Another 2003 XKR Brake Question
#1
07-14-2018, 05:07 AM
Another 2003 XKR Brake Question
My 2003 XKR is having some brake issues. Appears the fronts are doing all the work, little to nothing on the rears. Been searching for similar threads and have not run across any.
so the question is what would likely be the cause? They are Brembo brakes. The pads on the rear look very thin from what I can see without having removed the wheel (hopefully getting to it today). Front rotors are very “shiny”, rears look they are barely making contact, if at all. No noise from any of the them.
Any thoughts and help would be appreciated. I know I’m going to have replace at a minimum they rotors and pads. Would also like to know brake fluid recommendations, as that will need to be replace in the process, and have no idea what’s in there now.
Thanks in advance!
so the question is what would likely be the cause? They are Brembo brakes. The pads on the rear look very thin from what I can see without having removed the wheel (hopefully getting to it today). Front rotors are very “shiny”, rears look they are barely making contact, if at all. No noise from any of the them.
Any thoughts and help would be appreciated. I know I’m going to have replace at a minimum they rotors and pads. Would also like to know brake fluid recommendations, as that will need to be replace in the process, and have no idea what’s in there now.
Thanks in advance!
#2
07-14-2018, 05:35 AM
1. enlist the assistance of an accomplice
2. jack up the rear of the vehicle so the wheels are clear of the ground
3. one of you rotates one rear wheel at a time and the other applies the brake to determine if there is braking or not
The only way to thoroughly examine brake components is to remove the wheels. I do this twice a year to check brakes, suspension and the inside tyre walls for any damage.
The brake fluid specification is Super Dot 4. There are almost as many opinions on brake fluids as there are on engine oils so I will say no more than that. A flush is recommended at two year intervals on the XK8/XKR.
Graham
2. jack up the rear of the vehicle so the wheels are clear of the ground
3. one of you rotates one rear wheel at a time and the other applies the brake to determine if there is braking or not
The only way to thoroughly examine brake components is to remove the wheels. I do this twice a year to check brakes, suspension and the inside tyre walls for any damage.
The brake fluid specification is Super Dot 4. There are almost as many opinions on brake fluids as there are on engine oils so I will say no more than that. A flush is recommended at two year intervals on the XK8/XKR.
Graham
#4
07-15-2018, 01:14 PM
I will say that my XKR exhibits the same look. The rear rotors look like they have rust on them much longer after sitting than the fronts do. I have even taken the car out just to try to clear the disks of rust! It's easy to check as was mentioned, just spin the rear wheels while someone presses the brake. The rears have a proportioning valve that limits pressure to the rears to keep from locking up that very light rear end.
#5
07-15-2018, 01:17 PM
By the way, this situation is a good thing....it keeps from wearing out the rear cross drilled rotors which are incredibly expensive. When I needed to replace the front rotors due to grooving, I went into shock at the $600 ea price tag, plus they were a nightmare to get off due to the caliper bolts being loctited on at the factory. It took 500 ft lbs to break them loose.
#6
07-15-2018, 01:22 PM
#7
07-16-2018, 05:48 AM
Oldmots,
thanks for for the reply. I did get around to jacking up the rear and performing the test. They do appear to be grabbing and moving freely. Still puzzles me that the rear rotor surface color does not seem to change. So it’s onto replacing the pads and rotors on all corners and changing the fluid.
Outside of the published order for bleeding, any tips for flushing etc are welcomed!
on another note, what allows the rear wheels to spin freely while in park and off the ground?
thanks again for all the help.
Steve
thanks for for the reply. I did get around to jacking up the rear and performing the test. They do appear to be grabbing and moving freely. Still puzzles me that the rear rotor surface color does not seem to change. So it’s onto replacing the pads and rotors on all corners and changing the fluid.
Outside of the published order for bleeding, any tips for flushing etc are welcomed!
on another note, what allows the rear wheels to spin freely while in park and off the ground?
thanks again for all the help.
Steve
Trending Topics
#8
07-16-2018, 07:30 AM
Park will only stop pinion from turning. The wheels will still be free to turn while lifted clear, each in the opposite direction through the differential action. With both rears on the ground the car won't move.
#9
07-16-2018, 09:36 AM
Good to hear the rear brakes are working.
baxtor has explained why the wheels can be rotated when they are both off the ground. However, if you apply the handbrake they should not move. The Parking Pawl locks the transmission; the handbrake operates on the rear wheel disks. When you are overhauling the brakes, it's worth spending some time checking and adjusting the handbrake cables.
I prefer to use a pressurised brake bleeder for flushing. So much easier than all that opening and closing each bleed screw several times and pumping fresh fluid through with the pedal plus having to keep topping up the reservoir.
Graham
#10
07-17-2018, 08:36 PM
Have a lot learn about these! That whole wheel spinning thing through me a bit. The pressure bleeder is on order and should be good for the weekend. With 27K on her, I hope I don’t experience issues with the caliper bolts as Oldmots did. Everyone has been very helpful and I appreciate all the info, will update on the progress after I tear into it.
Thanks.
Steve
Thanks.
Steve
The following users liked this post:
GGG (07-18-2018)
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
AntonB
XJ XJ6 / XJ8 / XJR ( X350 & X358 )
3
03-18-2011 09:16 AM
ekajati
XK / XKR ( X150 )
2
12-07-2010 07:26 AM
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)