37 replies to this topic

[sonikk4]

tiger99 we all know anything to do with a braking system can be safety critical, however your statement means that any non genuine calipers etc is immediately sub standard and should be instantly condemned.

 

So on that statement i take you have been in contact with Minispares directly to inform them of this and asked for them to remove ALL non genuine items as in your eyes they are dangerous!!! as you are a concerned member of the public. Have you reported Minispares to Trading Standards for selling sub standard items.

 

Now i will ask anybody who posts on this Forum that your statements are factually correct and that you provide PROOF to back up your statement that a item is potentially dangerous. Please think before you post as this is a public forum and without proof you the poster could in fact leave yourself open to legal proceedings. 

 

Yes we all know that pattern parts can be an issue in certain circumstances, for example panels and certain aftermarket alloy wheels. The fact i have been running Minispares own calipers for several years with no issues at all, does that mean i have a potential time time bomb waiting to go off?????

[tiger99]

It doesn't mean that they actually ARE sub-standard, it only means that there is NO TRACEABILITY IN PLACE to show that they are what they are supposed to be. Now traceability is the first requirement of a QUALITY CONTROL system so it is abundantly clear that such a system is not being operated properly. That leaves the status of the parts in question as indeterminate. In any safety critical industry they would be scrapped even if they were of the finest possible quality, because that quality could not be proved.

[sonikk4]

It doesn't mean that they actually ARE sub-standard, it only means that there is NO TRACEABILITY IN PLACE to show that they are what they are supposed to be. Now traceability is the first requirement of a QUALITY CONTROL system so it is abundantly clear that such a system is not being operated properly. That leaves the status of the parts in question as indeterminate. In any safety critical industry they would be scrapped even if they were of the finest possible quality, because that quality could not be proved.

 

Yes i fully understand quality control and traceability, its a prerequisite in Aviation. However your statement implies that companies who supply these parts do not have a decent quality control system in place. Can you prove that??? 

[MRA]

It doesn't mean that they actually ARE sub-standard, it only means that there is NO TRACEABILITY IN PLACE to show that they are what they are supposed to be. Now traceability is the first requirement of a QUALITY CONTROL system so it is abundantly clear that such a system is not being operated properly. That leaves the status of the parts in question as indeterminate. In any safety critical industry they would be scrapped even if they were of the finest possible quality, because that quality could not be proved.

 

How does not having AP on a caliper mean it is untraceable ?  do you realise that to make safety critical automotive parts in the UK you have to have trace-ability, it is the law !  it also means your insurance goes from £2 million to £10 million miniumum and is also based on sales !  and that even if you close the company for any reason the insurance company is still liable to cover losses should something nasty happen !

[Sovereign01]

Just so there's no confusion, my car has 12'' alloys and 8.5''* non-vented discs. The calipers in question are these, because I'm not planning on fitting smaller wheels there's no need to switch to 7.5'':

 

http://minispares.co...rs/37H8128.aspx

http://minispares.co...rs/37H8129.aspx

 

I realised I was looking at the wrong size, it was the 7.5'' that offered the genuine vs own brand choice, not the 8.5'' Due to the difference in thickness, am I correct in assuming these will only fit the non-vented disc type? Though from what I can tell, adopting vented discs would be an expensive endeavour in any case.

 

I also found these that seem to be a compromise between vented vs solid:

http://minispares.co.../C-21A2612.aspx

 

*At least I'm pretty sure they're 8.5'', the difficulty of measuring directly nonwithstanding.

Edited by Sovereign01, 20 March 2017 - 03:54 AM.

[nicklouse]

you car will have 8.4" discs. the standard set up was never vented.

 

the metros had both solid and vented set ups but with 4 pot calipers only.  and they can be made to fit on a Mini with the purchase of the required parts.

 

you don't need vented of a road car and I would say the grooved and drilled are also not needed on a road car as you rarely will get them hot enough.

 

and yes those are the correct calipers for a standard Mini with 8.4" brakes.

[babsbrown]

I refurbished my calipers after looking at buying some "remanufactured" ones. My attitude is that I know exactly the work done and the seals etc... Replaced where done correctly.

Edited by babsbrown, 20 March 2017 - 07:58 PM.

[babsbrown]

Not that I'm implying they're substandard but I'd rather put my trust in my own work rather than someone else who has refurbished them :)

[Sovereign01]

Well taking off the existing calipers was easier than I thought, though despite my best efforts some brake fluid did get spilled. Pumping the brake pedal only enabled me to extract one of the pistons, with the release of pressure meaning I can't get the other three this way.

[MRA]

Reburbished is not the same as reconditioned there is a whole lot of difference between something that gets minimal parts to make it work and a remanufactured product that has all the wearing or "soft" parts changed and then pressure tested to a safe pressure well in excess of any useage, unless you are the Hulk.

[MRA]

you car will have 8.4" discs. the standard set up was never vented.

 

 

Except the ERA Mini Turbo ;)

[Sovereign01]

I've managed to get the calipers off the car and undone 3 of the 4 bolts holding the halves together but the last one is proving virtually impossible to budge. The first three weren't too difficult but the last one for some reason has proven impossible, every spanner/socket that I've tried fails to get sufficient grip and only managed to strip the head. Even using the 5/8'' star spanner fails to do the job. Funny thing is, from what I've been able to tell is that while the exposed portions of the pistons are obviously worn, the seals don't appear worn at all.

[MRA]

I've managed to get the calipers off the car and undone 3 of the 4 bolts holding the halves together but the last one is proving virtually impossible to budge. The first three weren't too difficult but the last one for some reason has proven impossible, every spanner/socket that I've tried fails to get sufficient grip and only managed to strip the head. Even using the 5/8'' star spanner fails to do the job. Funny thing is, from what I've been able to tell is that while the exposed portions of the pistons are obviously worn, the seals don't appear worn at all.

 

The seals may look unworn, however they will be worn and must be changed as well.

 

Soak the bolt in "plus gas" its by far the best liquid for getting stuck and rusty fixings out, it seems to eat rust :)

[Sovereign01]

 

I've managed to get the calipers off the car and undone 3 of the 4 bolts holding the halves together but the last one is proving virtually impossible to budge. The first three weren't too difficult but the last one for some reason has proven impossible, every spanner/socket that I've tried fails to get sufficient grip and only managed to strip the head. Even using the 5/8'' star spanner fails to do the job. Funny thing is, from what I've been able to tell is that while the exposed portions of the pistons are obviously worn, the seals don't appear worn at all.

 

The seals may look unworn, however they will be worn and must be changed as well.

 

Soak the bolt in "plus gas" its by far the best liquid for getting stuck and rusty fixings out, it seems to eat rust :)

 

If WD-40 fails then I'll be sure to give it a go. If there's a spanner or socket out there that can get a better grip on an almost-ruined bolt, I'd love to know about it! I need to visit Halfords anyway to pick up a Breaker Bar, I'll see what they have to offer.

 

The problem I have is that having managed to undo the first 3 of them without much difficulty once I'd worked out how to get enough torque on the bolt (using an old Black & Decker Workmate to grip the caliper!) I assumed the last one would go the same way, but instead I ended up shearing off the corners.

 

At least it's taught me a great deal about working on brakes

Edited by Sovereign01, 24 March 2017 - 02:23 AM.

[gazza82]

Seals shouldn't appear worn if the caliper has never been taken apart, but they are not likely to seal it again as they have been compressed in the same state for many, many years.

 

WD40 is a water dispersant not a penetrating fluid so I'd give up with that and pick something better up when you grab a breaker bar.

 

There are some specialised sockets around for worn nuts .. think sealey might do some