Brakes 101 with Malty!

[Malt_Vinegar]

Finally got around to replacing my front brakes today, will do the rears in a few hundred miles when the fronts are all bedded in!

Thought i would document the process for you lot, im sure this is like trying to teach most of you what you already know, but someone might like to see how its done.

(Bear with me, this will take a long time, so posts will appear with just pictures at first!)

Here are all the bits required...

This is where i am doing it...

Loosen the wheel nuts before jacking the car up...

Next i chock all the wheels with bricks and then raise the car to working height...

Once the wheel is off, and I set about loosening the allen bolt that holds the disc in situ, it should not be tightened much at all. (Excuse the blur! All photos are taken on my phone!)

I had a look at whipping off the whole caliper and mount in one go, but it was too busy back there, so i gave up on this part, and decided to remove the caliper first.

This is where i had my first problem! In attempting to remove the caliper, I nearly brained myself whilst snapping my "lifetime guarentee" halfords "professional" hex kit!

So i ran off the local motor factors and grabbed a Laser set..

Haha!! Success, Laser for the win!

Quickly whipped off the spring which i had forgotten to do!

 

[Liverpool-Lad]

I think you may have squashed your sill there.

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

I think you may have squashed your sill there.

Its a plastic sill cover, thats the jacking point. Designed that way.

My little box i use for dropping bits in mid job. Currently containing caliper hex bolts and spring clip.

Loosen the caliper with a G clamp to compress the cylinder a little a bit.

Pop off the caliper! Might need a bit of a yank and some wiggling!

Now it gets difficult, both of the 19mm bolts for the caliper mount are locked solid!
So i use my trusty custom breaker bar arrangment!!

Et-voila! one removed mount.

You can see where it came from, and also the state of the old disc.

New discs on, and caliper mount back in place.

Forgot to show you the old pads!

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

Finishing off the cylinder compression with a big G-clamp

Mounting first new pad in place.

Second pad in, and offering up the caliper.

Doing up the caliper hex bolts..

All sorted!

Wheel back on!

Whip car around, and start on the other side! Where its all exactly the same, except it has sensors mounted on the pad for sensing wear to the pads

This is where the sensor plugs in...

And this is where it sits on the pad, old v new!

Sit back, relax and have a cup of tea

 

[Berger]

Good little thread.

And dont forget to use a bit of copper slip to stop the pads squeeling and to torque all the bolts back up and your wheelnuts

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

Good little thread.

And dont forget to use a bit of copper slip to stop the pads squeeling and to torque all the bolts back up and your wheelnuts

Thanks

Yup, good call. I always go over all bolts 3 times to make sure they are properly tight

 

[/\/\j17]

...and copper slip on the bolt threads so they come off easy next time too!

 

[Baz]

You forgot to mention that you want to loosen the Brake fluid reservoir, or it makes pushing the pistons back a right pita

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

You forgot to mention that you want to loosen the Brake fluid reservoir, or it makes pushing the pistons back a right pita

Good point, i never do that, always just G clamp it Causes a bit of spillage, but its ok

 

[Baz]

Not everyone has a G clamp, and usually a big screwdriver and a crow bar have to do the job

 

[BigglesPiP]

Not everyone has a G clamp, and usually a big screwdriver and a crow bar have to do the job

Don't be silly, everyone has G clamps, despite never buying any.

 

[nutcase]

You forgot to show the removal of the protective coating (oil based?) on the discs. You DID clean it off didn't you?

 

[Baz]

Don't be silly, everyone has G clamps, despite never buying any.

Nope, never had any, it isn't a copy of Queens Greatist Hits, every household has it, but no one ever bought it...

 

[Jonny ///M]

This brings back memories of a month or so ago...except the disk bolts were solid and rounded which needed drilling off and the caliper mounting bolts where an 18mm which is the socket we didnt have!!! G clamps for the win though,make life so easy.

Next time im going for a breaker bar as you dont want to **** a decent ratchet if you're putting a lot of force into it!

Oh and did you use disk brake cleaner on the disks as someone said?

 

[BigglesPiP]

except the disk bolts were solid and rounded

Do you mean already rounded, or you rounded them?

 

[Lopéz]

This brings back memories of a month or so ago...except the disk bolts were solid and rounded which needed drilling off and the caliper mounting bolts where an 18mm which is the socket we didnt have!!! G clamps for the win though,make life so easy.

Next time im going for a breaker bar as you dont want to **** a decent ratchet if you're putting a lot of force into it!

Oh and did you use disk brake cleaner on the disks as someone said?

I never bother putting those disc screws back in, they only sieze up. The wheel holds the disc on anyway.

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

The set i used for the fronts are not new from manufacturer, and were purchased second hand, there was no coating left on them, hence the discolouration!

The rears discs are new and do indeed have the same coating!

I made the mistake of not doing this a few years ago, and ended up with smoking pads and discs

 

[Kitchster_uk]

I think you'll find us posh lot use the appropriate caliper winding tool....

.....with a 1" socket sat inside the piston cos the sodding tool head is too small to have any effect!!!!

Nice work Malt - informative posts on car maintenance are a good idea.

 

[Liverpool-Lad]

Just a thought here, the caliper could be removed in one go without having to unbolt the sliders, thatll save you some work too.

 

[McLovin]

Not everyone has a G clamp, and usually a big screwdriver and a crow bar have to do the job

Not everyone has a crowbar either.