Bigger Brakes

[E_T_V]

Glad you got it sorted.

I can testify, drilled discs do crack too!

[nicko500s]

NOOOOOO!
front brakes are binding badly, thought i had a flat tyre at first, i havnt used the car very much since i fitted the new brakes but 3 times now they have got very hot and its not from using the brakes, i have not driven hard at all since fitting them, if im able to briefly brake hard a few times it seems to free them off a bit but they get hot/bind up again.
just to be clear these are brand new mg zs 180 discs, pads & calipers with braided hoses, why would they be binding up like this? and how do i fix it?

[E_T_V]

Is it both sides or just one?

Are the caliper sliders free

Are the calipers actually ZS180 ones?

Are the pads free to slide in the carriers if the caliper is removed?

[nicko500s]

Thanks for the quick reply E T V.
im pretty sure its both sides as the steering does not pull, i bought the kit from a well known rover dealer on ebay a few weeks ago and they fit properly so i assume they are proper mg zs 180 brakes..
i hope its not the master cylinder stopping the fluid returning somehow? i fitted a used mg zs master cylinder and braided hoses. i will take the calipers off tomorrow and have a look and see if the thing you suggest are moving freely.
many thanks for your advise

[E_T_V]

Check that there is some free play in the master cylinder linkage to the brake pedal. If there isn't any then you can get fluid pressure not being released fully.

[Kieranm105]

When I changed the front discs on the freelander I had to replace the caliper slides as they had gone. Have a look at those.

[nicko500s]

Im going to have a look in a hour or so, if there is no free play in the master cylinder linkage to the brake pedal how do i adjust it? is it from inside the car at the top of the pedal box or can i get to the bar by removing the master clyinder from the servo and adjusting the bar thats in there?

im hoping the linkage is a threaded bar that i can just turn one way or the other making it longer or shorter?
sounds like i would need to make it shorter?

[nicko500s]

The brakes are free as you might expect with them bieng new. The calipers move freely both sides. & the pistons retract ok with a g clamp So I think it may well be the length of that bar that needs adjusting. But its very hard to get too. I managed to undo what could be a locking nut@ the pedal end & then turned the bar but with out losening the nut the servo end I cant think that would have done anything. At the moment I cant undo the nut thing at the servo end as its tight and you cant get a spanner on it as its not nut shaped.

[nicko500s]

The bar i was working on is inside the car above the break pedal, realisticly with out bieng able to undo the odd shaped lock nut (servo end of link bar) the only real way of doing this is to remove the master cylinder in the hope that the servo can then be removed without undoing the brake pipes and having to bleed them again, then with the servo removed undo the odd shape lock nut, it has a nut behind it but you cant get 2 hands up there to get a spanner on it and then plyers on the odd shape lock nut.

i did manage to get a bit of movement on the bar but since the rest of the bar turned as well all this achieved was to screw the bar further into the linkage on the pedal, however on the 14 mile drive home i did not feel any rolling resistance from the breaks binding but i hesitate to say its cured,

i wonder if the mg zs 180 servo link bar is set differently? if that is the case it would be far easier for anyone else doing this to swap the servo and master cylinder at the same time. as far as i know the standard servo & mg zs servos are the same?

[E_T_V]

Im going to have a look in a hour or so, if there is no free play in the master cylinder linkage to the brake pedal how do i adjust it? is it from inside the car at the top of the pedal box or can i get to the bar by removing the master clyinder from the servo and adjusting the bar thats in there?

im hoping the linkage is a threaded bar that i can just turn one way or the other making it longer or shorter?
sounds like i would need to make it shorter?

You only need there to be free play there. Only a tiny amount is fine.

I'm not sure on the other models but on the 600 you loosen the locknut at the pedal end and then turn the bar to wind it into the pedal end (making it shorter in effect) and then tighten up the locknut.

I had to do the opposite operation to the clutch on mine at the weekend to give some extra clutch travel as it is on the floor.