DIY: Brake Pad Replacement DIY

28/04/2013

Je n'ai pas de chance ce week-end. J'ai juste échangé mes coussinets standards dans les quatre coins, parce que je n'étais pas fou des coussinets à faible poussière que j'essayais comme une expérience.

Poussé les pistons en utilisant la méthode de Kaiv de levier de l'étrier contre le support. J'avais oublié d'ouvrir le chapeau de maître, mais ils sont rentrés en bon état de toute façon.

Après, j'ai ajouté quelques onces de liquide au maître cyl res pour le compléter.

Maintenant, j'ai une pédale douce qui va au sol avant que les freins ne s'engagent.

Des idées ? Je sais comment saigner le système s'il le faut, mais quel PITA. Je ne peux pas imaginer comment j'aurais pu y mettre de l'air en changeant les coussinets.

28/04/2013

WarrantyTracker wrote
I'm not having any luck this weekend. I just swapped my standard pads back into all four corners, because I wasn't crazy about the low-dust pads I was trying as an experiment.

Pushed the pistons back in using Kaiv's method of levering the caliper against the carrier. I had forgotten to open the master cyl cap, but they went back in fine anyway.

After, I added a few ounces of fluid to the master cyl res to top it up.

Now I have a soft pedal that goes to the floor before the brakes engage.

Any thoughts? I know how to bleed the system if I have to, but what a PITA. I can't imagine how I might have gotten air in it changing the pads.

It will go to the floor the first 2-3 times per corner you press until the pistons go back in place. The thinner the pads the more times the pedal will go to the floor. Before you start driving you are supposed to pump the brakes until pedal is hard again.

How many times have you pumped your brakes?

28/04/2013

r53s65e90 wrote
It will go to the floor the first 2-3 times per corner you press until the pistons go back in place. The thinner the pads the more times the pedal will go to the floor. Before you start driving you are supposed to pump the brakes until pedal is hard again.

How many times have you pumped your brakes?

Good tip, thanks. Unfortunately, this is not just the soft-pedal from re-positioning the pads. It's beyond that.

28/04/2013

how low was the fluid in the master cylinder? you might have introduced air at the reservoir level. Anytime you push a caliper piston in, you should pump the pedal to get the fluid back down into the caliper before moving on to the next caliper

06/05/2013

Majin Buu wrote
how low was the fluid in the master cylinder? you might have introduced air at the reservoir level. Anytime you push a caliper piston in, you should pump the pedal to get the fluid back down into the caliper before moving on to the next caliper

Fluid in the res was about 2/3, so there was headroom. Good tip about snugging up the pads at each corner as I go. Will make it easier to bolt 'em back anyway.

Solution to my problem above: new vaccum pump. By coincidence, unrelated to the pad swap, it died. Took it to the dealer a couple weeks ago and they fixed me up.

27/07/2013

Has anyone that had the wear sensor trip cleared the brake code with a Bavarian Technic Tool? And was it easy to clip on the brake wear sensor?

Out of all the steps to take I found that to be the hardest!

04/08/2013

anyone know the minimum thickness on the factory rotors before they need replacing?

04/08/2013

kwike92 wrote
anyone know the minimum thickness on the factory rotors before they need replacing?

Front or rear?

04/08/2013

1MOREMOD wrote
kwike92 wrote
anyone know the minimum thickness on the factory rotors before they need replacing?
Front or rear?

Both.

04/08/2013

It is on the rotor itself. May need cleaning to see. Front is 28.4 and rear 26.4 if memory serves.

05/08/2013

1MOREMOD wrote
It is on the rotor itself. May need cleaning to see. Front is 28.4 and rear 26.4 if memory serves.

Nice. Thank you.

This is my first brake job. So I doubt the rotors will need replacing. But I'll measure them up anyway.

05/08/2013

kwike92 wrote
Nice. Thank you.

This is my first brake job. So I doubt the rotors will need replacing. But I'll measure them up anyway.

Just look at the edge of the hat to confirm what I said. Rotors are good for a lot of sets of pads. I ran probably 8 sets of race pads before replacing my rotors.

05/08/2013

1MOREMOD wrote
kwike92 wrote
Nice. Thank you.

This is my first brake job. So I doubt the rotors will need replacing. But I'll measure them up anyway.
Just look at the edge of the hat to confirm what I said. Rotors are good for a lot of sets of pads. I ran probably 8 sets of race pads before replacing my rotors.

Sounds good.

I don't track. I may go here in the future once or twice. But is there a certain pad you recommend? Or should I just go with factory replacements??

If aftermarket, where can I buy them?

05/08/2013

kwike92 wrote
Sounds good.

I don't track. I may go here in the future once or twice. But is there a certain pad you recommend? Or should I just go with factory replacements??

If aftermarket, where can I buy them?

I would say maybe the stoptech st pad if you don't plan on tracking. Talk to harold at hpautowerks or richard ar M-world. I haven't used them because I use race pads but they are supposed to be okay for light track use and good on the street without a lot of noise like a race pad which will make your car sound like a bus.

05/08/2013

1MOREMOD wrote
kwike92 wrote
Sounds good.

I don't track. I may go here in the future once or twice. But is there a certain pad you recommend? Or should I just go with factory replacements??

If aftermarket, where can I buy them?
I would say maybe the stoptech st pad if you don't plan on tracking. Talk to harold at hpautowerks or richard ar M-world. I haven't used them because I use race pads but they are supposed to be okay for light track use and good on the street without a lot of noise like a race pad which will make your car sound like a bus.

Right on dude. I will contact them.

Thanks for your help.
It's appreciated.

06/04/2014

Thank you for the write-up! Very helpful yesterday.

COLLAPSING PISTON - agreed, no need for a c-clamp. After everything is unbolted and you're ready to pull the caliper off the rotor, just grab hold of the back of the caliper with both hands and simply put some heavy weight into it. Pull toward you for about 10-15 seconds and the piston will slowly collapse, completely.

14/06/2014

nez wrote
My sliding pins wont fit back in the carrier

I was swapping my rear pads and had no problems removing the 2 pins but I just couldn't screw them back in once the pads had been swapped. I tried swapping pin positions (top / bottom) but neither of them screwed back easily. I even tried screwing them without the calipher being on to see if they screwed in straight and had no luck. They became stuck halfway in and seemed to be on an angle that wasn't 90 degrees to the rotor.

I cleaned the carrier holes with a cloth and q tips. There was quite a bit of brake pad dust in there which i cleaned as best i could but that only helped a bit.

The pins weren't stripped of their thread but the threads weren't in flawless shape either.

I managed to screw them in with only 3 - 4 mm of the pin thread exposed and put plastic caps and the anti rattle clip back on. The caliper felt secure and I couldn't move it when i tried with my hand.

I'm going to have to take it to the stealership tomorrow to get it checked out I guess but I simply can't drive it far without the pins being fully in.

Question - can i drive it at all to the dealer or is it too risky with a rear caliper that's not fully secure. I suppse there's a risk the pads will stick as the caliper won't be able to slide back and forth easily but is that the worse that can happen?

I had the hardest time with this too. I don't know what the problem was but they would not got back in or the top one threaded off center. I finally got it to work but not sure how. Took me 2 hours to get this. Anyone have any suggestions on what might be making it more difficult or how to make it easier?

15/06/2014

have the front right caliper off now trying to get the rotor off. stripped both positioning bolts on the rotor! of course it is Saturday night so I cant get replacements until after I need to be at work Monday. Neither will budge cleaned with brake part cleaner and lubed with wd40. no worky.

what is the best thing to do here?

19/06/2014

The second rotor came off fine. Had to drill out the stripped positioning bolts on the first rotor. a problem for another day...

19/07/2014

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29/08/2014

kaiv wrote
Glad I could help

i didnt see you replace the sensors on the pads? did u delete the sensors? and what is the likeliness of the sensors breaking when you remove them? ive heard you have to replace them when replacing pads and then ive heard you dont have to replace them?

is there a certain way to remove them without them breaking?

05/02/2015

I've spoken to a few mechanics who say you have to replace the rotors every time you replace pads. Is this accurate?

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