Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

I'm in process of changing discs and pads and having sorted the disc side of things I am at stage of putting new pads in.

the ones sent are Borg and Beck which appear to have a built in shim? (thin metal clipped to back of pad)

do i still put in the original shim (arrow direction one) or is this now not needed with the thin metal pad back clipped on?

thanks

David

I have never come across Borg & Beck brake pads David, but if they come with 2 anti squeal shims already fitted, I would not add another two.

Post up a picture if you are able, interested to see them.

Leslie

Leslie

thanks for reply, i'll put picture up tonight to show what i mean.

David

ok, first photo hopefully shows the thin metal plate already attached to back of pad. i am wondering if this is an in built shim or do i put the original arrowed shim in also?



these are the new pads with the old shims



new discs, back plate coated black all back together, passenger side is proving a problem as the long bolt through the back plate is seized fast, soaked in WD40 no difference, heat still won't budge it so may have to resort to drilling it out. anyone know correct size for replacement?

The original arrowed shims are designed to prevent brake pad squeal by putting more pressure on the trailing edge of the pad and less on the leading edge and also damping pad high frequency vibration.

Modern brake do not have this style shim. The is potentially due to improved pad location and larger pads which are more stable. Pad materials these days are also less likely to squeal.

Some modern brake pads I have seen have the backing shim that you have on your new pads ( e.g. the pads on my Toyota Landcruiser from Bendix have the same type shim). I am not clear on its purpose but I presume it is to help damp high frequency vibration, it does not appear to have any taper built into it. I would not remove it without talking to the manufacturer further about its purpose

I would install the pads without the orginal shims and if the pads do not squeal then you are fine. If they squeal then you could try adding back the original shims behind the pads with the clipped on shim to see if that fixes the problem.

There are other ways to prevent pad squeal without the shims also by using a coating applied to the rear of the pads or putting a bevel on the leading edge of the pads

cheers
Rohan

thanks Rohan that is pretty much what i was thinking but wanted an experience eye to back me up!

when i used to tinker with my old mini i'd put copper ease/grease on the back of the pads so presume that is the coating you refer to?

David

You can actually buy a specific pink sticky goo to apply to the backs of the pads thats purpose designed for the job (at least you can here in Australia) but stuff like antisieze paste also can work.

cheers
Rohan

try PB Blaster and/or Freeze Off to free bolts. WD 40 is useless for that.
Make a dam with clay or goop and lit it soak a day or 2.
Heat usually works in conjunction with the sprays.

good luck
Eric
64 S1 Hart

ecamiel wrote:try PB Blaster and/or Freeze Off to free bolts. WD 40 is useless for that.
Make a dam with clay or goop and lit it soak a day or 2.
Heat usually works in conjunction with the sprays.

Yes, WD-40 is a water-displacing coating (hence the name), not a penetrating oil. And it is not particularly effective as a lubricant either.

My preference is Kroil, there is nothing better than this stuff (though PB Blaster may be as good.) Kroil also comes in both aerosol and drip can variants. Apply, let soak, apply, give a minimum of 24 hours between applications. Then go to heat, apply while hot because the micro-cracks between the threads have different alignments then ...

I use Plus Gas as an anti-seize/penetrating spray