Thread: Replacing rear pads and discs. Any traps for the unwary?

When replacing pads, crack the bleed screw on the caliper to expel the old fluid while you push back the piston. No point pushing manky old fluid back into the master cylinder.

Originally Posted by trout1105

I completely disagree with that statement.
The brake fluid MUST be topped up to the reccomend level as the pads wear, Not to do so is just plain stupid and dangerous.
Part of ANY pre start check includes making sure that ALL the fluid levels are correct and if the brake fluid level is low you top it up.
A "muppet" is someone who ignores a low level in a brake reservoir and doesnt top it up, Not the other way around

M.U.P.P.E.T
most useless ****** people ever trained.

Cheers Jim

Originally Posted by trout1105

As the brake pads wear the level in the brake reservoir will go down so most people will top it up.
When new pads are fitted the pistons in the brake calipers are pushed back in to allow the new pads to be fitted, This usually makes the brake reservoir overflow.
This is the scenario that Slunnie is refering to and is usually the case when new pads are fitted.
So unless you Never keep your brake reservoir topped up which is a very dangerous thong to do the brake reservoir WILL overflow when a new set of pads are fitted.

EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY

I think poor old John was on a mission last night

Originally Posted by trout1105

...
The brake fluid MUST be topped up to the reccomend level as the pads wear, Not to do so is just plain stupid and dangerous.
....

In all the time I've had cars bikes and any other type of motorised transport, when there has not been an issue with my brake fluid system, I've never 'topped it up' due to pad wear .. ever.
Probably 30 or more cars bikes and trucks over the past 30+ years .. and not once!

Some cars, Or brake system designs' have rubber extending caps inside the fluid cap covering the opening. This extends inwards as the fluid reservoir level drops, so as this flexible cover flexes inwards, you don't realise that the reservoir is actually low in brake fluid.
The point of those types of systems, is that as the reservoir loses fluid due to pad wear, at some point the warning light comes on, giving you an indication of pad wear.

The last two vehicles that had this system were my Rodeo ute, and the Frontera I had to endure for about 10 years.

ps. If the need to top up on an as needed basis were actually true, why then do the reservoirs have a max fill line and a min level line?

The idea of topping up at every opportunity(eg. every service, or on a regular basis) would be to maintain the brake fluid at the high mark, so if it was imperative that the reservoir needed to be topped up as the pads wore, then by implication the min level line is made redundant ..

Sorry, but the advice to keep it 'topped up' make no sense.
Obviously the manufacturers would have engineered a reserve amount of capacity if the level dropped below the min level line(not doing so would be lunacy!) .. so the min level line almost certainly operates as your pad wear indicator, as the fluid level reaches this point.

My thoughts on this topic are with John ... whether he was on a mission or not .. what he commented on makes more sense(both in theory and in my case, practise!)

On a side note: is the D2 reservoir/master cylinder rebuildable? Brother's has been leaking very slowly for ever and a day, but not dangerously so. The leak is between the reservoir and the cylinder.
I've seen some info(google searching) claiming that they've rebuilt them, but most posts seem to say replace the entire assembly.

Originally Posted by AK83

On a side note: is the D2 reservoir/master cylinder rebuildable? Brother's has been leaking very slowly for ever and a day, but not dangerously so. The leak is between the reservoir and the cylinder.

The seals that the reservoir needs to connect to the cylinder should be available from these guys:

Power Brakes SA Pty Ltd / Home Page

I used to get their D1 ones, I think they're the same.

Originally Posted by AK83

In all the time I've had cars bikes and any other type of motorised transport, when there has not been an issue with my brake fluid system, I've never 'topped it up' due to pad wear .. ever.
Probably 30 or more cars bikes and trucks over the past 30+ years .. and not once!

Some cars, Or brake system designs' have rubber extending caps inside the fluid cap covering the opening. This extends inwards as the fluid reservoir level drops, so as this flexible cover flexes inwards, you don't realise that the reservoir is actually low in brake fluid.
The point of those types of systems, is that as the reservoir loses fluid due to pad wear, at some point the warning light comes on, giving you an indication of pad wear.

The last two vehicles that had this system were my Rodeo ute, and the Frontera I had to endure for about 10 years.

ps. If the need to top up on an as needed basis were actually true, why then do the reservoirs have a max fill line and a min level line?

The idea of topping up at every opportunity(eg. every service, or on a regular basis) would be to maintain the brake fluid at the high mark, so if it was imperative that the reservoir needed to be topped up as the pads wore, then by implication the min level line is made redundant ..

Sorry, but the advice to keep it 'topped up' make no sense.
Obviously the manufacturers would have engineered a reserve amount of capacity if the level dropped below the min level line(not doing so would be lunacy!) .. so the min level line almost certainly operates as your pad wear indicator, as the fluid level reaches this point.

My thoughts on this topic are with John ... whether he was on a mission or not .. what he commented on makes more sense(both in theory and in my case, practise!)

On a side note: is the D2 reservoir/master cylinder rebuildable? Brother's has been leaking very slowly for ever and a day, but not dangerously so. The leak is between the reservoir and the cylinder.
I've seen some info(google searching) claiming that they've rebuilt them, but most posts seem to say replace the entire assembly.

Most of what you post on this forum makes a lot of sense But this post has me scratching my head.
If you were working for me and you didn't ensure that the coolant, oil brake/clutch fluids were at the recommended levels after doing a prestart you would be looking for another job.
To rely on an idiot light to tell you your brakes are ****ed instead of making absolutely sure that you have enough brake fluid especilly on a Landrover product is lunacy

Originally Posted by trout1105

Most of what you post on this forum makes a lot of sense But this post has me scratching my head.
If you were working for me and you didn't ensure that the coolant, oil brake/clutch fluids were at the recommended levels after doing a prestart you would be looking for another job.
To rely on an idiot light to tell you your brakes are ****ed instead of making absolutely sure that you have enough brake fluid especilly on a Landrover product is lunacy

And that is why they are called idiot lights