Steve vRS

The discs on my wife's A3 are looking a bit shoddy and need replacing but the pads look OK with plenty of material left on them. Should the new pads be fitted with the new discs? The Audi stealer says that they should but I disagree.

I would have thought that after a few hundred miles, the pads would have worn to suit the new discs.

Any comments?

Steve

Isoproturon

Personally, I would try it and see. I have replaced warped discs on my Mk2 Escorts before and kept the same pads and never had any probs, though the pads themselves were fairly new.

STI MAN

If the surface of the pad is relatively flat, then I'd use them again.

911

Just had the pads changed on my 38K miles X type Jaguar, they kept the dics on and just fitted new pads all round.
The car stops better now than at any time since new!

In the past I've always changed disc's and pads together, but maybe i was wrong to.

Graham.

stockcar

this is a common practice for the "stealers" and ****-wit type outlets.....................

simply sales patter to help promote their T/O!!

(although not always practical) its is always advised that new discs are bedded with old pads and vice-versa...............the main proviso is that your old discs aren't deeply grooved/damaged so that the pads are in good condition

alyn

Del mar

You find that the old pads will take the profile of the discs. Rub the pads lightly on a flat piece of ground to make sure they are flat and then they will work fine.

Del

Big scoob

As del mar says rub them of some rubbing paper on the floor and they should be fine. But the dealer will always say the pads need changing so they dont get any come backs when the face of the disc is gone again. Also with worn or grooved pads you could get poor brake performance and uneven balance under heavy braking. But flatting them will be fine.

Steve vRS

That's what I though. It's the Audi stealers policy not to fit discs on their own, only with pads!

Steve

The Zohan

If the pads are ok i would re-use them

JTaylor

I'd keep the pads as well. My dear old Dad got ratty once I was a pup 'cos I splased out on pads with new disks. "but the man at quick fit said I should Dad" "that's because he wants to make money out of you Son" - he was right of course.

supertouring

A local Subaru dealer tried to convince me that they would not fit new disks without new pads. The pads were not that old so was not buying that.

I ended up getting some new replacement disks (not from dealer) and fitted them myself with the old pads. No problems whatsoever.