I have posted this on a Skoda forum but the car is up on the stands now and I would like to get this sorted while it’s there. So, to STW, the font of all knowledge!

I had my Fabia serviced by an independent last month and he reckoned the brake pads would needs replacing in the next 1000 miles. He knew I would be doing it myself so don’t think he was fobbing me off.

Having started it today the pads are 6mm thick and as I understand it the minimum thickness is 2mm. Is it worth me doing it while I have the caliper off or should I save it for a while?

Also the discs have a small lip on the outer edge, about 0.5mm if that. Are they dead?

I’d love to get this sorted today so if anyone has anya answers that’d be much appreciated!

Pictures? Have you got the new pads etc? How do they compare thickness wise?

The minimum disk thickness will be stamped on there somewhere but the last few cars I’ve owned have gone through disks at the same rate as pads.

If it’s on the stands, and you have the pads, you might as well do it.

And what Jamie says.

A small lip on the edge of the discs is nothing to worry about. Easily removed with an angle grinder if you want, but I wouldn’t bother.

as above, I’d change the pads now whilst it’s on the stands

If you need to go out and buy new pads (the discs sound fine) do it at your leisure. You have a couple of thousand miles left before judgement day. You could save it for a day when you’re supposed to be visiting the inlaws…
Euro car parts are doing good deals on Pagid pads.

Depends . . .

How often are you hitting the brakes? Do you scream up to the lights and slam the anchors on?

Or are you Mr Sensible?

If you’re Mr Sensible and assuming that is 6mm of friction material left they’re going to last ages.
Minimum thickness of the friction material (not the complete) pad is about 2-3mm (rule of thumb guide).

I’d just run them to the metal and then replace the pads and disks.

Hth
Marko

Generally Mr sensible and a lot of motorway miles. I don’t have a caliper to accurately measure the discs.

New pad is 14mm. 6mm is thickness of just the friction material.

Currently only got one wheel off and one pad out so am at the take it or leave it stage. Leaving it means I can come in and have a pork pie.

Looks good for a few 1,000 mile to me from here.

Marko

I swap fronts when below 5 mm, OK down to 3 though, so at 6 leave them and check again in 6 months.

Small lip, remove with a file. With one wheel up and one down you can start the car and put it in gear then CAREFULLY hold a bastard file on the lip to remove it in a few seconds.

If in doubt, check the thickness of the disc with micrometer at a few points.

Throw the new pads on. You’ve done the hard work getting the car up on stands and removing the caliper etc.

It may be a shadow, but the thinner of those pads looks as if it might be lifting off the backing on the left?

We drive like Mr & Mrs sensible and the pads last for years – but corrosion etc meant on the last change that the pad was separating from the backing; I’ll be changing them on a time basis in future.

Which wheel did you have off? Nearside tend to wear faster due to more debris in the gutter. Also the difference in wear on the two you have off suggests the caliper may not be sliding freely.

Greybeard, just checked and it is a shadow. That photo is one new and one worn pad.

I think as I don’t have the discs I will leave them and do the lot in 6 months. If I am doing the discs I will just have to go through it all again anyway.

I’d leave them on, especially as you aren’t doing the discs as well.

I’d say there was a couple of 1000 left on those, but given you’ve done all the hard work (and have them out) why not put the new ones in. Since you’ve just had all the bolts undone I doubt you’ll have anything to worry about when you come to do the discs.

For the price of pads I’d be inclined to do them again when you get round to doing the discs.

You may need a special piston wind back tool to push the pistons back.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/251575979235?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=108&chn=ps&device=t&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108&ff19=0

Check the other side before you decide to leave the job for later you don’t allways get even pad wear on both sides of the car

As Mcmoonter says, you might need a windback tool on the rears, as often the piston rotates as it pops out and you can’t just push it straight back.

It is on drum brakes on the rear.

Put the old pads back on and save the new pads for when they are properly worn. No point wasting money “just because it’s on the stands and you have done the hard work.”

You will also need the piston retraction tool to get the new pads in even now. Save it for when the weathers better.

You will also need the piston retraction tool to get the new pads in even now. Save it for when the weathers better.

Nice if you have the tool, but on the front a G clamp and a block of wood works fine. Large sliding joint (waterpump) pliers also work.

Marko

VW Front calipers don’t require rewind tool.

LUke also be aware that the outside of a disk is normally not really indicative of the wear on the disk.

I did bruneeps brakes a couple weeks back and his disk was actually rotting all round the inner with the surface breaking away from the edges – this produced a bad judder under braking

From the outside looking through the wheels his pads and disks looked absolutely fine. With loads of meat and no real lip.

Given the price of pads and the fact ive got it up and off …. Id just change the pads and be done , then you have thousands of miles of not worrying about it. Takes longer to put the car on stands than to change the pads.

Wouldnt bother changing the disk if its only a small lip , looks in good nick on both suRfaces and its not juddering under braking.

Think the beer n bacon rolls cost more than my discs and pads, still think I got em at trade not retail price.

Change them when they need changing otherwise starting leaving a 1/3 of a pint then go and get a new pint. Toyota garage ‘your discs and pads wont last until the next annual service sir’. Cheers, I’ll change them when they do need changing.

I had my Fabia serviced by an independent

And now you see the quality of his work. How on earth would he know there’s 1000 miles left on those pads?

A real spannerman would have said they were 60% worn, and put something quantifiable on it. Rather than a guess.

Time to find a new independant. Maybe even a specialist?

I don’t think what the Indy has said is bad, we’ve all just agreed there is probably 000’s left! Unless you’ve felt a decrease in braking performance,
leave pads until you are ready to do the discs. A small lip, can cause judder with new pads and poor braking, hence OEMS recommending the change together. I’ve had pads replaced (by a bunch of charlatans before the Indy) without doing the discs and it wrecked the new pads and caused horrible judder, so ended up paying twice over for pads!

Must be a matter of oppinion, the garage that did my MOT said the front pads were getting close and the disks “significantly worn but not weakened”. Took it to have the cambelt done at another garrage and actualy said “can you look at the disks and replace them if they need it”, they phoned back and said they were fine.

I figure keeping half an eye on stuff like that is pribably safer than the 95% who MOT their cars and never look at them again. Even relatively well off/ineligent/sensible/parents with kids fiends recently had an MOT failure for 3 worn tyres! Tyres don’t creep up on you, you can see them every time you walk past the car!

When does the wear indicator start to squeel on cars with wear indicators fitted ….

25.4/4 = ?

When does the wear indicator start to squeel on cars with wear indicators fitted ….

It’s usualy just a copper rivet on the backing plate, so about 2mm?

I’d not be replacing that, but probably the big factor is how often you check. If you check every 2000 miles, then maybe do replace em 🙂

My front discs were getting low recently and I waited until a service to do then, thinking if there were any issues the light would illuminate.

They were v worn and a week before the service the NSF outer pad must have delaminated as for a short period I lost braking and then there was a horrible grinding noise. Local Garage couldn’t fit me in so I did it myself.

Light would have been activated by the inner pad, so that’s why I didn’t get a warning!!

Anyway, moral is change them when you get the opportunity, like now!

Check the other side before you decide to leave the job for later you don’t allways get even pad wear on both sides of the car

Absolutely. Mine looked brand new – both sides. Took the wheel off to find nothing left on only one of the inside pads… Gave the calipers a good service last time, after going through this 3 times in the past 3 years. Hopefully they’ll play nice now. But definitely check all of them.

Did my front disks and pads the other week. I had to have a moment when I took the discs off, as the inside facing bit was pretty much gone!!

All depends on how much you value your safety 💡

It’s not a safety issue, as long as they remain within the limits (and you check them again in the future)

Most of these replies were a bit late- I’ve decided to leave it. Both pads were good, the rotor was fine other than the lip. They have done about 50,000 miles so far and are the original pads for the car which is 2.5 years old. I will keep an eye on them- I’ll have the wheels off in about March to put the summer wheels back on so will have a peep then, in about 1000 miles. I’ve no deterioration in braking performance, no juddering etc.

I trust the garage that did them. He knows I would do this work myself so wasn’t after making a quick buck. He showed me the air filter that had come off that the dealer had allegedly changed twice as part of my free services- let’s just say I trust him more than them!

Sorry to hijack a thread but I had a similar question so seemed silly starting a new thread.

I had a service on my car where it was mentioned as an advisory that the inner edge of the front discs was corroded.

I also had an MOT in Sept which mentioned as an advisory the front and rear discs have a slight lip.

I can now hear a slight squeal at slow speeds which sound like the pads rubbing on the discs on each rotation.

I’ve just had a quote to replace all 4 discs and pads for £383. Is this reasonable as it seemed a little steep to me?

They also mentioned that the pads should be replaced at the same time as the discs, as they will have worn with the disc and wouldn’t be a good match for the new discs. Is this true?

Depends on car, could be very cheap if a big bimmer!