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Brake Pad/Rotor

DIY: 
95K views 189 replies 101 participants last post by  fishinking86 
#1 ·
This Do It Yourself Is to guide you through changing your brake pads and/or rotors. (Click on thubnails to enlarge)

Tools:
Metric Socket set
Philups screw driver
Hand held impact screwdriver (about $20 from advanced auto)
Brake piston compression kit (free to rent at most auto stores)
WD-40
Locktite

First jack up your car and remove your wheel. Here is a pic of my front wheel.


In order to open the caliper you are going to need to remove bolt 3. (this is a picture of the backside of he caliper)

Once bolt 3 is remove you should be able to flip the caliper up like so.

After you flip the caliper up you will be able to slide both brake pads out.

Now in order to get the caliper to fit over the new pads you are going to have to compress the pistons in the caliper (using the kit you rented). The front calipers pistons can be pushed in with the tool in the brake kit.

In order to open the rear caliper the e-brake needs to be off, ***MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE WHEELS BLOCKED BEFORE RELEASING THE E-BRAKE*** The rear caliper has a screw type piston and will need to be screwed and pressed in, unlike the front where it can just be pressed in.

Once the pistons are pressed in you are ready to install your brake pads and close the caliper, IF you are going to replace your rotors SKIP this step.

To remove your rotors you are going to have to unbolt the caliper by removing bolts 1 & 2.

Now that your caliper is off you need to rest it on something and proceed to removing the 2 screws that hold the front rotor on (there is only 1 for the rear). I forgot to take a picture of the rotor with no caliper. In order to get the 2 screws out you are going to use the hand impact screw driver otherwise you WILL strip the screws. I sprayed some WD-40 on the screws and around the hub to looses things up a bit.

Once the srcrews holding the rotor on are out, the rotor should just pull off. Mine didn't because of all the corrosion and i had to smack them a bit with a rubber mallet from the backside.

After you get the rotor off replace it with a new one and put some locktite on the screws that hold it in place. Now you are ready to re-install the caliper with your brake pads and close everything up.



Once your wheels are back on and the car is on the ground press the brae a few time to get the pistons seated. Now you are ready to break in your new pads and/or rotors.
 
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#6 · (Edited)
Re: Brake Pad/Rotor DIY

Thanks guys, it was my first time ever doing brakes. It's a breeze if you have the right tools.
I "do my brakes" ~15-30 times a summer swapping from track to street pads, having the right tools is absolutly necessary. Swapping fluid becomes the only tedius part.
 
#8 ·
Re: Brake Pad/Rotor DIY

I can't tell you how happy I am that you did this! I had a general idea on how to do it but this will help a great deal since I'm always nervous about anything dealing with my engine or brakes.
 
#12 ·
Re: Brake Pad/Rotor DIY

Very nice write up indeed.

Could someone explain the brake in period?
bedding in pads

Most street pads wont need to be bedded in. you would need to bed in a set of track pads though. and those type of pad compounds should come with specific instructions on how to bed them in because each manufacturer generally has a different way of doing it. It is generally a specifi series of stopping manuvers and then letting the brakes cool for a certain period of time.
 
#11 ·
Re: Brake Pad/Rotor DIY

Good job man. Another tip (from those of us who have done this before) when you screw the bolts back in, DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN!!!! i personally have broken two caliper screws. The one on the caliper with the sleeve, and the piston banjo bolt that runs off the brake line and trust me it's nothing you can buy at a hardware store!!!
 
#13 ·
Re: Brake Pad/Rotor DIY

question

on the rear brakes i noticed the tool you're using to spread the piston.
i have the tiburon shop manual and it shows a special tool that looks like a big thick for lack of a better word ... screwdriver. it also shows how the tool is used ... with caliper off and someone adjusting the piston with their hand and that tool. anyways ... my question is what is the tool you're using to spread the rear piston? i am about to do the rears and before i get the pads in i want to know for sure i can get the right tool.
 
#36 ·
Re: Brake Pad/Rotor DIY

question

on the rear brakes i noticed the tool you're using to spread the piston.
i have the tiburon shop manual and it shows a special tool that looks like a big thick for lack of a better word ... screwdriver. it also shows how the tool is used ... with caliper off and someone adjusting the piston with their hand and that tool. anyways ... my question is what is the tool you're using to spread the rear piston? i am about to do the rears and before i get the pads in i want to know for sure i can get the right tool.
The rear piston is threaded and must be screwed in - can't be just pressed in like the front. Don't for get to take the cap off your master cylinder and remove some of the brake fluid, because every time you compress a caliper, you force fluid back into the master cylinder - will overflow and make a mess. (or maybe even blow the cap off).
 
#16 ·
Re: Brake Pad/Rotor DIY

you can use a clamp instead of a compression kit thats what i did works just the same
and to take the old rotors off break that screw to the right to loosin it or u will strip it the first time i stripped it and had to drill it out never put it back on its pretty much useless just was used during the semberly line making the car.

nice DIY write up
 
#17 ·
Re: Brake Pad/Rotor DIY

the rear brakes you do need a special tool becaue you have to turn the piston as you compress it. Most euro cars and some other newer cars are now moving to this design.

Personally i would take the brake caliper completely off the mounting bracket and put some grease on the pins so everything can move nicely. Also, you can get away with using some big *** pliers to compress the front pistons.
 
#28 ·
Re: Brake Pad/Rotor DIY

the rear brakes you do need a special tool becaue you have to turn the piston as you compress it. Most euro cars and some other newer cars are now moving to this design.

Personally i would take the brake caliper completely off the mounting bracket and put some grease on the pins so everything can move nicely. Also, you can get away with using some big *** pliers to compress the front pistons.
The "tool" for compressing your rear brake pistons is $7 at AutoZone, I saw it the other day and almost grabbed it for kicks just so I had one around. It's a cube shaped device with teeth on one end, and a socket-wrench port on the other.

As for the front pistons, yeah, a big C-clamp will do the trick.

Note: Swapping the rotors on anything older than I'd say an 04 will probably be a little intimidating, if not downright terrifying to the first-timer. It was for me anyway. We literally had to beat the living hell out of my rotors to get them off. But it was SO worth it. My Uneek cross-drilled/slotteds look sweet. =)

-Max
 
#18 · (Edited)
Re: Brake Pad/Rotor DIY

Nice write up! Thanks!

How the hell does a impact screwdriver work? I dont think ive ever heard of such a thing.

I love how they turn shiney and red when you took them off

*opens google*

EDIT:
Found answer. Oh......Ive seen those before
 
#19 ·
Re: Brake Pad/Rotor DIY

jus did my brakes last weekend i jus took the whole caliper off diddnt know that one part can actually flip up like that
 
#22 ·
Re: Brake Pad/Rotor DIY

"if i felt complelled to take the complete caliper off for say...paintin...how would i go about that?"

if you look at the second pic find the #3 bolt remove that one and the one above it thats the same size. Then remove the brake line attached to the caliper. I would recommend new brass washers before putting the line back on the caliper when your done.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Re: Brake Pad/Rotor DIY

i found that the compression tool was useless....the front calipers slipped right back over without a problem, and the rears only needed a little tappin. but i still dont see how that thing is supposed to work anyways...




btw....brembos ftw
 
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