Astra Brakes

[Trotsky]

The pedal travel has got progressively longer recently. I have bled brakes using an easy bleed kit. The feel was much improved until I started the engine. With the engine running the pedal can be pressed to the floor. when the engine is not running all appears OK.

Any Thoughts much appreciated.

 

[Matthew M]

The pedal travel has got progressively longer recently. I have bled brakes using an easy bleed kit. The feel was much improved until I started the engine. With the engine running the pedal can be pressed to the floor. when the engine is not running all appears OK.

Any Thoughts much appreciated.

I have that in my Astra and Vauxhall replaced all the discs pads etc. Still the brake pedal goes to the floor. You probably know this but the brake servo is only active when the engine or ignition is on which is why its easy to push the pedal to the floor.

The brakes actuallly scare the hell out of me on the astra as it feels like its not always going to stop the car when breaking from 60

Matt

 

[andrew]

The brakes actuallly scare the hell out of me on the astra as it feels like its not always going to stop the car when breaking from 60

Which Astra model is this? I have the current one, an SRi, which has massive discs (~12"), and the brakes are very strong. In fact, having moved up from a previous model Corsa to this thing I had to relearn how to use the brake pedal or, only for the seat belt, I would have been head banging the windscreen when I stood hard on the brakes! I can do 100-0 in about 100 yards It does take a bit of a push on the pedal but I like that as it feels more progressive (unlike most French cars which just bite viciously when you touch the pedal).

OTOH, my brother owns a previous model Astra (1.7TD estate) and the brakes on that thing, even with new discs/pads, scares the hell out of me after driving mine! I'm guessing yours is the previous model?

Andrew

 

[Matthew M]

Which Astra model is this? I have the current one, an SRi, which has massive discs (~12"), and the brakes are very strong. In fact, having moved up from a previous model Corsa to this thing I had to relearn how to use the brake pedal or, only for the seat belt, I would have been head banging the windscreen when I stood hard on the brakes! I can do 100-0 in about 100 yards It does take a bit of a push on the pedal but I like that as it feels more progressive (unlike most French cars which just bite viciously when you touch the pedal).

OTOH, my brother owns a previous model Astra (1.7TD estate) and the brakes on that thing, even with new discs/pads, scares the hell out of me after driving mine! I'm guessing yours is the previous model?

Andrew

Its a mk4 Astra Club '99 which doesnt have ABS.

Matt

 

[andrew]

Its a mk4 Astra Club '99 which doesnt have ABS.

Matt

Just had a look at the brochure which lists the specification of the braking systems in these two models (SRi and Club). There is a big difference in the spec!!

The MK4 SRi has 280mm vented discs on the front and 264mm solid discs on the rear, all with ABS and EBD (EBD is a wonderful invention - the car brakes in a perfectly straight line no matter what the conditions, or how hard you brake).

The MK4 Club has 256mm vented discs on the front and 230mm drum brakes on the rear. I'm guessing this is similar to the MK3 Astra which scares the hell out me when braking.

Due to the extra diameter of the front discs on the SRi, those 280mm discs alone will produce about 20% (actually 19.6%) more braking power than the 256mm ones. The difference between discs and drums on the back will be enormous. I simply cannot understand why any car manufacturer in this day and age still puts drum brakes anywhere on a car!! So, the overall difference in braking ability will be quite large.

Then take into account the slightly wider tyres on the SRi (205 v 185/195 depending on exact Club model) probably using grippier rubber which will give more grip and which will allow greater use of those better brakes.

I guess this is a good example of why rally car owners spend thousands on getting bigger brakes and wider/grippier tyres on their cars!! My brother used to road rally an Escort and the stopping power of that thing was incredible. Way, way ahead of my SRi. The non-road legal (for normal day to day use) competition tyres probably contributed to that quite a bit though. They were seriously sticky That's another thing.... why are those tyres not legal for day to day use when they are clearly superior to anything that is legal!!!

Andrew

 

[Alan (archive)]

You have something wrong somewhere then.

Take it a Vauxhall dealer and ask them for a free brake check. Let them recommend a course of action and a price. You can then shop around and use someone else if they are not competitive.

Bear in mind that badly adjusted brakes, cheap discs and pads and old brake fluid will all add up to poor braking.

 

[Matthew M]

You have something wrong somewhere then.

Take it a Vauxhall dealer and ask them for a free brake check. Let them recommend a course of action and a price. You can then shop around and use someone else if they are not competitive.

Bear in mind that badly adjusted brakes, cheap discs and pads and old brake fluid will all add up to poor braking.

Hi,

They did mine about 2 weeks ago didnt make no differance to the braking apart from the fact the vibration had gone when I braked. The car is under network q for a year.

Another strange one is my tyres on the back had bits of tread worn on the inside edge which Vauxhall refered to as a sawtooth edge. They were the original tyres Continental Eco environmental I think. I had all the alignment etc checked before I noticed the tyres. Anyways I had to buy some more and they stuck Avon ones on there saying the Continental tyres are of a soft compound and all the Vauxhalls they have come in do it. I tried to get the new tyres paid for under vauxhall warranty saying the brakes were binding at the back but I couldnt prove it.

Matt

 

[R. Murphy]

I'd suggest you take it back then, in that case.

For the record, I have a 2002 Astra Club Estate - discs front, drum rear, no ABS and the brakes really are effective and progressive, as long as I have the seat in the right place and NOT stamp on the pedal.

They are better I think than the cavalier I previously had, which had ABS and slightly less progressive braking. Effectivenes on that car would deteriorate unless I had the fluid changed every 2 years or so.

 

[Bill]

The pedal travel has got progressively longer recently. I have bled brakes using an easy bleed kit. The feel was much improved until I started the engine. With the engine running the pedal can be pressed to the floor. when the engine is not running all appears OK.

Any Thoughts much appreciated.

Sounds like there maybe a leak - also try adjusting the rear brake. I once had a ford and the front wheel bearing was very worn, I had replaced the master cylinder (a mistake I made at the time)

Bill

 

[Chris Nowak]

Sounds like there maybe a leak - also try adjusting the rear brake. I once had a ford and the front wheel bearing was very worn, I had replaced the master cylinder (a mistake I made at the time)

Bill

Definitely a leak - don't drive car until fixed. Suspect rear slave cylinders first if your car is fitted with them. I had to replace both my rear disk calipers do to a blown seal at 95k. Seal burst when retracting caliper into bore when changing pads - should have released bleed nipple but just pushed fluid back into reservoir - bad mistake! If you have copious white smoke in exhaust suspect brake master cylinder.

 

[Tony Morland]

first cure the leak if there is one then have the engine running while you bleed the brakes -- best done with two people rather than a bleed kit -------- start furthest from master & work to nearest--- although i `m not sure if that bit still applies now with dual circuits