I had to nip to Glasgow earlier today and upon arriving I noticed that there was a slight smell of warm brakes from the rear.

I collected the bits I'd gone for and in an effort to keep my speed down I ventured home whilst staying off the motorway. By the time I got home the smell of hot brakes was horrendous and there was smoke coming from the rear wheels.

I grabbed the hose pipe and gave the discs a soaking. I know it wasn't the greatest idea but I wanted to see which part of the discs was the hottest. The face of the disc that the pads touch didn't bubble that much but the bell of the discs where the handbrake shoes make contact with was bubbling ferociously.



When we were away in October and using the adaptive cruise control the rear right brake got hot whilst we were sitting in the average speed cameras on the M6. For the rest of our trip I avoided using the cruise control and we had no problems with any heat in the rear brakes at all.

I've been thinking about what could be causing the rear brakes to get hot only when using the cruise control and haven't really come up with a credible answer. I think most of this has started as I parked on a steep slope yesterday and used the handbrake for the first time in a few months.

In the hope of fixing it once and for all, I've ordered new handbrake cables (not looking forward to fitting these), new handbrake shoes, new discs, new pads, new brake flexi hoses, and a new wear sensor so I'll refurbish everything in one go. After giving it some thought I've ordered everything genuine Land Rover as it'll all fit and work properly with no fuss or messing around.

In some ways, it was a good time for it to break as JLR had a 30% discount code on the Land Rover Classic Parts website. I bought the handbrake cables from them and found some genuine bits on eBay. Total cost of everything was a little over £500, buying them at full price normally would have been a few quid shy of £900 so some decent Black Friday savings.

It's also due it's 6 month oil change despite only having done 4000 miles since the last one so I've got more FUCHS Titan oil arriving along with a genuine Land Rover oil filter. That's its 3rd oil change in the 18 months (10k miles) since I've owned it. One of the front parking sensors has started giving false alarms when it's been very wet so I've got one of them arriving, I also managed to find a deal on a High Beam Assist mirror with HomeLink on it from eBay so I've got a few things to keep me busy in the coming days.

The calipers were rebuilt around 12 months ago and last time I checked them after it got hot on the M6 they were both moving nice and freely so I'm hoping that's still the case!

For the first time in a long time I don't actually have a working car tonight! Thankfully, the reason I was in Glasgow was to collect parts for my other car so I'll try and sort that tomorrow evening and then sort the Range Rover when all the parts I've ordered arrive.

Typical as well as I'd just decided on Saturday that I was going to hang on to this rather then changing it.

David. 2002 4.6 Vogue SE - Alveston Red with Lightstone Leather
2007 Range Rover Supercharged in Java Black with Ivory Leather
2012 Range Rover 5.0 SC Autobiography in Indus Silver with Jet/Ivory Interior
2012 Range Rover 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography in Baltic Blue with Sand Interior

David,

The fatty only uses just the rear brakes when on adaptive cruise control to reduce speed.

Apparently it stops the front dipping all the time..!!

It's why it sometimes askes the driver to take over when it thinks just the rear brakes won't be enough to stop hitting the vehicle in front..!!

Now, I can't say if it uses the brake disc calliper or the handbrake shoes but it's one or the other or both.. Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Thinking about it it's got to be the calliper on the discs. If I drive mine a lot on adaptive the rear wheels are covered in brake dust as much as the fronts.... Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

The calipers are nice and free though, it's really weird.

It's in the workshop on the ramp now so I'll strip the whole lot down over the next couple of days whilst I wait for parts to start arriving. 2002 4.6 Vogue SE - Alveston Red with Lightstone Leather
2007 Range Rover Supercharged in Java Black with Ivory Leather
2012 Range Rover 5.0 SC Autobiography in Indus Silver with Jet/Ivory Interior
2012 Range Rover 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography in Baltic Blue with Sand Interior

Maybe the handbrake is sticking slightly and the extra heat created from the rear braking with cruise isn't helping...!!!

Anyway I'm sure you will get it sorted....  Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Ordered handbrake cables from the JLR Classic Parts website on Monday afternoon and they’ve just been delivered by DHL.

The discs are due for delivery today too.

Handbrake shoes, rear pads and the wear sensors are due later this week.

Thinking about ordering the springs for the shoes from the local dealer as I forgot to order them from JLR.

David. 2002 4.6 Vogue SE - Alveston Red with Lightstone Leather
2007 Range Rover Supercharged in Java Black with Ivory Leather
2012 Range Rover 5.0 SC Autobiography in Indus Silver with Jet/Ivory Interior
2012 Range Rover 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography in Baltic Blue with Sand Interior

Maybe check the park brake shoes retaining pins are holding in the backplates properly if it has that setup . Older type pin washers can be fitted on the pins . Kits can be found on eBay and Amazon

Thanks for the pointer.

I’m going to strip everything, clean it all up and replace anything that’s worn with new.

The list of new bits so far includes:

Handbrake cables
Handbrake shoes
Shoe retaining springs
Rear Discs
Rear Pads
Rear Brake Flexi Hoses

I’m hoping the calipers are OK as they were cleaned and rebuilt last year but if there’s any doubt I’ll order those as well.

David. 2002 4.6 Vogue SE - Alveston Red with Lightstone Leather
2007 Range Rover Supercharged in Java Black with Ivory Leather
2012 Range Rover 5.0 SC Autobiography in Indus Silver with Jet/Ivory Interior
2012 Range Rover 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography in Baltic Blue with Sand Interior

Another trick is to partially fold a suitable size washer over the shoe retaining pin if the correct washer is not available. The retaining pin should be orientated to remain secure

Finally managed to get some time on the Range Rover this weekend after waiting for aaagggeeessss for my parts to arrive.

Everything was stripped down to the hubs, thankfully the backing plates on this car were in great shape with minimal surface rust on them. I didn't have time to brush them and paint them but I'm planning to do a lot of disassembly on this next summer to treat everything.

First up I replaced the handbrake cables. This was fiddly, particularly the NS one. The workshop manual says to drop the subframe to do this but I can confirm that this is doable without doing so. The new cables were a little easier to move then the old ones but the old ones weren't seized.

After that, the rear shoes were built back up with new springs, the adjusters were cleaned up and coated with copper slip to stop them seizing too. The rear discs went on and the handbrake was adjusted so the shoes were touching the discs and then backed off 8 clicks of the adjuster as per the manual. The handbrake was then actuated several times using the switch and with it on the rear wheels are solid, with it off they are nice and free with no binding.

I then cleaned the carriers and refitted them with new pads. When I then went to push the calipers back they took a lot more effort then I initially anticipated. I didn't really find anything for the heat to build up like it was, the handbrake I don't think was binding. As a result I've ordered a pair of calipers for it this morning.

I've also replaced both of the rear brake hoses from the hard lines to the calipers.

Once it's back together it'll have had:

2 new handbrake cables
2 new brake pipes
2 new rear calipers
new handbrake shoes
new discs
new pads
new brake pad wear sensor

I've also retrofitted the auto high beam assist interior mirror and I've ordered all of the bits to retrofit the car with TPMS.

There's a module that lives above the interior light, there's 4 initiators that live behind each wheel arch liner, 4 sensors for each of the wheels on the car and 1 sensor that goes in the spare wheel.

I know a lot of people will think I'm off my head adding TPMS, however, I've had a blowout in a NSR tyre in an L322 whilst towing a trailer with a car on it on the A1 before. It was on one of the narrow dual carriageway sections where the lorries were passing inches from the side of the Range Rover and trailer.

I then had to proceed to unhitch the trailer to change the wheel. It wasn't funny...

It turns out that we'd picked up a screw in the tyre and it had deflated to the point it blew out. There was no difference to the feeling of the car, the only reason we knew it had blown out was we could hear it.

With the addition of smart motorways and the fact that I often have my wife and 2 year old in the car with me on road trips these days I'd rather know if one of the tyres was deflating as at least then you have the opportunity to get off the motorway and either blow the tyre up or change the wheel.

The car is also getting it's 3rd oil change service since the timing chains were done 12 months ago whilst it's in the workshop.

David. 2002 4.6 Vogue SE - Alveston Red with Lightstone Leather
2007 Range Rover Supercharged in Java Black with Ivory Leather
2012 Range Rover 5.0 SC Autobiography in Indus Silver with Jet/Ivory Interior
2012 Range Rover 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography in Baltic Blue with Sand Interior

Quote:

I'd rather know if one of the tyres was deflating as at least then you have the opportunity to get off the motorway and either blow the tyre up or change the wheel.

Rear callipers went on my S/C, I think it's relatively common.

That lot should get you sorted.....  Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-