zx---brakes!!

[froggy]

Hi, just driven my 1995 zx to the supermarket. the brake pedal almost reaches the floor before the brakes bite, added with a burning smell coming from the brakes . Is it time to change the front pads ? or is it something else ? cheers Terry .

[citronut]

a burnning smell sudgests the front brakes are bindding which could boil the fluid, and in turn this can cause the pedel to sink quite a way before doing anything,

regards malcolm

[froggy]

thanks for the info, what do I need to do to stop the brakes binding ? sorry for the question. cheers Terry .

[Peter.N.]

Hi Terry

You will probably find one of the calipers has siezed and is holding the pads against the disc. The usual remedy is to replace the caliper but you may be able to free it off.

Remove one of the pads and put the end of a tyre lever between the piston and disc, get someone to push the brake pedal which will bring the piston into contact with the lever, release the pedal and lever the piston back in again, you will probably have to do this a number of times. It will help if you can squirt some brake fluid alongside the piston by lifting the rubber seal.

Be very carful to push the piston in square or it will jam.

Peter

[citronut]

i find the usual cause is either binnding calliper slides or the pads are stuck solid in the calliper/carrier were they have been fitted without copper slip,


you can qiute offten take the slides appart, clean and grease then re/assemble,

regards malcolm

[froggy]

This morning have driven two miles and both disks are very hot - is it possible that both callipers are stuck?
On the driver side the sensor switch had melted.
Many Thanks for your help

[Peter.N.]

It would seem so unless something is causing the system to retain pressure. You can check this by slackening a bleed screw.

Peter

[froggy]

Job done. managed to free the caliper, many, many thanks
cheers Terry .