Having done a brake rebuild on my youngest boy's wife's Jazz towards the end of the summer, I found this video highly entertaining and just a little scary:



The Jazz had one rear caliper which wouldn't wind back to accept new pads and only about 50% of the discs surfaces were serviceable. (the usual rear disc problem of rusty pitted surface) On the front it had a semi seized caliper on the N/S but the discs were actually very serviceable with pads about half worn. Compared with this video though they were A1!

With funds being limited I fitted 2 new rear discs and a set of pads. I fitted a service exchange caliper in place of the seized one and, although it seems to be fine at this time, I'll be keeping a close eye on the one I didn't renew. On the front I renewed the "stiff" caliper and thoroughly cleaned up the other caliper, discs and pads. I'm guessing it may need pads - maybe discs too? - at it's next service (summer 2020).

Had unlimited funds been available I would have preferred to fit new calipers all round but, as an interim measure, the decision I took was vindicated by it's recent MOT results which showed very good braking figures. In fact this car has had a poor handbrake for some time. Now the pads have seated in it holds brilliantly on the steep hill where it often has to park for the working day. (I'll still be advising her to turn the front wheels in to the kerb on this hill though). Of course I'll be looking very carefully at those two old calipers every time I'm working on the car

Any disc with a neat shiny line around the middle is always highly suspect. The state of the disc is criminal. There is no way that just happened and I'd say the mechanic is generous for aging that damage to 6 months.

I had a workmate who NEVER went over 40 mph ever - even on duals and motorways. He got really upset when his seven years old tyres and brakes were condemned. The tyres had cracked side walls. His brakes were rusted up. Had it not been for MOTs he would have just kept going regardless.

I knew it was going to be good when I saw it was a Golf on Vanti tyres and the cheapest possible wheels in terrible condition.

You have to wonder if that car has ever had rear brakes done, I’d imagine the rear pad was missing as it had worn away and dropped out.