ones which have a slightly softer material. I also saw a mention of 'residual pressure valves' which keep the brake lines pressurised. Can anyone comment on the value of that idea?

Will replacing the springs in the drums help?
 
The standard brake setup if correctly maintained seems to be adequate. If yours is down on efficiency have you checked the brake servo is working correctly, no vacuum leaks etc.

Best thing I ever did for my handbrake was new drums. Nothing wrong with old ones but new ones make the handbrake lock up nicely.
Make sure the self adjusters are actually self adjusting by getting the pedal pressed gently whilst watching to see if it steps the ratchet round correctly. Don't brake too hard or you'll be retrieving the cylinder piston from next doors garden!!
 
What I've had done is: new 'Green Stuff' pads on the front - I believe they're a bit softer and bite a bit more, guide pins cleaned & lubed, on the rear: new drums shoes, springs & wheel cylinders, plus fresh brake fluid. I can't say there has been a great improvement. These things take a bit of time to properly bed in... and I'm a conservative driver and try to drive with little brake us - if possible. I've had found the existing set-up satisfactory - but the MoT [our WoF] peeps didn't rate the brakes as up to much. At a low 50s % efficiency of their meter thingamabob it was close to a fail. It will be interesting to how the brakes rate at the next WoF in December.
 
Front caliper has two designs of slide pins in it, one is solid, one has a groove machined into it in whcih goes a rubber band... Often times this rubber band deforms preventing the proper movement of the caliper, tt's an easy "upgrade" to order a new set of brake slides / pins and using one old and one new solid pins on each caliepr take the janky rubber band out of the equation. I used to run EBC greenstuff pads, phenomenal bite from cold, they actually saved my ex girlfriends life once upon a time,she seen a situation rapidly unfold infront of her on the road, she jumped on her brakes, to which I had upgraded to green stuff pads, Between the pads, drilled and grooved discs and the Toyo Proxes the car responded with hanging on the seatbelts level of deceleration stopped on a dime, saved her plowing into the stromache on road.and thus saved her life.
 
If your WoF tester doesnt like freelander brakes, he would hate my series brakes. I always thought the brakes on my FL1 were pretty decent. I had it 3 years and didnt do anything to the brakes in all that time, past its mot without any comment.

Col
 
Irrespective of auto adjuster, are the drums adjusted. I adjust till they bind then back a bit.
Mine felt sharper after the mot, so maybe a bit of harsh use may ease things up.
 
J_D said:
Irrespective of auto adjuster, are the drums adjusted. I adjust till they bind then back a bit.
Mine felt sharper after the mot, so maybe a bit of harsh use may ease things up.
Click to expand...

+1 on this. The auto-adjusters are crap, so best to do it manually with screwdriver though the inspection hole in the backplate.

It's also worth checking for vacuum leaks, or if a TD4 the vacuum pump.
 
pwood999 said:
+1 on this. The auto-adjusters are crap, so best to do it manually with screwdriver though the inspection hole in the backplate.
Click to expand...

The early FL1 uses a plate and pawl adjuster, which isn't easy to back off if the drums need to be removed, but it also can't be manually adjusted tighter.
The later screw type adjuster is much easier to adjust correctly.
 
I had an unpleasant surprise this weekend. I was under the FL1 trying to work out where an irritating noise was coming from when I reverse on lock. I looked around each rear hub and noticed on the passenger side the mechanic had left his brake hose clamp still clamped to that flexi hose. I'd only had braking on three wheels! I'll drop in tomorrow, Monday, and let them know what I found. It'll be interesting to see if removing that lifts braking performance.
 
htr said:
I had an unpleasant surprise this weekend. I was under the FL1 trying to work out where an irritating noise was coming from when I reverse on lock. I looked around each rear hub and noticed on the passenger side the mechanic had left his brake hose clamp still clamped to that flexi hose. I'd only had braking on three wheels! I'll drop in tomorrow, Monday, and let them know what I found. It'll be interesting to see if removing that lifts braking performance.
Click to expand...
:eek:

At least it wouldn't have affected the hand brake.

I'm not sure the rears do to much in general braking, especially on our cars.

Hope it hasn't split the hose or cause it to fail soon.
 
htr said:
I'd only had braking on three wheels! I'll drop in tomorrow
Click to expand...

You'd have had braking on all 4 wheels. A clamp won't stop the fluid getting to the wheel cylinder, as its under huge pressure. It will however stop the fluid from returning to the master cylinder when you release the brakes.
I'd keep the clamp for the inconvenience.
 
Donkeys years ago, I collected my mk1 escort from the mot testers and I was half way home when I realised the garage owners dog was fast asleep on the back seat. If they car had failed he wouldnt have.got the dog back.

Col
 
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