Britpart calipers

[Off Road Toad]

Baaaaaaaa !

I remain staunchly anti Britpart in the light of my own experiences with the poor quality parts that they try and pass off as good quality parts.

I won't use them nor recommend them to anyone, particularly important parts like brakes.

If that makes me a sheep humbled in the glow of your superiority Mr Toad, then so be it.

At least it won't be on my conscience.

Mo

No need to be arsey mate, i don't need speaking to like that so please don't. The OP was asking for actual experiences and that's what he got, your experience may be different - fair enough. Not everyone has the budget to buy brand new OEM parts.

So do you recommend taking a chance on second hand stuff of unknown source/age etc or brand new warranted parts from an aftermarket supplier in the case of someone with low funds but a need to repair/replace? I'm amazed how many people actually will fit second hand tut they've bought from old sodbury etc that are safety critical items of unknown history! Even Britpart have to meet a minimum safety standard with things like calipers, if they are as unreliable and dangerous as you suggest then surely there'd be plenty of law suits on the go and i don't think there are. I think sometimes it is justifiable to warn of inferior parts, but a blanket 'everything they do is ****' is not true. I don't have any connection with them before anyone points it out either. I have been on the blunt end of flaming companies on here (when i worked for a certain drive train company) and alot of what gets said is untrue and its very unpleasant and in some cases maybe not even legal!

Steve

[landroversforever]

I have personally had Britpart rubbish before and avoid it now, the only exception being their swivel balls. Now why would I trust them to make a safety critical part that I have to rely on such as my brakes?!

Decent branded brake calipers are really not that expensive. Last lockheed one I bought was I think around the £70 mark. I really wouldn't feel comfortable relying on a Britpart caliper let alone risking loved ones.

Never understood why people like to cut corners on safety stuff like brakes and then spend money on accessories etc.

As others have said though, why not rebuild the current ones with new (genuine) seals and stainless pistons and they will go on for a long time

[CwazyWabbit]

Ross do you not count swivel balls as safety critical? They are after all holding your front wheels on

I'm staying out of the caliper debate as I haven't seen a BritPart one.

[landroversforever]

That is a fair point, but they were the only option at the time! At least if they break I stop quickly?

[tweetyduck]

My old calipers were in a shocking state and one piston was inoperable well before i noticed. They were corroded and falling to pieces really and I'm amazed they worked at all and didn't tiddle fluid out all the time.

Don't Britpart source from all sorts of places so they could indeed be from a very good supplier. They have no writing on them but have been OK apart from a sticking piston which I cleaned with brake cleaner and it was fine after that. I did cook my hub though. As I say in my opinion the bigger lumps, like swivels as good in my opinion. I paid £41 for the rears and £56 for the fronts maybe three years ago from Mailorder4x4.

As for the "other peoples experience" comment. I've always told people to buy genuine and not Britpart even though I certainly do not have enough experience of their parts. I maybe bought less than 1% of their range. Now how can that be justification for the 'paranoia', as one person put it. You pays for what you gets, cheap parts are cheap because they skimp on QA and manufacturing so expecting as britpart to be as good as OEM (even though britpart sell the good OEM stuff) is fantasy.

I think their reputation will exist for ever and no amount of quality in their parts will ever make people change their minds. Personally I usually buy OEM or the G parts off them and have no issues (yet) . They are still Britparts arn't they?

How many times does this get discussed.....!

[mikec]

How many times does this get discussed.....!

Exactly, which is why I'm looking for opinions of those who have used them, not general britpart opinions.

I'm going for them will see how they go and give a write up on here, when ive used them, found out since the post that a new set off rear discs are included in the 60 quid too.

Cheers guys

[mikec]

I have personally had Britpart rubbish before and avoid it now, the only exception being their swivel balls. Now why would I trust them to make a safety critical part that I have to rely on such as my brakes?!

Decent branded brake calipers are really not that expensive. Last lockheed one I bought was I think around the £70 mark. I really wouldn't feel comfortable relying on a Britpart caliper let alone risking loved ones.

Never understood why people like to cut corners on safety stuff like brakes and then spend money on accessories etc.

As others have said though, why not rebuild the current ones with new (genuine) seals and stainless pistons and they will go on for a long time

Don't take this the wrong way mate but your completely contradicting yourself in that post.

[Mo Murphy]

Steve Toad, it doesn't bother me who you use or buy, that's your choice. Lumping everyone else who has an opinion different to yours as sheep, does. Just seems rather narrow and arrogant, don't you think ?

Mo

[Off Road Toad]

Steve Toad, it doesn't bother me who you use or buy, that's your choice. Lumping everyone else who has an opinion different to yours as sheep, does. Just seems rather narrow and arrogant, don't you think ?

Mo

No i don't think that! All i said was (basically), i'm going against the general flow of opinion on this particular subject. Plenty of folks on here slag off Britpart because everyone else does. Its like a broken record. I don't think here is the place to whine at me if you've a problem with me, seems a little off topic? It looks to me like the few people on this thread who've suggested Britpart calipers are ok to use are getting grief for it! is that not narrow minded and arrogant?

Steve

[Mo Murphy]

Far from whining, Mr Toad, far from whining. Lets go to pm if you still think everyone else with an opinion different to yours is a sheep.

PS I can't find any grief on the thread. :confused:

Mo

[Landowner]

Cheers guys, that's what I was after some actual experiences of their calipers.

I put a full set of Britpart calipers and discs on my 300 tdi five months ago and they have been perfect in every way, they even still look pretty good. No leaks and brakes brilliant.

Was a little apprehensive but they've been fine so far

[Off Road Toad]

Far from whining, Mr Toad, far from whining. Lets go to pm if you still think everyone else with an opinion different to yours is a sheep.

PS I can't find any grief on the thread. :confused:

Mo

PM sent, i'm more than a little peeved over this now.

[western]

OK, lets STOP the slanging match, Everyone is entitled to add their opinions/experience with components from ANY makers, as I said earlier I am very doubtful Britpart actually manufacture most of their stock, more likely they buy in bulk & box the items in their own boxes just as LR do with many parts.

Lets please concentrate or giving the OP decent info, this forum is for technical info/experiences not for having a go at each other.

end of.

[Frax]

Well said - this has went well off topic now.

[Quagmire]

I think perhaps any future threads of this ilk need to be strictly moderated to only provide users real experiences of a specific part. Any generic "manufacturer x's parts are are made of cheese" posts should be removed...

That way we might end up with some useful threads on what parts are good alternatives to genuine, and which ones are actually a false economy.

[andy2986]

Hiya,

I fitted a full set (front and rear) of Britpart callipers and discs to my Disco about 5 years ago, I got them from Island 4x4.

I wasn't aware then of the Britpart 'thing'.

They have been spot on, they still look OK the pistons and seals are still in good nick.

They were on my old tuned V8, it used to eat rear pads when off road so I was always inspecting them when changing the pads.

Andy

[Maverik]

And my tuppenth...

I've had 2 leaky calipers that were brit part, piston seal went in both cases within 6 months of installation - I've got a pile of them on my shelf. I think I have 2 fronts on the 90 just now and they have done about 10k miles without any issues. Not had any problems with britpart discs, but also use other random makes too and never had any issues.

What I did with the last 2 from one of my discovery's I got exchange Delphi units from my local Autoparts place, a little more than britpart, a fair chunk less than genuine... more than happy with the Delphi units.

Any other units I'll be going the Delphi exchange route again.

Mav

[CwazyWabbit]

And my tuppenth...

I've had 2 leaky calipers that were brit part, piston seal went in both cases within 6 months of installation - I've got a pile of them on my shelf. I think I have 2 fronts on the 90 just now and they have done about 10k miles without any issues. Not had any problems with britpart discs, but also use other random makes too and never had any issues.

What I did with the last 2 from one of my discovery's I got exchange Delphi units from my local Autoparts place, a little more than britpart, a fair chunk less than genuine... more than happy with the Delphi units.

Any other units I'll be going the Delphi exchange route again.

Mav

Would you say this was a poor quality seal that caused the failure or a poor finish to the piston?

The Delphi exchange route you mention, I've not heard of this have you more details?

[reb78]

If anyone wants them, i have a set of 110 calipers in the garage that are clean and stipped - i.e. no pistons or seals, but they are good for a re-build. I did my original set with Zeus pistons and seals for about £60.

[Hybrid_From_Hell]

I am not a Lover of Britpart at all.

Whereever possible I try to steer as far away from their stuff as I can, I have had numerous poor qulaity issues.

Brakes ? - I would struggle to bring myself to risk my neck and others on a caliper plopped on the counter in a Britpart box, I would

prob squeal like a piggy and run away......

However, as has been said Britpart use a range of manufactuers and suppliers, IF i had to, and IF I had no choice then I would open

the box and see if there is a makers name, lockheed Delphi etc. If nobody wnated to own up to making it no way would I fit it.

There is a chance they could be OK.... but I would look hard and long ..............

re Genuine, well LR don't make them either They will be branded tho, so buy branded at a fraction of the money

I trust Britpart about as much as asking Peter Sutcliffe to pop round to put some pictures up on my walls with his hammer

Nige

[zoltan]

I don't know where you are Mike, but if you want the offer to come down to my workshop and test all the calipers on our pressure test rig, the offer is there. Based south of Ashford in Kent. You'll probably tell me you are 300 miles away!

Look at it as £60 for four pairs of serviceable castings!

[UdderlyOffroad]

Zoltan,

What would you be testing on the rig? Do you somehow restrain the pistons to prevent them popping out and take up to above max working pressure, hold at pressure and look for leaks?

Incidentally what test pressure would you use on brakes?

[zoltan]

It is a simple rig to test for leaks. Pressure gauge graduated to 5000 psi (depending what test you want to perform) and a series of sized blocks to go between the pistons.

We manufacture calipers so we're always testing the same range of items, nothing goes out without having been tested.

Normally test calipers to 1500psi but I've mostly seen leaks in calipers at almost zero pressure since the seals energise when pressurised so that can mask problems. At very low pressures scored pistons and damaged seals generally show up

[ejparrott]

That's a fascinating thing to know, as someone who does pressure testing on a variety of things on a fairly frequent basis.

[Part1cle]

If anyone wants them, i have a set of 110 calipers in the garage that are clean and stipped - i.e. no pistons or seals, but they are good for a re-build. I did my original set with Zeus pistons and seals for about £60.

Hi Reb,

If you still have them are the calipers for solid or ventilated discs?

Cheers, Henry.