Has this happened to anyone else? I had a new set of front discs and Mintexx 1155 pads put on my car by PE last thursday. I'd been bedding things in over the last few days when I was forced to do an emergency stop and the car didn't feel right. I tested it out a few times and finally went back to PE only to discover that the pads were knackered. The guys at PE think I've been on a track day, but I haven't - out of the 400 miles, 150 of them were coming back from and going back to Uxbridge from Cambridge.

Could this be a bad batch of pads or some poorly fashioned discs? I've paid another £160 to get another set of pads and upgrade to some dot 5 brake fluid, but I'm still worried that my brakes may screw up. Does anyone have any thoughts?!

Ta

 

And I thought I was hard on brakes!!!!

I have had Mintex 1155 pads in since new, some 15,000 miles ago. In this time I have done 4 track events, and I have pushed them to fading point (and beyond) on each outing.

I have been very impressed with how long they have lasted (they do eat the discs a bit more than the standards), considering in my first Impreza the standard pads just lasted to the 7.5k service (no track days).

Sounds like a duff batch to me. Were they completely worn out, just badly glazed, or had the pad material broken up and came away from the backing plate ?

 

The thing is that I don't think I was particularly hard on them within those miles - at least 150 was bedding them in and another 75 miles going back to PE!!! Apparently, in those times I have also managed to boil the brake fluid. How can this be possible - does brake fluid get old or is DOT 3 just not up to the job?

The pads were not smooth, but very pitted. The bottom of the pad was also much thinner than the top - is one "pot" stronger than the other??

I'm going to get in touch with Mintex and see what they have to say. I'd expect a set of pads to last longer than a few hundred miles even if being used almost continuously. I'll keep you posted...

 

I've had 1155 pads in for approx 2500 miles with no probs. Except to frighten myself at Castle Combe last saturday. Each time I came off the track and parked up they were stinking and smoking so much I thought I had a fire !! Have to say that they have been better for it since then and pull me up even better. I've actually got the cold squeal that everyone talks about. The smoke was just the material out gassing. My disks were dark blue so I estimate circa 600 degrees centigrade had been reached.

Definately sounds like a bad batch or some other problem.

Bob

 

You tend to find with Mintex pads that if you drive "enthusiasticly" they do get pitted and often the corners crumble slightly. I have 1144's matched with cross drilled discs on MY93 WRX and they have done this. My mates Astra rally car has 1144's or 1155's depending on event and the pads in this do the same. I'm surprised that Anthony's pads only lasted 400 miles though.

 

I wanted to ask which is the difference between 1144 and 1155 models. Are they 6-pot and can someone give approximate prices?
At my 7.5K services I have been told that the pads (front) were very close to their end and furthermore that the discs were not in a very good condition... It may be a good time to upgrade. Is it possible to change just the front set?

Dimitris (MY99)

 

DMEL

Ask PTS, for the front 4-pot-calibers of the MY99 they offer Mintex 1155 Pads priced around 72+VAT+PP.



[This message has been edited by fmimpreza (edited 30-08-1999).]

 

I read a report/article somewhere this week about imitation car parts. These sound like they.

At 400 miles they could not have worn/deteriorated as you suggest, they were either fakes or Mintex have a huge safety issue to resolve. (I doubt it is the latter).

 

Anthony

I would get your wheel bearings checked.

If the pads have come out like cheese wedges, it sounds like excessive play in the disc, allowing it to be continually pressing against a pad. Both pots in the Subaru 2 pot callipers are the same diameter and exert the same pressure.

It is possible to do a set of pads in a track day... but you really need to be trying

 

Isn't this something that would have been checked during my service?

Could I get any garage to do this - I don't know much about this kind of thing but I thought you could check wheel bearings by jacking the car up and seeing if there is any play in the wheel. Is that right?

Thanks for the advice!