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Frequently
Asked Questions - Brakes
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| Brakes - General |
Q. I get a vibration
every time I apply the brakes. What causes this?
A. Most likely cause is warped or heavily worn front
brake discs. Replace the discs. You should also replace the
brake pads, as they will have worn with your old discs.
Q. What is causing my car to pull
to one side when I brake?
A. This could be a number of causes. Check the following:
1. Air or water in the brake fluid - bleed the brakes through
with new fluid to remove any air or moisture
2. Brake caliper sticking on slider - remove the caliper,
clean and grease the sliders. Ensure rubber boots are OK
3. Sticking brake
caliper piston - remove the brake caliper and check the piston
moves freely. If not,
replace or rebuild the caliper
4. Perished flexible hose - check the condition of the rubber
flexible hoses and replace if in doubt. Rubber hoses perish
and 'close up' with age.
Q. My car pulls to one side for
a while after I have applied the brakes. What causes this?
A. This
is most likely a sticking front brake caliper. This will overheat
your brake discs and pads and cause damage. You need to replace
the offending caliper, or rebuild it. First though, check
that it is sliding properly on its mount, as you may cure
the problem by simply removing the caliper and cleaning/greasing
the slider.
Q. I get a vibration every time I apply
the brakes. What causes this?
A. Most likely cause is warped or heavily worn front
brake discs. Replace the discs. You should also replace the
brake pads, as they will have worn with your old discs.
Q. If I pull on my handbrake at speed whilst
turning the wheel, my car spins round 180 degrees. Why?
A. Give yourself a pat on the back. You have mastered
the handbrake turn.
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| Performance Brake Pads |
Q. What are 'performance brake pads'
A. Performance brake pads
are designed to work under more demanding conditions than
the pads supplied by the manufacturer. This may be in terms
of how well they slow the car, how well they stand up to prolonged
braking or both. If you regularly drive in a very 'spirited'
way, your standard pads may overheat and go brittle.
Q. Do I need performance brake
pads?
A. Generally, the brakes
fitted to a modern Peugeot (including older 106, 205 and 309
models) are very good, especially on GTi models. If you feel
that your brakes are not performing as well as you would like,
it may just be that the standard components are worn out.
However, if you do place
a heavier demand on your brakes due to your driving technique,
or if you use the car for track days etc., performance brake
pads are the first brake modification to try. You normally
only need them on the front of the car because the rear brakes
do very little work. This is because the weight of your car
transfers toward the front under braking.
Be careful to check for
pad wear regularly on upgraded pads though, as they can often
wear out more quickly due to the different type of compound
used.
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| Performance Brake Discs |
| Q. What are performance brake discs?
A. Performance brake
discs are designed to work under more demanding conditions
than the discs supplied by the manufacturer. This may be
due to better quality metal, construction, design or larger
diameter. Here are some common terms associated with performance
brake discs:
- Vented: the disc is hollow with internal vanes that dissipate
heat more efficiently
- Cross Drilled: the disc is drilled through from face to
face to help dissipate heat and gases
- Grooved: the disc face has a number of grooves machined
in to dissipate gases and help de-glaze the brake pads
- Knackered: the disc faces are rutted and grooved due to
the fact that you have worn them out
Q. Do I need performance brake
discs?
A. Generally, the brakes
fitted to a modern Peugeot (including older 106, 205 and
309 models) are very good, especially on GTi models. If
you feel that your brakes are not performing as well as
you would like, it may just be that the standard components
are worn out.
However, if you do place
a heavier demand on your brakes due to your driving technique,
or if you use the car for track days etc., performance brake
discs are a sound investment, especially if the standard
items are due for replacement anyway. You normally only
need them on the front of the car because the rear brakes
do very little work. This is because the weight of your
car transfers toward the front under braking.
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