poor brakes

[bobo]

Hi,

MY girlfriend just bought a 1996 micra and the brakes seem quite poor compared to my own seat leon. I inspected the front pads and there is plenty of meat on them. The only other thing i can think of checking is the hoses around the vaccum assist servo thing. Is it normal for micra's to have poor brakes. i dont think there is air in the fluid as the pedal doesn't feel spongy, it just needs a good bit of force to stop the car, especially in an emergency.

Any pointers would be appreciated.

 

[entirelyconfused]

Well don't forget that your Leon will have all-around brake disks (I presume), whereas your girlfriend's micra will have drum brakes on the back. ARe you sure it's not just down to lower-spec brakes? Also, have you checked the fluid level?

 

[sonic]

bleed the brakes, if that doesn't help then change the pads and shoes, if thats not good enough then upgrade to almera calipers and discs.

 

[entirelyconfused]

bleed the brakes, if that doesn't help then change the pads and shoes, if thats not good enough then upgrade to almera calipers and discs.

Or do that

 

[bobo]

Well don't forget that your Leon will have all-around brake disks (I presume), whereas your girlfriend's micra will have drum brakes on the back. ARe you sure it's not just down to lower-spec brakes? Also, have you checked the fluid level?

Yes it could be the fact that i'm just used to good disc brakes all round.

the fluid level is fine.

if there is air in the fluid and the brakes need bleeding then would the pedal not feel a bit spongy? All the same i will buy one of those self bleed kits and give it a try as the fluid may be quite old (moisture ingress etc).
thanks,
D

 

[Fordy]

or you could adjust the rear brake shoes properly that will help hell of a lot with the braking

 

[whipit]

Yeah ill go with fordy! Micra breaks are good for standard, with standard wheels my one used to lock up quite easily! they just have a habit of over heating!

 

[Fordy]

if the rear brake shoes are under adjusted the amount of travel the shoes have to make before they contact with the drum will decrease the overall effiency of the rear brakes therefore making the overall brakes seem poor in operation

the self adjusters nissan put in dont work most of the time which leads to poor adjustment

also rear wheel cylinders are meant to seap a little and also make sure that it isnt grease if you suspect the rear wheel cylinders are leaking

 

[Panjabi]

Hang on... adjust rear brake shoes??

I suggested that to my mechanic and he told me they were self adjusting... and I saw for myself what he meant so that wont solve a thing... for me anyway... because they are good on self-adjustment... I suppose if you must then get someone who knows what they are doing: the **** at the garage adjusted them for £20 and claimed they were now set to "sports mode" but it didnt make a difference.... ****ing *******!!! The last thing you want are the brakes to go...

When were the pads last changed? Even if they do have meat on them... sometimes after a while the surface becomes covered in a light film... rendering them not so effective... so get a decent pair of pads on the front... and check / replace the rear shoes...

If you want the braking sharp then adjust the handbrake... it will adjust all the braking system... but you only really need to adjust that when you put the new pads on...

and finally... change both pads (do sets at a time) not just the one but I am sure you know that...

Fordy: what do you mean seap a little??? I thought it is supposed to be tight... a little seap may lead to a larger seap... and the inhibitor at the back will shut down the rear brakes... I found out the hard way... was braking on the front pads all the time... but fixed the rear ones and voila...

"upgrade to almera calipers and discs" - good way to go...

 

[Fordy]

I suggested that to my mechanic and he told me they were self adjusting... and I saw for myself what he meant so that wont solve a thing... for me anyway... because they are good on self-adjustment... I suppose if you must then get someone who knows what they are doing: the **** at the garage adjusted them for £20 and claimed they were now set to "sports mode" but it didnt make a difference.... ****ing *******!!! The last thing you want are the brakes to go...

any good nissan dealer would know that they dont self adjust 99.9% of the time!

If you want the braking sharp then adjust the handbrake... it will adjust all the braking system... but you only really need to adjust that when you put the new pads on...

NEW PADS?!?!? WTF Adjusting the handbrake will adjust the rear brake shoes ONLY not the front brake pads!! and you dont want to adjust the handbrake as you only adjust it for fine tuning of the handbrakes number of notchs!!

Fordy: what do you mean seap a little??? I thought it is supposed to be tight

when i mean seap a little i mean damp

 

[Panjabi]

Ok I get ya *insert embarassed face here*
Learn something new everyday

 

[whipit]

I agree completely with Fordy nothing to add or disagree with! Mate you want to change your mechanic, taking the **** like that, tell them where to stick there business!
Then go and buy a haynes manual and do it yourself, nothing as satisfying as being able to work on your own car no matter how powerful it is!

I agree completely with Fordy nothing to add or disagree with! Mate you want to change your mechanic, taking the **** like that, tell them where to stick there business!
Then go and buy a haynes manual and do it yourself, nothing as satisfying as being able to work on your own car no matter how powerful it is!