440 Front brake pads

[mjl7972]

I am waiting for my Haynes manual to be delivered and in the meantime need to change my front brake pads. Are they straightforward as most cars are? Or are there any special procedures to follow?

Mark

[B20F]

Nothing special about them. No special procedures to change the front pads. Be carefull with the Haynes for the 400 series, AKA the book of lies. It's crap!

[jlgrosvenor]

Be careful with the Haynes for the 400 series, AKA the book of lies. It's crap!

I second that!



The brake pads are a doddle.

You may need to press the brake pedal until the vacuum dissipated (pedal goes hard) to start

Wheel off

Undo the lower Allen sliding bolt on the back of the caliper (might be behind a rubber cover)

Lift/prise/hit the caliper upwards in an arc from the bottom

Remove old pads

Push the piston back in (I find a G-clamp and a block of wood, or a quick/easy clamp works fine). You should check the brake fluid level BEFORE you do this. If it is near the top and you push both pistons in loads, you may overfill the fluid reservoir and get brake fluid everywhere.

Fit the new pads following instructions/reverse of removal

Swivel the caliper back down

Do up Allen bolt

Bed pads is as per instructions

Job done

[mjl7972]

The job started all pretty straightforward the only difference being that mine were not allen bolts but 13mm bolts instead!! Untill the lower sliding pin snapped!! It looks as though someone has bodged it in the past.

It is stuck fast I have tried various methods to remove it but have failed :(
I've now left it overnight with about 1/2 a can of wd40 sprayed on it in the hope I might have some luck in the morning. Even if I do remove it there is still the problem of replacing it.

Does anyone know where I can get one? Preferably online as I am in a rural part of Scotland and the nearest dealer is 2hrs drive away but I cant drive the car 'till its fixed :(

Mark