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shaggydog



Member Since: 12 Aug 2012
Location: Kent
Posts: 3347

United Kingdom 1991 Defender 110 200 Tdi USW Arles Blue
Caliper rebuild kits - who to buy from?
Hi guys,

My 20Tdi is looking like it will be needing new pads soon, probably do the disks at the same time as they were marginal last time I did them so probably under by now.

Last time I did the pads I just pushed the pots back in and there have been no ill effects- however, having known I did it last time I'm not so sure I will be able to do it again.

So options are;

New callipers, Vented disks and pads -Most Expensive

Calliper Rebuild kit on Td5 old callipers and vented disks and pads- Next option

Tdi rebuild kit, solid disks, pads -Next option

Just disks and pads - Cheapest but may leak

Where do people buy there rebuild kits?

Is it still a job worth doing or is it easier to just do new callipers?

As always, thoughts an opinions welcome Thumbs Up Running Restoration Thread http://www.defender2.net/forum/post323197.html#323197

Self confessed mileage hunter Very Happy
Post #514547 15th Mar 2016 1:46pm
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dorsetsmith



Member Since: 30 Oct 2011
Location: South West
Posts: 4554

having rebuilt fill set of Calipers for TD5 90 work ok many years and then front calipers started to leaking this time replaced lot with new calipers much easier to work with front calipers lockheed from local LR independent and rear calipers new from forum member cornwell Ap lockheed's as well i found blue box calipers parts hit and miss for fitment when i rebuilt calipers
and blue box parts rejected in faver of lockheed parts
http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic33852.html


Last edited by dorsetsmith on 15th Mar 2016 5:40pm. Edited 1 time in total
Post #514561 15th Mar 2016 2:50pm
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geobloke



Member Since: 06 Nov 2012
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 4410

United Kingdom 
Ok. Lots of choices there.

I have been down most of them at some point or other. However the best the brakes have ever felt was when I fitted new calipers, disks and pads. The braking on the 110 is immense now, fabulous in fact. Which is good as the roll cage is quite heavy...

Setup;

Standard calipers vented front and solid rear
Grooved and drilled discs front and back
Green stuff pads all round. Expensive but they do not squeal or rattle.
Braided hoses
Fresh fluids
Post #514563 15th Mar 2016 2:59pm
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jst



Member Since: 14 Jan 2008
Location: Taunton
Posts: 8018

 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Stornoway Grey
for the time it will take to rebuild i would put new calipers on it. lockhead OEM.

i use Replace a Part - now part of Devon 4x4.

best braking setup i have is std 110 calipers front and rear and mintex pads but with Discovery servo fitted to a 90. Cheers

James
110 2012 XS Utility
130 2011 M57 bespoke Camper
90 2010 Hardtop
90 M57 1988 Hardtop
Post #514570 15th Mar 2016 3:21pm
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Rickydodah



Member Since: 14 Jul 2014
Location: East Sussex
Posts: 1091

Personally I would rebuild the calipers as it's an easy job and a fraction of the cost of recon units. I would stick with genuine AP Lockheed seals and stainless Pistons though Thumbs Up I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
Post #514607 15th Mar 2016 5:31pm
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LRmud



Member Since: 22 Oct 2014
Location: IV12 Highland
Posts: 198

Scotland 1989 Defender 90 300 Tdi HT Baltic Blue
Last year I had to bleed the rear brakes. The bleed nipples were so corroded, it was not funny any more. New calipers fitted - job done! Admittedly, the rest of the calipers were not "best" condition.

I guess it depends how much time and effort you want to invest versus money.
Rebuild kits would always make me think there was something I may have missed....

Solid versus Vented discs: depends how fast you travel. Solid discs on mine - work fine. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1989 Defender 90
Toyota Aygo & Honda FR-V
Post #514609 15th Mar 2016 5:46pm
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Merlin



Member Since: 30 Oct 2010
Location: Newmarket
Posts: 981

United Kingdom 
Use stainless steel pistons from :

http://www.zeusengineering.co.uk/

I got all 12 for about £110.

Merlin
Post #514623 15th Mar 2016 6:27pm
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jst



Member Since: 14 Jan 2008
Location: Taunton
Posts: 8018

 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Stornoway Grey
£110 - same as 3 calipers then Cheers

James
110 2012 XS Utility
130 2011 M57 bespoke Camper
90 2010 Hardtop
90 M57 1988 Hardtop
Post #514648 15th Mar 2016 7:26pm
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JWL



Member Since: 26 Oct 2011
Location: Hereford
Posts: 3443

England 2002 Defender 110 Td5 SW Coniston Green
I must admit that when I had a front caliper start to leak I thought no problem, I'll get a seal kit, but to be honest by the time you price up all the bits, you can spend a little more and have a complete new caliper and no hassle of rebuilding stuff on the bench.
Post #514672 15th Mar 2016 8:14pm
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Fatboy Slim



Member Since: 04 Feb 2008
Location: Bridgend
Posts: 1006

Wales 
Merlin wrote:
Use stainless steel pistons from :

http://www.zeusengineering.co.uk/

I got all 12 for about £110.

Merlin


Same kits I use. Never have any trouble with them again once they're fitted. New calipers are all well and good but a few years down the line you're in the same boat. .
Post #514678 15th Mar 2016 8:28pm
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Bps



Member Since: 14 Feb 2016
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 825

United Kingdom 
I'd put a new caliper straight on rather than rebuild for the time difference
Post #514680 15th Mar 2016 8:34pm
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Bps



Member Since: 14 Feb 2016
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 825

United Kingdom 
And ebc green stuff pads everytime. As per previous posts I've not had them rattle and I find they bed in very quickly
Post #514684 15th Mar 2016 8:40pm
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Vogler



Member Since: 02 Nov 2014
Location: Brussels
Posts: 309

Belgium 2015 Defender 110 Td5 HT Chawton White
I have rebuilt all our Td5's calipers but one which was too corroded, and split them. Bought stainless pistons and new gallery seals (the rubber rings or tubes between the two caliper halves) on shop4autoparts.net. Although the pistons come with a full set of seals, I followed general concensus and ordered genuine Land Rover ones. I used one of the others after I messed up one of the metal retaining rings and it did fit well too, but I filed a small camfer on them first.
The bolts holding the calipers together are not metric but 5/8, and I did find somewhere that they should be torqued up at approximately 70Nm (I believe it was on the lr4x4 forum). Also, I found it absolutely necessary to have compressed air at hand and bought a small compressor. You might want to include that into your budget.
Make sure you have some scotchbrite pads to polish away light corrosion in the piston seal recess. This corrosion was too coarse in the caliper that I replaced.
All in all it takes some time when you're doing all the brakes.
I put on new brembo discs and pads, which perform great from the very beginning. Not the cheapest though... Mind that some brakes need breaking in, so be cautious the first miles. A friend of mine overshot a crossing when his newly fitted brakes on the daily driver did almost nothing in the beginning.
When you remove the hub/brake disc assembly, some dirt is likely to fall into the inner bearings, but this time I didn't mind since I also intended to replace the wheel bearings and hub seals.

Hope this helps,

Joris
Post #514763 16th Mar 2016 12:26am
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MadTom



Member Since: 10 Sep 2013
Location: Olomouc
Posts: 616

Czech Republic 1999 Defender 130 Td5 HCPU Baltic Blue
jst wrote:
for the time it will take to rebuild i would put new calipers on it. lockhead OEM.

i use Replace a Part - now part of Devon 4x4.

best braking setup i have is std 110 calipers front and rear and mintex pads but with Discovery servo fitted to a 90.


Can you please add more info about using the Discovery servo? Breaks on my 130 are much worse then on Discovery2, so some complete check is on the list. "Drobek" = The Small One - Discovery 2, "Blufínek" = The Blue Thing - Defender 130, and for me at least Ford Mondeo Smile
Post #514818 16th Mar 2016 9:26am
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shaggydog



Member Since: 12 Aug 2012
Location: Kent
Posts: 3347

United Kingdom 1991 Defender 110 200 Tdi USW Arles Blue
Thanks for all the replies guys Thumbs Up

Looking at the costs of the rebuild kits it may be better to go for calipers as you just fit and go and will have some form of warranty on the parts rather than the kits which, could just leak.

I might stretch to vented but the solid disks have never let me down so will see what insurance says.

Does anyone have any recommendations for where to get them from?

200Tdi front axle brake caliper solid.

Any recommendations for standard disks?

Brake pads I used Ferrodo last time and will do again (supplied by Accro land Sallanches - good enough for mountains good enough for me!) Running Restoration Thread http://www.defender2.net/forum/post323197.html#323197

Self confessed mileage hunter Very Happy
Post #514910 16th Mar 2016 1:19pm
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