WHEN we think about Land Rover brake components needing replacement, our minds tend to picture worn-out pads, and sometimes discs, from thousands of miles stopping the vehicle from all sorts of speeds. And for the most part, it is mileage that finishes off the consumable parts in the braking system. But, as you’ll see in this guide, time can be just as unkind to brakes as hard miles, and rectification work is needed to keep the brakes strong and performing consistently.
Because the brakes are positioned where they are – on the ends of the axles – they are subjected to grit, muck and salt on the road, and mud and water off it. All these corrosive substances land on the often-hot brakes, baking on and promoting rust. The cycle continues, with layers of damaging crud eating away at the surfaces of the brake calipers and discs, as well as degrading the rubber flexible brake lines and steel pipes that deliver the hydraulic pressure that squeezes the brake pads onto the spinning discs.
These issues might not be apparent until it’s MoT time, or when you need to carry out other maintenance that involves removing the caliper or hub, for example. As well as rusty bolts, the pipe unions and ferrules (or the metal brake pipes themselves) can turn to dust at the sight of a spanner, and the bleed nipples may well be seized solid in their calipers.
With so much aftermarket support and parts available at very reasonable prices, a full brake overhaul needn’t cost the earth, and that’s what we’re doing today.
Front end first
Raise the Land Rover and support it on rated stands beneath the axle, ensuring the handbrake is on and the wheels are chocked. Loosen and undo the
