I had new tires installed last weekend. I asked if they would look at the brakes while "in there". The mechanic (not a MINI dealer) came back and said that I needed new brake pads all around and new rotors on the front brakes ($400+).

I asked him how that can be after only about 30K miles, and he told me that "these German cars" are designed so that the pads and rotors decay together such that you usually need new rotors with about every 2 sets of pads.

This sounds like a load of hooey to me.

Brakes are performing fine.

Any comments?

Many thanks.

-B

 

You could need rotors at 30k, but you might not need them. A lot depends on you and how you drive. I just slipped in new pads and left the rotors alone.

Ask what the thickness of your rotors are and what the min is. If they will not answer this you need to find someone else. If your rotors are close to the min thickness get new rotors. Also some places just routinely replace rotors with pads now. It is safer for them and makes more money.

 

"I asked him how that can be after only about 30K miles, and he told me that "these German cars" are designed so that the pads and rotors decay together such that you usually need new rotors with about every 2 sets of pads."

There is some truth to that, but that alone does not indicate if you need new rotors. I agree with thulchatt, ask for the thickness.

My gut is not to trust this guy. I wouldn't think that you need new rear pads @ 30k. I have 35k on my car with 7 track days on the original rear pads, and they still have some life left in them. You may not have a ton of life left in the pads and rotors, but it sounds like he is trying to sell you parts before you really need them. I would be more happy if he told you "you are goiong to need X in 3-4 months, would you like to go ahead and do it now or wait?"

 

30k is a lot of miles, my original brakes only lasted about 18k.

 

buy the stuff and do it yourself. Takes about 45 minutes to do the brakes all the way around. You can upgrade to performance rotors, (powerslot, brembo, zimmerman plated and slotted/drilled) and performance pads for about $400 all the way around, at at the high end. You can do front rotors and pads for about $200 if you shop around. You can also find front and rear upgraded pads for about $120, for PBR Ceramics or Axxis pads which are great for spirited daily driving. Then front rotors for about $100, and you are at $250 with shipping. Really, the brakes on the MINI are super simple and very easy.

 

Might I also suggest Resurfacing your rotors every other brake pad change. Your rotor's will last longer.. It is a little pricy to resurface but not as expensive to replace.

 

I think the current thought process is to just replace rotors. I come from an age when you turned rotors with each brake service. Lately with good advice I either put new pads with the rotors as is, or replace the rotors. They are somewhat cheep and turning them tends to cause them to warp.

 

45 Mins if you can get that F**king torx bolt out of the rotors! I agree with this though. For $400, you can get a lot more if you do it yourself! You can usually tell how much of the rotors have been eaten away on our cars by looking at the rotor. The pad will leave a thin "lip" of unworn metal at the outer edge of the rotor. Where the pad rubs, it will be deeper than the outer lip. Look at that. If it is not too deep, then he is full of it. Also, if he does not work on mini's a lot, he may see this lip and think it is worse than it really is. You can also at least see the outer pad on all the brakes just by looking with the wheels on (depending on your wheels). Look yourself to see how much pad is left!

 

I don't think turning is necessary any more. I always just sand the hell out of my rotors if I am just replacing the pads.

 

Get a second opinion. Remember that rear pads usually last twice as long as front ones. I often can go through 3 front pad changes without changing rotors, just get them resurfaced, if the thickness remains within specs!

 

I have to agree.....most European cars,....BMW/MINI, and others dont recommend resurfacing. And some, MINI at least, recommends rotors w/ pads.
It is an easy job on our cars, with the exception of frozen torx rotor screws,................and remember to turn clockwise the rear caliper pistons,...while pushing them back in.

Steve

 

Just a quick question , I thought the brakes were covered under warranty ,might be wrong, just a thought. My brakes lasted 72k and the rears were worse than the fronts.

 

Normal wear and tear is not covered under warranty, except if failure originates from a defective part or assembly.

 

yeah, but it is a 2003 model, so not a mileage issue, but the car is 5 years old. So, after 4 years, if there was a warranty issue, he would be out of time.

and like stated, wear items are generally not covered unless there is an obvious malfunction, which this would not be.


edit, not sure if it was a 2003, for some reason, I thought it was. Must be getting my threads and sites mixed up. sorry about that

 

ha ha you guys are funny. Man 30K for the 1st set change. Thats is great. No hooey. Plus your getting tires done not brakes. So These are tire guys I doubt he had a Brake mic,but I could be wrong. He is correct about the German pads. Hmm let see oh yeah I came form Mercedes benz after
20 yrs as a master Tech now with BMW/MINI. I know a thing or to about the materials made in germany. Mercedes,BMW,Porsche Audi,MINI. All have a soft quality of braking. The brakes wear out quicker but its always a nice pedal feel. Not like your standard car pedal feels no soo smooth since these use a standard semi metallic brake pad. So Bozo feel fortunate that
you went all the way to 30K. If your sitll under warranty. Mini can do the brake service. Standard Mini Maint 3,36K what ever comes first.

min thickness stamped on the disc is 20.4mm pad thickness min is 3mm
a new pad is approx 12mm. rear discs 8.4 min pads the same.
So Bozo you wanted comments there you go. Do go beating up the middle man thinking he is blowing smoke up your #!@# when infact he is correct.

 

Brakes should not last 30K. Rotors should.

 

Sorry that you couldn't get more miles out of the OEM setup. I've seen some get over 50K on a set, but thats rare and found on "lightly" driven MINI's.

With the right after market pad/rotor combo for street use you can get better then OEM performance and more miles. Yes it's cost more to get more, but over the years will save you money.

While I'm sure none of the above or yet to post below NAM members (CMA) are like other drivers I see daily hitting the brakes late and hard, that is one bad and unsafe driving habit that will lead to shorter brake life.

 

nevermind....removing foot from mouth now....

 

Many thanks to all of you very knowledgeable people.

I am going to my regular mechanic for a second opinion. He's basically a friend of mine, having serviced all of my cars for the last 12 years or so ...except my MINIs.

I can tell he is lusting to get a closer look at my MINIs anyway, so that seems like the best idea for now.

Thanks to all you guys again. To paraphrase Tony the Tiger...

Yer GGggggrrrrrreat!

-B

,

 

What size torx bit would I need to undertake this project?

 

I think it's a T50 to remove the bolt that affixes the rotors. If you haven't ever removed this, it will be pretty tough to get off. I recommend getting a Torx bit that attaches to a socket handle (actually, a breaker bar is preferable, mine is 1/2" drive) so you can really put some leverage on it. Also, spray a little PB Blaster or other penetrating oil around the bolt head and let it soak for a bit before trying to get it off.