Parking Brake Pads Disintegrated

S

Swiftly

Elite
 Edinburgh
I am looking for some advice regarding the parking brake pads. I had new rear discs and pads fitted at the stealers about 3 months ago. When I picked the zed up I noticed after driving it that the hand brake came up further than it used to do, about 6 notches to be precise. I mentioned this to the service advisor when she rang the following day to check I was happy with everything and said I would leave it until I booked it in for an oil service in 4 weeks’ time. Whilst in for the oil service they adjusted the hand brake, although wasn’t brilliant and still felt different to how it used to feel before the new discs were fitted. Anyway the zed was in at the stealers for it MOT on the 9 June and passed with no advisories even though to me the handbrake felt different when pulling the lever up and lever needed 7 notches to get the parking brakes to bite. On Thursday last week the hand brake was hardly holding and needed over 10 notches to get the brakes to bite and when they did bite you felt a sharp pull on the driver’s side rear.

The zed was booked in on Saturday at the stealers whilst I waited for what I thought was just a simple hand break cable adjustment. However the service advisor told me that they had to remove the disc and that a clip was missing and was nowhere to be seen and they had no spares. Today got a call this morning from the service manager who told me that the parking brake pads on the passenger side had disintegrated and the bill would be £160.00 :headbang: I mentioned the fact it is less than 3 months since they fitted new rear discs and pads and that I would have thought that they should have at least advised me if the parking brake pads were worn. I was advised that it not uncommon for this to happen, this is news to me as I have never had this happen with any car I have had! I was advised that my zed had also just past its MOT only 2 weeks ago and the hand brake had passed the tests. Did they test the handbrake or did they just look and think new discs everything is okay. I can’t prove this either way! I mentioned to the service manager the missing clip which there service advisor had told me was missing, but no mention of parking brake pads disintegrating. Is it me or do I smell the fragrance of Bull Sh*t in the air?

Is it common for rear brake pads to just suddenly disintegrate as they are telling me? If the clip which I think holds the pin and springs to keep the shoes together came off, would this cause the pads to disintegrate? I don’t do hand brake turns for god sake so would like to know what you guys think.

Not had any issues with the stealer before who have always been excellent. Just wonder if someone has cocked up and they are covering their arses! I am due to pick the zed up in the morning.
 
Huuummmm trick to prove anything! But as you say the MOT and the work so recently carried out. And one side being damaged and the other not I would be thinking incorrect fitment on that side?!?

Hope it gets sorted and dose not hurt your pocket. I would remind them how much time and money you spent with them last year.

All the best with it buddy :thumbsup:
 
Thanks Mat, thinking the same thing, however I can't quite get my head around this one as I am not that technically minded or I would have done the job myself and saved a few pounds. I will be asking them to explain which part failed, and I want to see the parts. Also if the pads had disintegrated I would have thought there would be some damage to the inside of the hub, scoring or the like? If a spring had broken then the pads would be flapping inside the hub, again might cause wear or a flat spot to the pad, but shouldn't disintegrate as I though the pad were bonded to the shoe ummmmm

Technically the parking brake is a real basic design, used solely to hold the vehicle in place, so the pads should hardly wear as the vehicle should be stationary when hand brake is applied. You might get s partial revolution of the hub if starting on a steep hill but not enough to cause excessive wear. I don't do hand brake turns which is really the only way they might wear quickly.

Still at a loss really I wonder if they have backed the self adjusting screw off and failed to put it back to the correct setting, hence the excessive hand brake travel initially reported.
 
I'm with MM. Also the fact your took it back and got them to check should put some doubt in the air.

Fight your corner.
 
Hold on

They fitted new discs

Clip missing

Pads disintegrated

Clearly their fault for shoddy workmanship

Tell them since they fitted the discs and pads and now this has happened it can only be the fault of the technician.

Considering you haven't touched anything yourself the finger points to them.

Just as it would if I changed your rear discs and pads then took it to a dealer only for them to say a certain part is missing.
You would blame me.

Hope your sort mate
 
Shoddy workmanship doesn't make the linings on the hand brake shoes disintegrate. That's something that happens over time through lack of use of the handbrake. Usually with autos, as we mostly leave them in park, but could easily happen with manuals. They'll often pass an MOT as the hand brake only needs to be 16% efficient :o

The whole hand brake system is a poor design anyway. My X5's rears were done in March, just before MOT time. The state of the rear brakes was atrocious. I thought it would be a bit of adjustment but it ended up being disks, pads and shoes plus a little bit of weld onto the back plate so that the springs holding the shoes could be locked down.

Shoddy workmanship is the fact that they never picked up the fact the shoes were knackered when they put the new disks on. You couldn't fail to notice them. It's not as if stealers are backward in coming forward when it comes to brake jobs. Invariably they'll try to frighten you into thinking your brakes are about to fail and you'll kill yourself if you don't have a grand's worth of brake work done immediately, when actually your brakes are perfectly safe and will last another 20k miles minimum :roll:

Stealers eh :headbang:
 
Thanks guys, you've given me some very useful comments :D

I will see how I get on this morning and let you know.
 
Update - I spoke with the service manager this morning and even saw the old parking brake pads, or should I say the shoes without any pads attached. After much discussion the dealer wasn't shifting, the stumbling block appears to be the fact my zed past it's MOT the other week, dispite the fact I had drawn their attention twice to the fact that the hand brake travel was excessive :headbang:

Didn't get any reduction, so ended up paying the bill, so lets hope I get no more unexpected surprises.
 
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