MOT failure brakes and sills

[Adi82]

Car just failed on inner offside sill excesive corrosion and rear nearside park brake low efford 14% and rear nearside foot brake low 48%

I know there has been a few posts about sill replacements and I think i'm going to have to bite the bullet and get both inner and outer sills, rear arches, maybe engine bay and possibly a complete respray to tidy it all up. I'm looking for a really good bodyshop to do the work and don't mind travelling for it. I'm currently located in Woking. Have had a few quotes in the Oxford area around the £3K mark.

Can anyone recommend me a good bodyshop who has worked on their car and done a good job of replacing arches and sills.

Secondly anyone any ideas on the brake issue. I knew the handbrake wasn't pulling up to well on that side but had no idea the foot brake was bad as well. The caliper pads and discs are new so does it sound like a bad caliper?

Any help appreciated, Thanks

[northy]

did you not resolve the handbrake issue then as my guide will 100% fix your handbrake!!!!!!!

Is your caliper free to slide on the carrier (not siezed)
Is your piston free to wind in and out (not seized)
are your handbrake cables the same length
can you bleed both rear calipers and does brake fluid pour out freely?

If all these answer yes - there is no reason why your rear brakes will not work.


And £3K to fix your body work ????? DONT U MEAN £300?

[Adi82]

Hi Northy,

I did everything you suggested and it still hasn't worked. The caliper slide freely and the piston wound back in freely so it has really got me puzzled. Only thing on the handbrake side I can think of is the difference in the lever arms between the LH and RH caliper. I think the cable is tighter on the RHS for this reason. Why the foot brake is not good enough again I really don't know.

I'm going to try bleeding the brakes and re-setting it all again this weekend, don't remember having a problem bleeding them when I fitted the both though.

£3000 was the qoute I got from a bodyshop in Oxford but it was for a lot of work. Including new panels, de-rust, new stickers, new trim and re-spray. I thought it was a good qoute for the amount of work being done.

[Coops]

i'd expect little change from 3k for a full respray to a good standard

[northy]

Hi Northy,

I did everything you suggested and it still hasn't worked. The caliper slide freely and the piston wound back in freely so it has really got me puzzled. Only thing on the handbrake side I can think of is the difference in the lever arms between the LH and RH caliper. I think the cable is tighter on the RHS for this reason. Why the foot brake is not good enough again I really don't know.



can you take a clear picture of the calipers for me - both sides and the adjuster.

Pictures of handbrake on and off

I will help you the best as can as something must not be right AS MY GUIDE DOES WORK!

[Adi82]

Will get photos as soon as I can although will probably be the weekend.

I don't doubt your method Northy there is something else wrong somewhere, just need to find what it is and fix it.

One thing I am worried about is I have replaced the bias adjuster with a new part from Renault and made up new brake lines from the adjuster to the caliper. There is no kinks in the pipe so I really can't see that casuing any problems. Could it be the Master Cylinder? I wouldn't have thought so though as the front brake are rear drivers side are all fine.

[northy]

no, im sure its down to adjustment now.

[MAXIBOY]

could be a faulty bias valve

[5_turbo]

were about you live mate u cn patch the sill up for now an ill sort the m.o.t for you :wink:

[Adi82]

I've been putting the bodywork off since I've owned the car so I think its finally time to get it all sorted. Either that or re-shell it.

Based in Woking

[Tommy]

totally off topic but cant say i have seen you about Adi! .. im around woking alot and live in guildford.

[5_turbo]

upto you mate im in brum if you wnt a new ticket on her

[Adi82]

Probably wont see me about as the car spends most of its life in the garage only coming out for the odd trackday here and there.

I was intending to do more next year so I might well take you up on the offer 5_turbo