Ok.... I finally got around to getting the body computer software update .... Only been months! Lol. Anyway during the free health check Fiat have quoted me £185 for front brake pads. Obviously I'm not paying this ? . Quick question is there anything particularly special about the front brakes or are they as easy to change as any other???

quotethepigeon said:

Ok.... I finally got around to getting the body computer software update .... Only been months! Lol. Anyway during the free health check Fiat have quoted me £185 for front brake pads. Obviously I'm not paying this ? . Quick question is there anything particularly special about the front brakes or are they as easy to change as any other???

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Yes, they are just as easy as any other car. If its just pads they are replacing the whole job wouldn't take much beyond 30 mins. Euro's list some for 40.99 (Pagid). If you are able to change them yourself it would be a massive saving.

Warnng,this may apply
I've just replaced pads and discs on a 2012 Panda 1.2 petrol. Typical Fiat Teves poor design. The inner pad is held in place by a spring clip which goes into the piston,these are hard to source at a reasonable price unlike the conventional ones. So check your reg no. on a site like aceparts or autosessive who show diagrams. Bland assurances that "these will fit your model,sir" should be taken with a pince of salt.
Also the brake carrier assembly is held on the stub by two Torx (star) bolts, lord knows why. You need a female E16 size socket, the first came loose wit a conventional socket but the second started to round off so I bought the proper job as a rounded off bolt head there is not easy to remove.

Just done the front pads on one of ours, it's fairly simple if you've done pads before.

No special tools needed, just a couple of bolts behind some rubber/plastic bolt covers around the back of the calipers.
They are allen key headed (8mm me thinks)

I've used Pagid on cars for years, good quality German brand.
If you buy in the next 7 days, use discount code SALE56, brings them down to £32.61

No worries with the clips on the back of the inner pads, they come fitted.

Goudrons said:

Just done the front pads on one of ours, it's fairly simple if you've done pads before.

No special tools needed, just a couple of bolts behind some rubber/plastic bolt covers around the back of the calipers.
They are allen key headed (8mm me thinks)

I've used Pagid on cars for years, good quality German brand.
If you buy in the next 7 days, use discount code SALE56, brings them down to £32.61

No worries with the clips on the back of the inner pads, they come fitted.

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Hi Pagid are not German. They are high quality Scottish pads made by TMD Friction in Hurlford by Kilmarnock, formally Eurofriction. German isn't always best you know.

TMD Friction is part of a Japanese holding company and has bought many brake brands, Mintex, Pagid, Textar and many others.

I was under the impression that Mintex was a Scottish company they bought and I believe that is the "Scottishness" that is referred to.

Pagid is a German company as is TMD Friction themselves.
They are actually based in Leverkusen and have a factory there, I've seen it.

Pagid parts have always been advertised as German or German engineered and have been OE equipment to many German car brands for years.
http://pagid.com/installers/why-pagid/

I am sure their will be an amount of cross site manufacturing, but then again, a Honda Civic isn't English even thought it's built there!

Goudrons said:

TMD Friction is part of a Japanese holding company and has bought many brake brands, Mintex, Pagid, Textar and many others.

I was under the impression that Mintex was a Scottish company they bought and I believe that is the "Scottishness" that is referred to.

Pagid is a German company as is TMD Friction themselves.
They are actually based in Leverkusen and have a factory there, I've seen it.

Pagid parts have always been advertised as German or German engineered and have been OE equipment to many German car brands for years.
http://pagid.com/installers/why-pagid/

I am sure their will be an amount of cross site manufacturing, but then again, a Honda Civic isn't English even thought it's built there!

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Hi.
You're not alone with the misconception about parts in the automotive industry. Eurofriction did about everyone's OEM pads and shoes, under many famous names, they got swallowed up and then all we heard about was German quality. The factory is no different to what it was bar some updates. All the pads i use come from Hurlford via a local outlet, sometimes Mintex, Pagid and other famous makes.
No German influence in production or materials, in fact it was the UK that trained factories elsewhere.
How do i know, a close friend was one of the original directors.

Hi.
Just as an aside. Many people think that if it's German it has to be good or they designed it.
This is really so far from the truth it can be laughable.
Go back before WW2, BMW's first car was not their design it was the Austin 7 built under license and called the BMW Dixi.
The VW type 2 transporter was designed by a REME man from the British army and it was us that put VW on the map.
The Germans also are credited with the design on the 625 line TV system, more recently it has been found out they stole it from the Russians!!!!
The new mini too was not a full BMW design in the first instance it was purely Rover, see: http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/cars/mini-bmw/mini-2/the-cars-mini-development-history/

I really wish we had more faith in ourselves, we can do as much as the Germans and better too. Look at 12 year old BMW 320, VW Golfs and other German cars and the rust on wings and arches, even Fiat's are in better nick.
Anyway rant over, I do wish we were not so negative about our skills.

I failed to make myself clear obviously,yes the clips are integral with the pads but you have to be sure your model is one that uses this type of pad because the usual ones supplied are entirely different, no clips and different lugs. Hence the need to check your actual reg no., just "a 2012 panda petrol 169" will show up as the wrong type on most suppliers lists.
I have seen no previous mention on here of either this clip type or indeed the E16 Torx spanner needed for the disk removal without problems.
Only trying to be helpful.

pipmk said:

just "a 2012 panda petrol 169" will show up as the wrong type on most suppliers lists.

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Perhaps this is where the problem is.

169 is the older Panda, made between 2003 and 2011 (but I guess some of the last ones could have been registered in 2012)

312/319 are the latest Panda's (and what this part of the forum discusses) made from late 2011 onwards. (sold from 2012)

If I remember correctly, they have different calipers and pads.

This is getting silly. Of the first three pad suppliers on google,eurocarparts, micks garage, mister auto, none show the pads with the integral spring attachment either for a 2010 Panda or a 2012 Panda. It therefore does not seem to be model year specific but individual car specific.

All I am advising is check your reg. prior to ordering. Is that bad advice,is it difficult?

pipmk said:

All I am advising is check your reg. prior to ordering. Is that bad advice,is it difficult?

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Common sense, not difficult.
I put in my REG number and three different pads and discs have come up between sites, so even REG numbers can be a bit iffy.
Best Idea is a few pictures and then go into the local motor factors and match them up that way.