Hey guys, I was checking the brake pads on my wife's 2010 MC (~41K miles) while putting on the summer rims. I first checked the passenger side which had ~4 mm left. When I checked the driver's side, I was surprised to see only ~2 mm left.

Obviously, they need to be replaced right away, but I was wondering if I should be concerned about the uneven wear--does this suggest that there's a problem? Or is this uneveness within "normal range"?

Thanks very much!

 

Mini's use computer controls to activate the left/right side brakes individually to argument stability and on some cars to reduce tourqe steer...
Pads wear, inner to outer pads should be similar on the same caliper....
But from side to side, front to back, pad wear can be DRAMATICLY different due to driving styles.....

 

Cool, thank you very much!

 

Hmmm, after 32k miles only my rear pads need replacing...

 

Actually VERY common on cars with DSC/stability control.....
Mine did about 40,000 on a gen1....about 2x the wear rate of the fronts....

 

Great info. Thank you!

 

Hey guys, at the risk of hijacking my own thread, may I ask a couple of other related questions?

-- I've been looking for a "definitive" DIY for an R56 front brake replacement, but this is proving to be more difficult to find than I thought... Do you have any links to good DIYs (preferably including pics and details)

-- Do you typically change rotors with the pads? (It seems like this is commonly recommended for BMWs, but I haven't seen anyone comment about this for MINIs...) Should I just keep the rotors if the surface appears to be in good shape?

-- I've read something about needing special tool to to depress and turn the piston... Is that right? I can't just use a C-clamp?

Thanks! As this is my first MINI brake job, any other tips and tricks are welcome!

 

Not sure about a definitive DIY but it's not a difficult job. The fronts are fairly simple. Some allen bolts holding the caliper to the bracket and pull it off. Out come the pads. Depress the piston. Bolt back together.

You can't just look at the rotors. You have to measure them and figure out the width in mm then compare it to the minimum stamped on the rotor or in the Bentley manual. If you're not yet at the minimum you'll have to guess if you'll wear through the rotor before the pads are done. If yes then replace the rotors with the pads. If you're unsure you can just replace everything. It certainly doesn't hurt.

The special tool is only for the rears. For the fronts you can just use a c-clamp.

Mini brakes aren't any different than other brakes on german cars so you should be all good. Any questions you can just ask on the forums.

 

Thanks for the quick reply... really appreciate it!

Do you happen to know what the typical life is for an OEM rotor? Or does anyone know what the original and minimum widths are of an OEM rotor?

Thx again.

 

Some quick googling showed 20.4mm as the minimum rotor thickness for the R56 S rotors. IDK what they are new but the JCWs are 22mm so I would think the R56S brakes are the same. At 41k miles it's probably due for rotors.

 

Cool. Thanks again.

 

If you want to do your own brakes, I would advise you to get a Haynes manual, review the brake section thoroughly, and watch several you tube videos on how to do it. The brakes can be a relatively easy and very satisfying replacement. However, they are very important, so you must have the proper tools, a cool head, and a good amount of time.
Before I did my brakes, I followed all these steps, and it went very well. I made sure I was well prepared, and had all the right tools.
Good luck.

 

Brakes are a great DIY job to master: fairly simple, very few tools required, saves you TONS of money again and again (some dealers charge $800+/gig), and is a skill that is 95% applicable to all cars you will ever own.

The best manual, be far, is Bentley:

You don't need any special tools, other than a basic metric socket set, jack, jack stands, torque wrench, and rubber surgical gloves (brake pad dust is ridiculously pervasive).

For retracting rear calipers (new pads are thicker, need more space), you will need a tool that both pushes the caliper back while it turns it. Something like this:

Hope this helps,
a

 

Thanks afadeev and son-of-mini for the additional comments!

Since we're chatting and all, I've been looking at various ways of getting the front of the car on jack stands, and I've seen a couple of approaches... Do you guys have a favorite way of doing this?

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-the-mini.html
Only I use a shorter 2x4 that leaves jacking points exposed, instead of the metal tubing that covers them. That way you can lower the jacking point of the car right onto the jack stands.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti..._Your_MINI.htm

See proper jack stand on pic 6 - flat top jack stands are the way to go.
DK13 and DK20 AC Hydraulics jack is fantastic. I've had my DK20 for 10+ years.

a

 

Thanks bro