Brakes and Tyres

hendeg · Post by **hendeg** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 5:35 pm

The disks on the Elise have been corroded with a combination of sitting around for weeks not being used (a crime, I know) and being put in the garage wthout being properly dry.

To put you in the picture - I get in the car and drive. I have no technical ability whatsoever. I've been told that the disks are in reasonable condition and just need to be skimmed. Someone also suggested shotblasting them. Does anyone have any idea what the pros/cons of either are?

I think the pads have plenty left on them, but can I just clean them up or should I get new ones?

I also need tyres all round before Mr. Plod decides to have a word. There's plenty of advice on which tyres to go for on the forum, but does anyone have any advice for somewhere around Aberdeen that they could trust to do the brakes and tyre fitting as one job?

Victor Meldrew · Post by **Victor Meldrew** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 6:16 pm

hendeg wrote:The disks on the Elise have been corroded with a combination of sitting around for weeks not being used (a crime, I know) and being put in the garage wthout being properly dry.

To put you in the picture - I get in the car and drive. I have no technical ability whatsoever. I've been told that the disks are in reasonable condition and just need to be skimmed. Someone also suggested shotblasting them. Does anyone have any idea what the pros/cons of either are?

I think the pads have plenty left on them, but can I just clean them up or should I get new ones?

I also need tyres all round before Mr. Plod decides to have a word. There's plenty of advice on which tyres to go for on the forum, but does anyone have any advice for somewhere around Aberdeen that they could trust to do the brakes and tyre fitting as one job?

I think T1r's would be the best option for you, reasonably cheap and more a general use tyre than a balls out track tyre.

You would benifit from getting one of the regulars to give the car a look over. the disks might be worn beyond use. There was a cheep place called "Sillets" that I used to used, dont know if he still trades though.

thinfourth · Post by **thinfourth** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 6:29 pm

Tyres in aberdeen?

Not so sure where i would go some folk recommended checkpoint but i have never been near them.

Garage i would say autotechnic and ask for kevin who is a wizard on BMWs but i would trust him with anything

As to the discs do not get them shot blasted as you may end up with a wobbly disc so it would need to be skimmed. However i doubt very much if your discs are so rusty they need skimming as i have sat a car for four months and the discs were clean again in under a mile.

There is a few folk up here that could have a looky but i am not an elise expert as i have never had one but can pass an engineers eye over the brakes.

robin · Post by **robin** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 6:30 pm

If your brakes still work then give them some rough loving and that will almost certainly fix it for you

As to tyre places in ABZ - no idea - Tut will be along with a minute with someone that can fit 4 tyres in 2 minutes and charge only 1 pound each ...

Cheers,
Robin

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 6:51 pm

Lend it to one of the local loonies for a week, brakes will be bedded in again.....

gorrie · Post by **gorrie** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 8:39 pm

I agree with the rough love suggestion.

thinfourth · Post by **thinfourth** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 10:01 pm

RICHARDHUMBLE wrote:Lend it to one of the local loonies for a week, brakes will be bedded in again.....

Sounds good to me

Post by **campbell** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 10:10 pm

Yep, brakes are there to be used, get out for a thrash for a couple of hours and if they suffer serious vibration the next time you take the car out, junk 'em and just get a fresh set of disks and pads on. EBC turbogroove disks are around £60 per corner I think, compare that to the cost of skimming which in any case only reduces their lifespan and involves removal and refitting anyway. I think?!

Abdn garage recommendations seem hard to come by, but Tut swears by Ricky Gauld in Huntly/Turriff or wherever (probably swears at him a lot too but Tut's a picky perfectionist sort of guy as we know!).

As for new legal tyres, T1-R are great or...T1-S, its forerunner, which is still available from the stock warehouse in Southampton we believe. An may be cheaper. Here's some local distributors for you:

http://tinyurl.com/27lhky

HTH

Campbell

Post by **campbell** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 10:11 pm

Meant to say. Pagid RS4-2s for your brake pads...or, if you don't use the car much and don't use it for major road thrashes or track days, get standard ones. They work a shadey better from cold (although are much poorer when hot...)

Post by **simon** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 11:19 pm

I think you've got an S2 so if I were you I'd stay clear of the T1-Rs as IMO they are rubbish and not worth wasting your money on. Get a set of the Yokohama AD07s that are now standard on S2s. They're a better tyre than the OEM Bridgstones and are cheaper than them and they're night and day with the T1-Rs. I lost a lot of confidence in the car when I went for the Toyos, couldn't really explain it, it just didn't feel like it did before and as soon as I fitted the Yokos and took it for a proper blast I was much happier. At about £100 more than the Toyos I know which ones I'd go for

MMC do an SE discount on tyres making them £394ish + fitting. You might be able to get them to deliver somewhere more local to you if you ask.

As for pads, if you need them go for SBS pro track pads from http://www.questmead.co.uk (you'll have to phone them), should be around £137 for a full set. They're very good on road and track and much better tham the OEM pads.

I'm with what everyone else says about the disks too.

Kev · Post by **Kev** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 8:59 am

I was in the same boat with my discs last month. Car sat unused for 6-7 weeks (lives outside) when I broke my arm, so the discs were well corroded. As above, rough love required. Thatâ€™s all I done, started off driving round the streets where I live to clean them up a bit and then went out for a blast. Cleaned up nicely!

hendeg · Post by **hendeg** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 10:08 am

It is an S2. I only tend to take it out for a few hours at the weekend and the disks never feel like they've cleaned up too well. If I drive it on Saturday and Sunday then they feel much better on the Sunday.

I'll try and give it a run for a few days in a row and see how that goes but I have a feeling that I'll need to get a new set.

thinfourth · Post by **thinfourth** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 10:31 am

If putting it in the garage then for the last 1/2 mile maybe less drive with your foot lightly on the brake and drive against them.

You will get them nice and hot and when you put the car away they will be dry

As to tyres if you are needing 4 then might be worth your while talking to ronnie at wheelsaround he is near perth and he fits for free. And is quick and friendly if you go to his house you might even get a free cup of tea

or see if he is coming up as he will be probably attending the granite city rally fitting the rally boys tyres

gorrie · Post by **gorrie** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 11:24 am

thinfourth wrote:If putting it in the garage then for the last 1/2 mile maybe less drive with your foot lightly on the brake and drive against them.

You will get them nice and hot and when you put the car away they will be dry

Just don't do it when parking outside on a hill... as the 'runaway car' doesn't go down well when the brakes cool and the parking brake gives way.

I don't engage the handbrake when parked up in the garage anymore, cos I've found that even a couple of days in there with it applied is enough for a decent 'clunk' when reversing out.

Post by **campbell** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 1:43 pm

simon wrote:I think you've got an S2

Woops, now why had I assumed it was an S1?!

In which case my tyre advice was irrelevant and Simon's writeup is pretty comprehensive

Watch if heating the brakes up before parking. Earlier advice re: leaving handbrake off is crucial, both when cooling (runaway car or heatsink into discs causing warping) and when left for days on end (binding pads to discs). If you can do it with garage or driveway though, as it's probably against the law to leave a car parked on Her Majesty's Highway without parking brake applied?

Scottish Elises

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