New rear brake discs for my Aero estate, and handbrake shoes

[mikeloadsasaabs]

I need to dismantle the rear brakes to replace the handbrake shoes on my 9-5. The handbrake is dreadful and no amount of adjusting will improve it. While I have everything in pieces, I am minded to replace the rear discs and pads. Last time I looked, the discs had a lip that was surprising given the 50,000 miles use they have had. Also the brake pads were more than half worn. It's possible that they are slightly sticky so I might look at a minor refurb of the rear calipers. Anyway, my question of the assembled minds  is whether to go with TRW or ATE discs - I can get the former for around €86 and the latter for €110. IIRC ATE are a reputable make, being OEM suppliers to Saab on some models. I shall of course get some genuine Saab pads.

I already have the handbrake shoes. I'm assuming it's a simple enough job to replace them? Last time I replaced the disc & pads I was planning to do the job but ran out of time. Living in the middle of the countryside, and only having one car now, means that I have to be very wary about jobs that can either take a long time, or are likely to go belly up! 

[Petemate]

I have no experience of TRW parts, but I did replace all discs and pads with ATE items on our previous 9-3 Sportwagon. The total cost including VAT from C R Marks was only about £150. The performance of these parts was excellent and for example the mileage covered by the rears, up to the time I traded the car in, by far exceeded that of the previous genuine ones I had fitted not long after purchasing the car. I cannot see, without dismantling, if the current car has genuine parts or not but they will be replaced within the next few months. At present there is an annoying low pitched squeal, when crawling along in D, each time I release the brake pedal. I reckon there is possibly a bit of glaze on the pads. We will see what happens when I fit the new ones. ( I realise this may be a 'feature' of the auto vehicles)
HTH
Pete

[mikeloadsasaabs]

My choices are limited, living as I do in Austria. Back in 2010, when I bought the last set of rear discs & pads, I bought them in the UK, had them delivered to my parents, then collected them on one of my visits. Unfortunately my "MOT" is due next month and it only scraped through on the handbrake last year. I'm minded to get the ATE discs but I'll speak to my local friendly motor factors first, they can usually do a deal when I complain that whatever it is I'm buying is cheaper in the UK 

FWIW, my front pads have phases of squealing, but on application, not on releasing the brake pedal. But I have Brembo discs with DS2500 pads on the front, and I think it's caused by lots of light braking around town, they need a good heavy application now & then.

[Petemate]

Cheers Mike - next time I'm out, I'll do a hard stop or two out in the open with no one behind and see if that wipes off the glaze which I suspect is on there. I will report back.....
Pete

[steventon95]

Just don't do it on the A34, there's always somebody behind .... 

[Petemate]

Just don't do it on the A34, there's always somebody behind .... 

LOL! I was thinking more along the lines of up from our place on the stretch of road where it is closed off for repairs due to the subsidence. Not much traffic up there ATM. Pic shows a bit of the stretch, and there is a piece of road long enough for brake testing between the top of Bagley Wood Road and the damage site.
Pete

[phoenix]

I'm assuming it's a simple enough job to replace them?

Not too bad, but I found I had to wind the adjusters in all the way on the drums to enable the discs to come off.

Daft question maybe... you have attended to both sets of adjusters (in the drums and the cable) before deciding the handbrake is past it?

[mikeloadsasaabs]

Daft question maybe... you have attended to both sets of adjusters (in the drums and the cable) before deciding the handbrake is past it?

Oh yes, countless times. I Spent ages fiddling for the last "MOT". Tightened the cables right up, which caused some binding, so I had to stop round the corner from the garage after it had passed to release them! At 197,000 miles and 10 years I suppose I can't grumble. The exhaust is original too.

[TomPaine]

9-5 handbrake is such a weak link. Mine generally works fine for about a fortnight after being adjusted / sorted. Luckily it's mostly parked on the flat, in which case I don't even bother to apply it. (I don't imagine that's so easily done in Austria!)

[mikeloadsasaabs]

9-5 handbrake is such a weak link. Mine generally works fine for about a fortnight after being adjusted / sorted. Luckily it's mostly parked on the flat, in which case I don't even bother to apply it. (I don't imagine that's so easily done in Austria!)

Luckily our drive is pretty flat, we're not up in the high mountains. Being an auto however, even a small gradient means it doesn't hold properly if it's left in D. It even creeps sometimes with no gradient!! Irrespective of that, I need to sort it for the next "MOT". I think I've decided to forget the discs but put new pads on, the discs will last another 50,000/3 years and it's unlikely, although not beyond the realms of possibility, that we'll still have the car then. I'm keen to keep it safe but not throw money at it.

[TomPaine]

Being an auto however, even a small gradient means it doesn't hold properly if it's left in D.

Try leaving it in P Mike!