Brake pads rubbing - any advice?

D

diceyDC

Member
 Taunton-ish, Somerset
Hi folks - got a quick question - it looks like at least one (haven't checked the other side yet) of my front brake pads is rubbing. This may be a daft question, but is there an easy way to loosen them a touch or do I just need to take the whole lot off...and yes, I am about to order the Haynes manual!

As ever, advice greedily received..

Dave
 
Brake pads naturally rub. They skim across the surface of the disc rather than being actively retracted. Calipers can get sticky and keep more pressure on the pad than is desirable; you can tell this as a hub will get warmer than its opposite number.
 
Is the rubbing constant or does it rub in a particular place as the wheel rotates?
Does the disc have any markings different to the other side?
Can you see how worn the pads are?
Is the noise a soft rubbing or a metallic grinding noise?
Better/worse/no change when braking?
 
Hi - constant rubbing (that you can hear when you drive, which is why I checked) but I haven't taken the wheels off yet to have a proper nose around so not sure if its even both sides. Discs dont look unduly worn or anything - soft sound, not a grind.

Only had the car a week, and first z4, so daly nothing to compare it against! Is there any easy way to 'unstick' the calibers? Just found out that Hayne's manual for Z4s dont seem to exist (sad face)
 
Caliper rebuild kits exist which saves a few quid. In light cases it could just be the guide pins want taking out and cleaning; they can get gacky if people slather them in copper grease and it doesn't let the pads float evenly.
 
You may even find it is a bit of rust build up on the outer edges of the discs if the car has been standing a while outside waiting to be sold. E89 discs do tend to corrode quite badly if left out in the elements IME.
Easiest way to tell if there is any issue is to jack one wheel at a time and just spin it. If they all have the same kind of resistance, ie a little bit, it's probably nothing to worry about.
 
Pondrew said:
You may even find it is a bit of rust build up on the outer edges of the discs if the car has been standing a while outside waiting to be sold. E89 discs do tend to corrode quite badly if left out in the elements IME.
Easiest way to tell if there is any issue is to jack one wheel at a time and just spin it. If they all have the same kind of resistance, ie a little bit, it's probably nothing to worry about.
Click to expand...

I think you could be right - just took a look, and yep, a bit rusty. Will get it off and see if that helps, thanks.
 
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