Tried a cheap brake pad swap on a Schindler 330a and it squealed like crazy

I threw in some off-brand pads from a supply house in Phoenix last month to save $40 on a routine adjust. Three days later the car was screaming on every landing and the governor tripped on a full load test. Anyone else get burned by non-OEM brake parts on these models?

2 comments

2 Comments

black.patricia6d ago

Oh man, that's rough. We had the same thing happen on a 330a in Scottsdale last year. The cheap pads left this weird black dust that gummed up the guide rails and we got a call from the fire department about a stuck cab. Ended up costing way more than the $40 we saved to get it sorted out and back to code.

olivia_anderson6d ago

...and that black dust is the absolute worst, isn't it? I swear I've spent more time cleaning guide rails than actually fixing elevators. @black.patricia, you're spot on about the cheap pads costing more in the long run. It's like we're all just trying to save a buck but end up paying triple when the fire department shows up. I've definitely done that math before, usually while standing in a hot, stuck cab at 2am wondering why I didn't just buy the good pads.