I’ve got a 2006 NC, I’ve had some problems with a binding NSF calliper and wanted to get peoples take on it.
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9th Oct 23 - Front brake pads and discs replaced due to being low
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8th March 24 - Took to another garage for juddering. Was told to it was a stuck calliper that they freed off and that it needed new pads and discs. Told that calliper did not need replacing. (£205.20)
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16th Match 24 - Service with second garage. No problems (£231.99)
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5th April - Back into the second garage with the same problem. Was told that calliper is sticking and that needs replacing as well as replacement pads and discs (£380.00)
Do you think I should be asking for a discount as the problem was not originally sorted on the 8th March visit or is it just bad luck and something the mechanic couldn’t have fully diagnosed on that visit?
The juddering happened to me a couple of years ago and it was the slider pins in the callipers that were sticking.
These were replaced and cured the problem.
Slider pins are peanuts and would very likely have fixed your issue to begin with or at least seen it off for some time.
Tough one really, if the caliper issue has been what’s killed your discs and pads you could complain, but it’s not like they told you to replace something and it wasn’t needed, quite the opposite. But I’d be annoyed about having to keep replacing the discs and pads, and wondering why it’s necessary. Probably vote with my wallet.
Why would they say do those again without first trying the new caliper or pins? If the brakes then work but judder I can understand swapping them out… If the judder is gone you’ve saved wasting more money.
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I’d go along with checking the slide pins, you don’t say if these were checked during the process at either garage? As a matter of course when the brakes are dismantled any decent garage should surely have check of those for operation and give them a lube.
That all sucks… yes you should be p@ssed off, but probably wont get anywhere with it.
Brakes really arent that hard and I would suggest investing in some basic tools to be able to do it yourself.
Brake pads and disc are easy to do, here is my video.
The easy way to fix your caliper is a new aftermarket one for about £40, or change both for about £80. If one has gone I would do both. A caliper change is just 2 bolts each side and bleeding the brakes.
If you want the cheaper option, then it is probably just the pins/sliders that are getting stuck. Here is another video. You wont need to do the pistons, so just the pins.
Front left caliper
Front Right
Pin rebuild kit is here:
For Mazda MX-5 Front Left Right Brake Caliper Slider Bolt Pin Kit 2005-2016 H142 | eBay
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That’s who I used, bigredd. 35 quid for all four sets with grease. New shims etc from brakes International for small monies. Brakes are spot on now on a car that had been sat for some time prior to me getting it.
From my experience, if a sticky brake caliper on an MX-5 is severe enough to cause juddering then it’s more often than not a caliper issue rather than the slider pins.
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