08/05/2018
When it comes to vehicle maintenance, few components are as critical as the braking system. It’s the primary safety feature, ensuring you can stop reliably and safely in all conditions. While many drivers are familiar with the concept of replacing brake components, the sheer variety of parts and the complexity of sourcing them individually can be daunting. This is where comprehensive brake kits come into their own, offering a streamlined, all-in-one solution that simplifies the process and guarantees compatibility. This article will delve into what you can expect to find within a typical Girling brake kit, particularly focusing on their popular drum brake offerings, designed for the discerning motorist and professional mechanic alike in the United Kingdom.
It’s important to clarify from the outset that the term 'brake kit' can encompass different types of braking systems. While some might immediately think of 'brake pad kits' for disc brakes, the Girling kits we're discussing here are specifically engineered for drum brakes. These systems, still prevalent on the rear axles of many vehicles, require a distinct set of components compared to their disc brake counterparts. Girling has meticulously curated these kits to ensure that when you purchase one, you receive everything necessary for a complete and effective drum brake replacement, eliminating the guesswork and the frustration of missing parts.
What Exactly Constitutes a Girling Brake Kit?
The beauty of a well-assembled brake kit lies in its completeness. Girling prides itself on providing 'all you need in one handy pack'. This means that instead of individually sourcing brake shoes, wheel cylinders, and other associated hardware, you get a meticulously assembled package designed to work seamlessly together. This not only saves valuable time but also ensures that every component is of the correct specification and quality, which is paramount for safety and performance.
For drum brake systems, the primary components that are subject to wear and require periodic replacement are the brake shoes and, less frequently but still critically, the wheel cylinders. Girling offers two main types of kits to cater to different needs and preferences:
- Brake Kits (with separate brake shoes): These kits are designed for a thorough replacement, providing the key individual components. Each pack contains separate brake shoes and wheel cylinders. The brake shoes are the friction material that presses against the inside of the brake drum to create the stopping force, while the wheel cylinders are the hydraulic actuators that push the shoes outwards. A crucial detail is that the wheel cylinders in these kits are equipped, where necessary, with integrated regulating valves. These valves play a vital role in balancing the hydraulic pressure between the front and rear brakes, preventing premature rear wheel lock-up during hard braking, thereby enhancing vehicle stability and safety.
- Expert Kits (with preassembled shoes): For those seeking maximum efficiency and ease of installation, the Expert Kits are the ideal choice. These packs feature preassembled shoes. This means that the brake shoes, along with their associated springs and levers (which would typically need to be assembled manually), come as a single, ready-to-install unit. This significantly reduces installation time and complexity, making the replacement process quicker and less prone to errors, particularly for professional mechanics or experienced DIY enthusiasts.
Both types of kits are meticulously engineered to meet stringent quality standards. Every variant is fully R90 compliant, a crucial certification that ensures the braking performance of replacement parts is equivalent to the original equipment (OE) components. This compliance is a testament to the quality and reliability you can expect from Girling products.
The Scope and Coverage: How Many Kits Do You Need?
The question 'How many brake kits are in a pack?' is often misunderstood. The answer is 'all you need in one handy pack' for a specific axle or two wheels, but the numbers provided – '167 Brake Kits (with separate brake shoes) and 228 Expert Kits (with preassembled shoes)' – refer to the extensive range of vehicle applications covered by Girling. These figures represent the sheer breadth of their product line, meaning Girling offers 167 different configurations of 'Brake Kits' and 228 different configurations of 'Expert Kits' to fit almost any vehicle on the road today, particularly within the European market. This vast coverage ensures that finding the correct kit for your specific make and model is highly probable, simplifying the parts procurement process considerably.
You won't find 167 kits in one physical pack; rather, you'll select *one* of these 167 or 228 distinct kits, each tailored to a particular vehicle application. Typically, one kit contains all the necessary components for servicing one axle (meaning both left and right wheels) of a vehicle, ensuring a balanced and complete replacement.
Why Choose a Complete Brake Kit?
Opting for a complete brake kit offers several compelling advantages over sourcing individual components:
- Guaranteed Compatibility: All components within a kit are designed to work together seamlessly, eliminating potential fitment issues or performance imbalances that can arise when mixing and matching parts from various manufacturers.
- Optimised Performance and Durability: Girling kits are engineered to optimise performance and durability in today's vehicle drum brakes. By using matched components, the entire system functions as intended, leading to consistent and reliable braking.
- Time and Cost Efficiency: Having all necessary parts in one pack streamlines the repair process, reducing the time spent identifying and ordering individual items. While the upfront cost of a kit might seem higher than a single component, it often proves more cost-effective in the long run by preventing multiple trips to the parts supplier and ensuring a complete job.
- Quality Assurance: With R90 compliance, you can be confident that the kit meets rigorous safety and performance standards. This removes the uncertainty associated with lesser-known or generic aftermarket parts.
- Reduced Risk of Error: Especially with Expert Kits featuring pre-assembled shoes, the risk of incorrect assembly is significantly reduced, which is crucial for safety-critical components like brakes.
The Anatomy of Drum Brake Components within the Kit
To further appreciate the value of these kits, let's briefly expand on the core components they provide:
Brake Shoes
Brake shoes are crescent-shaped components lined with friction material. When the brake pedal is pressed, the wheel cylinder pushes these shoes outwards, forcing the friction material against the inner surface of the rotating brake drum. This friction converts kinetic energy into heat, slowing the vehicle down. Over time, the friction material wears down, necessitating replacement. The quality of the friction material, its bonding to the shoe, and the overall structural integrity of the shoe are paramount for effective and quiet braking. Girling's commitment to R90 compliance ensures these shoes perform comparably to original equipment, providing reliable stopping power.
Wheel Cylinders
The wheel cylinder is a small, hydraulic component crucial to the drum brake's operation. When brake fluid pressure from the master cylinder reaches the wheel cylinder, internal pistons are forced outwards. These pistons then push the brake shoes against the drum. The integrity of the seals within the wheel cylinder is vital to prevent brake fluid leaks, which would compromise braking performance. As mentioned, Girling's wheel cylinders often come with integrated regulating valves. These sophisticated valves are designed to modulate the hydraulic pressure to the rear brakes, preventing them from locking up prematurely, especially during sudden stops. This attention to detail ensures superior control and stability, a key factor in modern vehicle safety.
Comparing Brake Kits vs. Expert Kits
Here’s a quick overview of the distinctions:
| Feature | Girling Brake Kits | Girling Expert Kits |
|---|---|---|
| Main Components | Separate brake shoes & wheel cylinders | Preassembled shoes & wheel cylinders |
| Assembly Required | Moderate (springs, levers to be fitted to shoes) | Minimal (shoes are pre-assembled) |
| Installation Time | Standard | Faster, more efficient |
| Target User | Professional mechanics, experienced DIYers | Anyone seeking maximum convenience and speed |
| R90 Compliance | Yes | Yes |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are these Girling kits suitable for disc brakes?
A: No, the Girling brake kits described are specifically designed for drum brake systems. While Girling does produce components for disc brakes, these particular kits containing brake shoes and wheel cylinders are for vehicles equipped with drum brakes, typically on the rear axle.
Q: Does one kit cover all four wheels of my car?
A: Typically, one brake kit is designed to service one axle of your vehicle, meaning it contains all the necessary components for both the left and right wheels on either the front or rear, depending on the application. For drum brake systems, this usually means the rear axle.
Q: What does R90 compliance mean for me?
A: R90 compliance (ECE Regulation 90) is an international standard that certifies that replacement brake components perform at least as well as the original equipment parts fitted by the vehicle manufacturer. For you, it means peace of mind, knowing that the brake kit you're installing meets strict safety and performance benchmarks, ensuring your vehicle's braking remains effective and reliable.
Q: What's the main advantage of choosing an Expert Kit over a standard Brake Kit?
A: The primary advantage of an Expert Kit is the time-saving convenience offered by the pre-assembled brake shoes. All the intricate springs, levers, and clips that typically need to be fitted to the shoes are already in place, significantly speeding up the installation process and reducing the chance of incorrect assembly.
Q: Can I install these brake kits myself, or should I go to a professional?
A: While brake kits are designed to simplify the replacement process, working on brakes requires a good understanding of automotive mechanics and safety procedures. If you are not confident in your abilities, or lack the proper tools and experience, it is always recommended to have brake replacement carried out by a qualified professional mechanic. Brakes are a critical safety system, and errors can have serious consequences.
In conclusion, a comprehensive brake kit, particularly those offered by reputable manufacturers like Girling, is an invaluable asset for maintaining your vehicle's safety and performance. By providing 'all you need in one handy pack', these kits simplify the often-complex task of brake replacement, ensuring that every component is compatible, high-quality, and R90 compliant. Whether you opt for the standard Brake Kits or the efficiency-focused Expert Kits, you're investing in a solution that optimises your vehicle's stopping power and provides peace of mind on every journey.
If you want to read more articles similar to Unpacking Your Brake Kit: A UK Guide, you can visit the Brakes category.