I was grinding down my carriers today as they hit the disc as funnily enough it is bigger than the standard ones, i got to the point where everything would clear with no hitting and tried to put it all back together.

I found difficulty with putting the copper brake shims or whatever they are that come with the brake pads.

They would not seat properly and the pads would be stuck fast when they were on. Before i ground down the carrier the pads fit on properly with them on, i cant figure out why they will not fit on!

The grinding has not added material to the carriers so i cant figure out why is it tighter!

Do i need to run them? I'm guessing i do but if i didnt what would happen?

Cheers

Chris

I'm a bit lost,here.

For a start,you dont grind brake carriers. They're under immense stress under braking,and can bend as standard,let alone once weakened.

A tap in the right place with a copper mallet can adjust the distance between the seats for the pads where those shims fit. Heat distortion from grinding has probably changed the distance between them,and if you've ground more than 1mm then quite frankly,I'd suggest you put them in the bin before you kill someone.

Maybe you should leave your brakes to someone who knows what they're doing.

It is a friend who is working on them with me, he works for a porsche tuning company, who work on successful race cars, so if he says it is fine ill believe him tbh!

Thank you for the advice though.

It gives me something to think about!

Chris

are you using 280mm disks with 239mm vented calipers and spacers. if so, the 239mm vented disks are 20mm thick and I think the 280mm ones are either 22 or 24mm (could be wrong though).

are you using 280mm disks with 239mm vented calipers and spacers. if so, the 239mm vented disks are 20mm thick and I think the 280mm ones are either 22 or 24mm (could be wrong though).

Yeah they are 22mm thick, i bought them off rally design and was told that they were 280 by 20, i was like sorted!

When it came to putting it all together obviously they caught.

I ground the pads down a mil each side to no avail, not thinking that the width would mean they wouldnt clear the carriers.

So had to find a way to make them fit!

Rally design annoyed me telling me that the sizes were different, (of course it was me being a bit of an amateur with vw's) and i was also told that they were from a golf vr6, i only realised that they were infact corrado g60 ones when i realsied that all golfs are 5 stud with the vr6!

So this friend who works for what - a Porsche racing team - chose to grind metal from the carriers instead of shaving just 1mm of friction material from each pad..?

Yeah they are 22mm thick, i bought them off rally design and was told that they were 280 by 20, i was like sorted!

I ground the pads down a mil each side to no avail, not thinking that the width would mean they wouldnt clear the carriers.

So had to find a way to make them fit!

Rally design annoyed me telling me that the sizes were different, (of course it was me being a bit of an amateur with vw's) and i was also told that they were from a golf vr6, i only realised that they were infact corrado g60 ones when i realsied that all golfs are 5 stud with the vr6!

I think that sums it up, if thats how i understand it

Greg

You sure have Greg!

If anyone wants to have a slag off please read what i have already done first!

If you have nothing useful to say then dont say it as it isnt helping my situation!

Chris

Just go and get the correct sized disks?

Lol You might have a point there,Tav - I'm not being difficult for no reason.

But for the clear fact that you're trimming various brake components,already mis-matched from a pick and mix selection,in order to get them to fit - and i genuinely question the safety of the result. I can see that it wouldnt matter how thin the pads are,as the disc is directly fouling the pad/caliper carrier. But the carrier was not made for the disc,and such modifications must be considered by someone who has such skills/knowledge of the subject as to not have needed to post this topic,and its question,in the first place. I cant guarantee an answer as I'm not the brake specialist i feel you need,but I'm pretty sure it'd involve the carrier being strengthened by welding in the correct places,before metal was removed in the required ones.