[Wannabee]

My 04 MCS is being serviced (40,000) the guy has just called me to tell me i need new front and rear Pads and Discs ($700.00 fitted), The car has done 37,000kms is this normal?

[gazah]

i had rear pads & discs done at about that same time, & there's lots of similar reports

that said, it's not the norm & i'd either 1. ask for all the pad/risc measurements, or 2. ask for the measurements & the old stuff to inspect, just to make sure they're not having you on, or there isn't an obvious caliper issue etc causing accelerated wear @ 1 wheel or something

i paid somewhere around $500 for rear pads & discs fitted [take longer than front], so that is probably on the mark cost-wise [if not reasonably cheap]

someone will jump in here & tell you to go for EBC Greenstuff replacements, but it may be a little too late to organis aftermarket stuff at this point [unless you're keen, or delay the swap]

talk to the service manager again, ask for the disc thickness measurements & the min. allowable etc, they should be able to explain it to you

good luck... & remember, they are your brakes afterall!

[Wannabee]

Gazah i have asked him to hold off on them for a while because as soon as he said 700 something went "ding" and the word aftermarket poped into my head. The Manager said i have between 1 and 3000kms to go (which generally means 3-5000) which gives me enought time to organise something but yea it does seem to be an ongoing issue, i was just a little shocked.

and your last point is a key, i don't take risks when it comes to brakes so i need to work out what i will do asap.

Thanks for your help

[gazah]

do your aftermarket research well, there's lots of stories out there to wade through!

just out of interest, ask for the rotor thickness etc, as they shouldn't be letting you take the MINI if they're under min thickness... & they shouldn't have been telling you they need replacing if they're not...

i can understnad why, but i think sometimes they just replace anything they can't guarantee will make it the 25,000k to the next service

[Wannabee]

Quote: Originally Posted by gazah

do your aftermarket research well, there's lots of stories out there to wadde through!

Tell me about it!
Not sure where to start but i'll get there.

[Tonyt3]

rotors wont need replacing - its bmw policy to replace disks (rotors) at the same time as pads regardless.

if nothing else, buy new pads (£90 for a set - no idea what that is in aus $) and change them yourself or get a local garage to do it for you.

2 Hours work first time round, fairly easy. .

[Wannabee]

Thanks Tonyt3

i am sure i will be able to change the pads without to much hassle. I'll have a look at the rotors and see if i need new ones. I'm searching e-bay and mini sites for some aftermarket ones just in case.

I find it weird cause last time i was looking in the mini garage (waiting for car to be finished) and there was another mini owner in there telling me he is still on his original discs and he has done 100K in his 02 MCS hence the reason i was shocked.

Thanks again

[n00b]

It's all relative to the driver - the more you push it then the quicker you will need these parts changing. I'd inspect the rotors/discs itself before saying yay or nay to replacing it as you don't know have you been driving your MCS around with the metal backing plate of the pads...that really kills the rotors.

[zanhar25]

I had this on my MCS on it's 29,000 mile service.Mini told me my front and rear discs and pads needed changing and that would be £700 + vat .I wasn't paying that so I bought original BMW Mini front and rear pads and discs which cost £230 including Vat for all parts and changed them myself.
They were fairly easy to do the only problem was the torx screw which held the discs to the hubs on had siezed on all four discs and had to be drilled and retapped (I've seen thisproblem on here before and apparentley BMW charge extortianate amounts oto carry this out on top of the disc/pad change costs!!).So if you decide to attempt this yourself remember to buy a set of torx retaining bolts for the discs and a tap and tapping drill and if your're still unsure a Haynes manual and your still be quids in

[Wannabee]

Quote: Originally Posted by dairyboy

It's all relative to the driver - the more you push it then the quicker you will need these parts changing. I'd inspect the rotors/discs itself before saying yay or nay to replacing it as you don't know have you been driving your MCS around with the metal backing plate of the pads...that really kills the rotors.

Yea i understand it's all relevant put i honestly don't think i push it very hard at all but hey i might be wrong!

as far as inspecting that's what i am going to do when i get it tonight. Now i am stuck between buying aftermarket parts (looking at EBC or Brembo Rotors with Greenstuff pads) or just saying bugger it and getting BM to swap over to normal ones again which i am not 100% keen on as they wear very quickly!!

Thoughts?

[n00b]

If you're still on your stock rotor, please measure the thickness of it - for some strange reason, once it's past its minimum thickness, it seems to then wear out quicker than before. As with the EBC Greenstuff, try search for it and see how divided the feedbacks are there's one camp that swears by the stuff and another totally hated it.

BMW brakes stuff are softer in comparison to whatever else you've drive. In one of my daily hack, the front rotors have gone thru 3 sets of pads over 130k and the rotors are still holding up fine while the MINI.....and believe me, it's lived a harsher life than the MINI.

[Wannabee]

Quote: Originally Posted by dairyboy

. As with the EBC Greenstuff, try search for it and see how divided the feedbacks are there's one camp that swears by the stuff and another totally hated it.

I have noticed that, this is where my bugger it stick with stock from BMW thinking comes in Little confused but that's ok (maybe just go for a Brembo BBK and be done with it huh? i wish)

I will certinaly measure it when i get home tonight, as mentioned in a prev post i don't really muck around when it comes to brakes, if they need somthing done i will get it done asap.

help is appreciated

[n00b]

You could call up Bendix and see if they got the Ultimate for the MINI but I think they should, given their export brand Axxis (that's the Ultimate anyway) do. You might not like the brand of the stuff but it works.

[Wannabee]

There is some Axxis pads (F&R) going for $95US + Shipping ATM on the bay, are they alright are they?

You might not like the brand of the stuff but it works. i don't care what brand it is as long as it's good quality.

[n00b]

They are made by Bendix and they are the Ultimate, it's not a bad set of pad given the price but it's pretty dusty and needs to be correctly bedded in...I remember I got a set of those just fitted onto my car (not the MINI mind you), didn't bed them in and tries to stop from 150 in a small street needless to say, I needed to get home and change undies quicky lol.

[IML337]

Just remember that harder/metal pads on OEM rotors can often end in warping the OEM rotors.

[Wannabee]

yea i will go for both Rotors and pads i think for that reason

[n00b]

Braided brake lines and a good brake fluid like the Motul RBF600 while you're at it maybe not the lines but you need to bleed the brakes anyway, might as well spend big there as well.

[Baker]

Or I've got some second hand rotors and pads you can buy if you'd like

[MiniFr34k]

fyi ive got about 35000kms and my front pads are almost goneski's.

i just bought a set of OEM pads and will DIY the install. Dont know enough about ebc's etc etc to make a decision on them yet. let us know how u go.