Please visit the Club's website https://www.dloc.org.uk/ to join. Visit https://www.dloc.org.uk/adhoc to DONATE towards the cost of the forum.
Please don't post someone's email address to avoid it being harvested by spambots and it's against GDPR regulations.
Always look at "ACTIVE TOPICS" to see all posts in date & time order as they are sometimes moved; or look at "Your Posts".
Please add Reg. nrs. when posting a photo or anything about a car as this will help searches. Don't add punctuation next to nr. as this negates search.
CHANGED YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS since registering?, click your username and check your address in User Control Panel, Profile, Account Settings.
If you want help to register, use "contact us" at page bottom for help.

SP250 Brake Pad Types

Post Reply
timmartin
Posts: 65
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2016 1:37 pm
Location: Berkshire

SP250 Brake Pad Types

Post by timmartin »

There are at least three different types of brake pad currently available for the SP250.
This includes original, more modern, and Greenstuff.

Does anyone have evidence of any being noticeably superior during normal road use?

I appreciate that if used hard (I.e. hot) the more advanced Greenstuff formulation may be superior, but that is not my question.

So far, any enthusiast for Greenstuff that I have spoken to had changed other parts of their brake system (e.g. discs, servo) at the same time as changing their pads, making a fair before-and-after comparison of pad type impossible.
Tim
Blue 1964 SP250 in Berkshire

User avatar
Brooksy
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2016 1:08 am

Re: SP250 Brake Pad Types

Post by Brooksy »

Tim,

I moved to Green Stuff pads with out any other modifications at the time. My braking system is standard apart from the Greenstuff pads and now a recent change to braided brake hoses as the rubber ones were starting to bloat when pushing on the brake pedal.

I chose Greenstuff pads as I had put modern pads in when I restored the car and suffered from brake squeal, after trying everything to get rid of the brake squeal I was ready to sell the car as I could not stand it any longer, however someone suggested trying Greenstuff pads. Whilst more expensive they fixed my squeal problem. Do they stop any better, possibly, but that wasn't the reason for the change. I still get an occasional squeal, but one sharp jab on the pedal and it goes away.

I hope this helps.

Regards
Regards

Brooksy

1962 SP250 Ex Met Police 104035

timmartin
Posts: 65
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2016 1:37 pm
Location: Berkshire

Re: SP250 Brake Pad Types

Post by timmartin »

Thank you Brooksy for your very clearly expressed experience.

I wonder whether anyone else has tried changing to them with no other alterations to the braking system?
Tim
Blue 1964 SP250 in Berkshire

David S
Posts: 188
Joined: Sun Feb 21, 2016 9:23 am
Location: Forest of Dean

Re: SP250 Brake Pad Types

Post by David S »

I can only express satisfaction with original equipment pads having done 40,000 trouble free miles with a single set of pads, which still have loads of wear left in them. e.g. Don, Girling, Mintex etc [you know, the ones with nasty materials in..].
These original pads seem to stop me well enough and don't lock up easily, but it is really difficult to accurately compare 'stopping distances' or the tendency to 'lock up' using different pad materials.
I think modern pads are hard and abrasive, causing expensive on disc [rotor] wear. Old ones are made of the 'ideal' materials but these materials have been outlawed for good reason, but that doesn't stop them being efficient at stopping our cars does it?
Re squeal: I get it occasionally, particularly in hot dry conditions. You can try putting some shim material behind the pads, anything'll do, also try putting some copper grease on the shims; or another popular 'fix' is to try cutting a gash in the pads at an angle with a saw.
just my views...

Vortex O'Plinth
Extra-Wise Man
Extra-Wise Man
Posts: 1065
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2016 8:15 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: SP250 Brake Pad Types

Post by Vortex O'Plinth »

David S wrote: Fri Apr 27, 2018 4:02 pm ....I think modern pads are hard and abrasive, causing expensive on disc [rotor] wear. Old ones are made of the 'ideal' materials but these materials have been outlawed for good reason, but that doesn't stop them being efficient at stopping our cars does it?.....
That's certainly true David. In the 'Good Old Days' brake pads were full of yummy asbestos and very efficient against steel discs. Modern pads are much more environmentally friendly and, as far as I can determine, just about as efficient. However, discs would often outlast three or four asbestos pad changes whereas the modern materials have rendered discs just as sacrificial as the pads.

I have no experience of Green Stuff pads as I've become accustomed to the heavy but adequately progressive performance of the SP with 'ordinary' ones (and the Green Stuff is comparatively very expensive). My own feeling is that if one wants a lighter pedal force - and simultaneously achieve heavier braking for the same force - the best solution must be to fit a servo. Good old drum brakes with two leading shoes had a useful self-servoing action - a characteristic totally lacking with discs.
Nick

"Don't bother with the Air & Space Museum - there's nothing to see.......".

timmartin
Posts: 65
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2016 1:37 pm
Location: Berkshire

Re: SP250 Brake Pad Types

Post by timmartin »

Thankyou Brooksy, David and Nick.

I have seen reference to glazing of pads and discs, especially by racers. What is happening there, and what are good and bad practice ways of dealing with it?

I am interested at present because a recent MOT indicated plenty of maximum braking effect, but indifferent balance between wheels during lighter braking. All my discs are smooth and black. Why aren’t they silver like my modern car? Garages tell me I have no problem, but I have bought new front discs (easier to change and much cheaper than the back) and new back pads (standard non asbestos) while I decide what to do about the front.

So you can see why I might be thinking of cleaning front pads and rear discs as a next step. But I would prefer to discover how not to be an idiot doing it before I have the benefit of hindsight. I had been thinking of brake cleaner to start with, followed by rubbing the pads on wet and dry over a flat surface underwater. I was thinking of trying to burnish the rear discs with fine wet and dry on a motor driven rubber pad. The rusty lips round the outsides might be get in the way, even though they are small.

What do you think?
Tim
Blue 1964 SP250 in Berkshire

Ian Slade
Wise Man
Wise Man
Posts: 791
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 9:54 am
Location: Sevilla Spain

Re: SP250 Brake Pad Types

Post by Ian Slade »

In the past I have bought a 3-4 inch grinding wheel, snapped it in half and fitted them as pads, jacked up the rear axle and fired up the engine and let it run on idle in third gear cleans the disc up nicely. The fronts are more difficult but can be done by parking a front wheel drive car alongside with both the cars front jacked on axle stands and the two wheels turned to each other the FWD car will drive the SP front wheel and the split grinding wheel will clean the disc. You can also use an angle grinder on the front discs and it will spin the disc as it cleans giving a reasonable finish but you need to be careful and use the right type of disc in the angle grinder.
Owner since the 70's, Genghis is slightly to my left.

Post Reply