Brake Fade! eek!

[Rowdy]

Hey All!,

so we went away rallying on the weekend (don't ask how it went - nah, it was going really well til the coil gave up and left us stranded in the forest GRR!)

so we towed down through Kangaroo Valley to Ulladulla, and sure as **** the pedal gets even longer and softer than normal about 3/4 of the way down to the Hampden bridge, and things get stinky despite using lots of engine braking goodness, and not going too fast..

we only had the 1000 kg of car, 300 kg of stuff, and a 600 kg of trailer as the load... ... well under capacity for the Nav .

I need to find some better brake pads!. has anyone else tried as yet?

Cheers

Rowds

[navara-au]

Hi rowds

You do have electric brakes on the trailor???....If not that's half your problem.....the only time i have had brake fade is when i was towing the caravan...(loaded up to the nines) and didn't have the electric breaks turned on, but with them on i dont have any problems.

The only person i know who has replaced disc pads is Tommo.....but i think he used Nissan pads because they are the only ones available.....you could try and source them from the states or UK but i'm not sure if they are the same.

[Rowdy]

hey au!..

only override brakes on my mates trailer and they were definately working- when the trailer was unladen they locked up slightly going down a hill!..

The trailer I'm going to get built will be electric braked though...

I was just surprised given that my crumbledoor would take more load with overrides and not fade- and all I had was a set of ultimates on the front..

I might call DBA when I get a chance..

The Nav has it's 10000 km service tomorrow, so I'll be interested in how much wear there is- given the massive, and consistent brake dust on the front wheels.

Rowds

[Lon]

Originally Posted by Rowdy

The Nav has it's 10000 km service tomorrow, so I'll be interested in how much wear there is- given the massive, and consistent brake dust on the front wheels.

Rowds

Mine went in the week before last... I had 10mm on the front and 6mm on the rear. But then I dont go towing rally cars around the country

[Rowdy]

hey Lon... true enough!!
so there was a reasonable amt of wear then Hrmmm,...

[Lon]

Thats how much meat I had left on them, not how much they had worn. I dunno what size they are new.

I was reading somewher that someone was saying that the discs are rather soft on the D40's

[Rowdy]

MM 10 mm sounds like it'll have worn about 3-4 mm, rears I'm not sure..
I'll ask tomorrow depending...

I wouldn't be surprised if they are soft.. most euro build discs are..

I'm sure DBA will come out with something eventually...


EBC have pads out in the US... just have to work out if the calipers are the same!

Rowds

[navara-au]

Tommo said he had to change them at 30k and his is always loaded and he tows a heavy trailor quite a bit.
My old luxy similar weight (work truck) towed caravans and boats with just brake away breaks, pads only had to be changed after 70k, and i never had any brake fade or much brake dust.

Let us know if you find pads....I figure mine will last another 6 mths.

[Rowdy]

well then I should expect about 30 K out of mine I reckon.. I don't tow often, but it's always 1000 km when I do!...

got word from the boys about the rally car- ignition coil died- nothing could be simpler!... GRRR!..

Rowds

[ozsnow]

Rowdy
Don't feel too bad a mate of mine was at the same rally. His Patrol ran out of brakes going down Brown Mountain. Same deal as you, no electric brakes only overrides.

then to top it off for him the brake master cylinder seized in the Subie during the rally.