Gday all,
After driving a mates VL on friday nite and discovering how bad the brakes really are, with him being short on cash, i offered to help him fix them next week since both of us are on holidays.
He took it too a mechanic who quoted him around $600 to get:
Front Discs machined
New pads front (Disc)
New Shoes Rear (drum)
New wheel cylinders rear (they are leaking)
Anyone got any idea on prices and or part numbers for the above?
Hes pretty cash straped so I suggested to him we leave the maching for the moment and just get the rest sorted.
At the moment when driving the pedal probably travels about 3" when you press the brakes and it takes that much movement to get the brakes to apply hard. The pedal feels very spoungy, not hard at all. His hand brake is pointing almost vertical and he leaves it in gear cause he doesn't have much faith in it.
Steve
VL Brake repair
Started by
_73LJWhiteSL_
, Jun 25 2006 02:11 PM
14 replies to this topic
#2
FastEHHolden
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Posted 25 June 2006 - 02:33 PM
machining $25 ea
pads $35
wheel cylinders $20-30 pair
rear shoes (i haven't done a set for ages)
Supa cheap has everything you need. You don't have to machine the discs unless they are deeply grooved..but you will have to take it easy until the pads bed in properly. They spongy feeling will go after you bleed it, the travel will be normal after you adjust the rear brakes.
pads $35
wheel cylinders $20-30 pair
rear shoes (i haven't done a set for ages)
Supa cheap has everything you need. You don't have to machine the discs unless they are deeply grooved..but you will have to take it easy until the pads bed in properly. They spongy feeling will go after you bleed it, the travel will be normal after you adjust the rear brakes.
#3
TerrA LX
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Posted 25 June 2006 - 06:36 PM
most spare parts shops machine disk for about the $30 if needed, usual tell tale signs are pedal pulsating.
best for cash strapped to do in two stages and start with the rear, get it right and if you still got enough front pads, drive it and you will tell if you need the front machined.
remember in normal service with drum rear brakes they auto adjust when you reverse but you must have your foot on the brake. i do it by riding the brakes when reversing out the drive way.
if you fail to do the above you will suffer from a low pedal and possible spungy feel.
the rear cylinders may be leaking if there is excessive wear in the shoes causing long travel in the wheel cylinder.
if your not familliar with brakes, shop around and have a mechanic do the job, brakes are not a place for simple mistakes.
best for cash strapped to do in two stages and start with the rear, get it right and if you still got enough front pads, drive it and you will tell if you need the front machined.
remember in normal service with drum rear brakes they auto adjust when you reverse but you must have your foot on the brake. i do it by riding the brakes when reversing out the drive way.
if you fail to do the above you will suffer from a low pedal and possible spungy feel.
the rear cylinders may be leaking if there is excessive wear in the shoes causing long travel in the wheel cylinder.
if your not familliar with brakes, shop around and have a mechanic do the job, brakes are not a place for simple mistakes.
#4
dattoman
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Posted 25 June 2006 - 07:33 PM
Buy new rotors they are cheap enough nowdays if you shop around
We do packages for $99 which is front discs and pads too
So you should be able to get a similar deal local
We have it advertised in the latest Auto1 national catalogue.......find a local store
Anyway
Part #'s you require are
P10046 wheel cylinders x 2
N1385 shoes
DB1085 pads
DR015 discs
Cheers
Neil
We do packages for $99 which is front discs and pads too
So you should be able to get a similar deal local
We have it advertised in the latest Auto1 national catalogue.......find a local store
Anyway
Part #'s you require are
P10046 wheel cylinders x 2
N1385 shoes
DB1085 pads
DR015 discs
Cheers
Neil
#5
_73LJWhiteSL_
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Posted 26 June 2006 - 09:10 AM
If the disc rotars are really that cheap then I might try and talk him into it, through i want to have a look at the discs first and see if they are grooved. Thanks for the numbers again Neil 
One last one, which brake fluid? Or is it the same as the other post, just anything with a higer boiling point than 280c not silicon (Nulon maybe)?
Thanks for the warning ALX76 and i agree with you, but I have done work on brakes before, i'm no expert like dattoman, but I am carefull and through with working with brakes, and if its not working properly or i can't find the fault thats when i bring in the experts... i don't want to put anyones life at risk.
Steve
One last one, which brake fluid? Or is it the same as the other post, just anything with a higer boiling point than 280c not silicon (Nulon maybe)?
Thanks for the warning ALX76 and i agree with you, but I have done work on brakes before, i'm no expert like dattoman, but I am carefull and through with working with brakes, and if its not working properly or i can't find the fault thats when i bring in the experts... i don't want to put anyones life at risk.
Steve
#6
_73lj202_
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Posted 27 June 2006 - 08:24 AM
Steve, may pay at the same time to put a kit through the master cylinder as well. Fixed the brakes on my old VN my nephew has, and helped a lot, luckily for me I know these things back to front, one of the advantages of doing your apprenticeship & later working in Research/Development at PBR many years ago. and doing the certification testing on the Commodore/Falcon brakes 
#7
_73LJWhiteSL_
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Posted 27 June 2006 - 01:03 PM
gday Tim,
I have never played with a master cylinder before. Any idea what this would cost to get done? Or do you have any time free over the next couple of weeks?
Like I said earlier my mate is pretty cash strapped so we are just trying to fix what we can.
Steve
I have never played with a master cylinder before. Any idea what this would cost to get done? Or do you have any time free over the next couple of weeks?
Like I said earlier my mate is pretty cash strapped so we are just trying to fix what we can.
Steve
#8
_73lj202_
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Posted 27 June 2006 - 02:55 PM
Not to sure Steve how much , can't remember how much I paid from Holden, may have been $60 trade, with gave me seals, proportioning valve bits and a couple of other things.
At the moment bit strapped for time, got a couple of projects on.
At the moment bit strapped for time, got a couple of projects on.
#9
_73LJWhiteSL_
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Posted 27 June 2006 - 04:30 PM
Thats cool Tim, we will have a go at the rest of it and see how she pulls up once its got new pads, shoes, rotars and wheel cylinders in it and has been bleed.
Steve
Steve
Edited by 73LJWhiteSL, 27 June 2006 - 04:30 PM.
#10
_73LJWhiteSL_
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Posted 28 June 2006 - 10:10 PM
Well I am just finishing my tea after being on the go working on my mates VL since abotu 8am this morning. We shopped around and managed to get new rotars for $46 each so we brought them.
It was about 10am when we started then apart from an hour or so for lunch we didn't finish till 9:30.
Superman here broke another bolt, misreading the poorly written manual and over torquing the caliper to pad braket bolt but luckly my mates sisters boyfriend used to have a VL and happened to have the brake calipers.
So its all done. He was quite happy with the result... i still think the pedal is too spoungey...
Any suggestions? I am thinking maybe replace hoses might fix the spoungyness, or maybe another go at bleeding the brakes.
Steve
It was about 10am when we started then apart from an hour or so for lunch we didn't finish till 9:30.
Superman here broke another bolt, misreading the poorly written manual and over torquing the caliper to pad braket bolt but luckly my mates sisters boyfriend used to have a VL and happened to have the brake calipers.
So its all done. He was quite happy with the result... i still think the pedal is too spoungey...
Any suggestions? I am thinking maybe replace hoses might fix the spoungyness, or maybe another go at bleeding the brakes.
Steve
#11
TerrA LX
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Posted 28 June 2006 - 10:20 PM
are the rear brakes adjusted correctly.
ARE you still getting air on the bleed.
ARE you still getting air on the bleed.
#12
dattoman
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Posted 28 June 2006 - 10:24 PM
Got any clamps to clamp off the hoses ?
if so clamp the top and bottom of the hose....... drop the top clamp and if the pedal drops you can condemn the hose
If its daggy to start with rebleed
if so clamp the top and bottom of the hose....... drop the top clamp and if the pedal drops you can condemn the hose
If its daggy to start with rebleed
#13
_73LJWhiteSL_
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Posted 28 June 2006 - 10:33 PM
The rear brakes are 'auto adjusting' and the useless manual we had (max somebody) had three differnt sets of instructions for adjusting the rear brakes. In the end we adjusted the handbrake and then just did lots of reversing touching the brakes before we bedded them in.
There is no air that i could see coming out and i let a lot of fluid through to try and get the old stuff out, and no we didn't let the resovior run dry.
never thought of that Dattoman, have to give it a go.
Thanks guys.
Steve
There is no air that i could see coming out and i let a lot of fluid through to try and get the old stuff out, and no we didn't let the resovior run dry.
never thought of that Dattoman, have to give it a go.
Thanks guys.
Steve
#14
TerrA LX
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Posted 28 June 2006 - 11:09 PM
Do the hand brake last or you will have trouble.
start on rears by adjusting as far as will let you install the drum with out grabbing (if drums have not been machined there will be a ridge which you will have to force the drum over. this ridge is not to be included when assessing if the drums are dragging (grabbing)), part adjust the hand brake so you have it just in case, then auto adjust the rest of the way. (reverse driving).
Finish with final hand brake adjust and i think you will find the pedal will come up(meaning it will travel less and feel harder). otherwise i think the problem is else were.
start on rears by adjusting as far as will let you install the drum with out grabbing (if drums have not been machined there will be a ridge which you will have to force the drum over. this ridge is not to be included when assessing if the drums are dragging (grabbing)), part adjust the hand brake so you have it just in case, then auto adjust the rest of the way. (reverse driving).
Finish with final hand brake adjust and i think you will find the pedal will come up(meaning it will travel less and feel harder). otherwise i think the problem is else were.
Edited by ALX76, 28 June 2006 - 11:12 PM.
#15
_73LJWhiteSL_
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Posted 03 July 2006 - 10:50 AM
Thanks for the tips mate. I will have to see if i can have a look sometime soon. My mate is just happy the brakes stop a lot better and the handbrake actually holds the vechicle.
Steve
Steve
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