DIY: Brake Pads, Rotors, Caliper Painting, and Bleeding
 

Sticky me! Also add to/correct me because I'm no pro!

OK so none of the tC forums have a friggin how to on this I figured I'd make one. I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANYTHING YOU BREAK, DESTROY, LOSE, OR INJURE!!! I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL, THIS IS JUST MY INTERPRETATION. I ALSO HATE LAWYERS! THAT WOULD EXPLAIN ALL OF THESE CAPS!

Anyway, to start, here's the stuff you need (assuming you're doing everything I did)

if you aren't painting the calipers nix the paint and the brake cleaner spray. If you aren't changing the rotors, nix the new rotors (duh), the (12mm?) bolt, and the 14mm Socket for the socket wrench. If you aren't bleeding the brakes then lose the bleeder kit and adjustable wrench.

https://img517.imageshack.us/img517/...uipmentru1.jpg

I did the rear first, they were easiest, I'd start there. remember not to engage the e-brake when doing any of this.
Also, make sure the car has been sitting for at least an hour or so, so the brakes are cool.

Before:
https://img395.imageshack.us/img395/...rbeforehm7.jpg

Jack it up with the scissor jack or hydraulic jack in my case, and put the jackstand under there, and SLOWLY let it down onto the jackstand, making sure it's seated properly. If you don't have an impact wrench & compressor, brake the lug nuts loose before jacking the car up, you can't do it on the rears while it's in the air.

https://img475.imageshack.us/img475/...ackedupxs5.jpg

off comes the wheel

https://img385.imageshack.us/img385/...before1et6.jpg
https://img354.imageshack.us/img354/...before1vz1.jpg

Then with the 17mm socket on your socket wrench, undo and remove this bolt (there's only one on the rear caliper, there are two on the front)

https://img479.imageshack.us/img479/...earboltet2.jpg

and then you can swing the caliper up

https://img410.imageshack.us/img410/...erearupgx0.jpg

and you can wiggle the old pads out, make sure to save the little metal clip on the pad if there is one, and put it in the same position on the new pad that will replace it.

here are the pads, you can see the difference. old ones are on the bottom in the first pic, and on the top in the second pic

https://img484.imageshack.us/img484/...oldpadszc5.jpg

https://img465.imageshack.us/img465/...ldpads2ik0.jpg

at this point if you just want to replace the pads, put some pad lubricant on the back of the pads and smear it around to an even kinda thin layer (DO NOT PUT LUBRICANT ON ANY FRICTION PARTS, I.E. THE ROTOR OR THE FACE OF THE PAD!!) only on the metal plate on the BACK of the pad.

https://img410.imageshack.us/img410/...ithlubexg4.jpg

(and then smear it around)

hey where did you get them rotors from if you dont mind me asking ?

***

Then just replace the pads, and use your c-clamp to compress the piston so that it'll fit back over the new, meatier pads, screw the 17mm bolt back in torque wrench it down to 25 ft-lbs, pump the brake to make sure the piston seats the pad correctly, and then you're finished (assuming pads are all you wanted to do)!!

Here's the piston being compressed by the c-clamp
https://img486.imageshack.us/img486/...spistontm4.jpg

Have someone watch the amount of fluid in the brake fluid reservoir, you may need to take some out with a turkey baster so it doesn't overflow. Compressing the piston will push the fluid back up into the reservoir.

https://img79.imageshack.us/img79/53...ervoir1ay6.jpg

https://img456.imageshack.us/img456/...ervoir2mj8.jpg

IMPORTANT NOTE: BRAKE FLUID EATS AWAY AT PAINT AND IS VERY HARD TO CLEAN OFF, DO NOT SPILL THAT STUFF!!!

OK, so now you've done pads, that was easy huh? wanna put in some snazzy looking rotors? it's just as easy! after removing the pads, undo the two 14mm bolts in the back that hold the pad retaining part of the caliper assembly over the rotor. these were a _____ to take a pic of so I'll do my best here, just stick your head behind it, they're pretty obvious.

here's the back of the assembly (best I could do, sorry!)
https://img441.imageshack.us/img441/...ssemblyym4.jpg

off comes the whole caliper assembly. make sure to suspend it from the spring (well out of your way) with a coat hanger or something, I tied it up there with some wire. DO NOT LET THE CALIPER HANG BY THE BRAKE LINE, THIS=BAD!!!

to remove the rotor, which in my case was well rusted on to the point a hammer wasn't getting that bastard off, take your bolt (I believe it's a 10mm or 12mm, I don't know the pitch, someone please feel free to add that in) and screw it in one of the little holes at a time, using a socket wrench or impact wrench. this will pop it away from the hub and it comes right off!



https://img103.imageshack.us/img103/...erotor1qg1.jpg

https://img87.imageshack.us/img87/29...erotor2tv7.jpg

look ma! no rotor!

https://img394.imageshack.us/img394/...otoroffet9.jpg

note, in this pic you can see the two holes where the 14mm bolts went thru into the second half of the caliper (the part that retains the brake pads)

I wiped as much rust and dust off as I could, I figured it couldn't hurt.

then just swap the little rubber plug into the new rotor and pop it on the hub! simple as that.

https://img253.imageshack.us/img253/...rotorondy3.jpg

if you aren't going to paint your calipers (or bleed your brakes, which you technically don't need to do) then reinstall everything in the reverse order you took it off, torquing the 3 (or 4 in the front) bolts down to 25 ft-lbs.

https://img262.imageshack.us/img262/...llstuffrz7.jpg

https://img402.imageshack.us/img402/...wnboltssk9.jpg

edit

edit

So what's that you say? You want cool looking painted calipers to make those shiny new rotors "pop"?

well shazam _____es:
https://img339.imageshack.us/img339/...alipersnj4.jpg

:)

OK painting is pretty easy. I'm lazy so I just cleaned the caliper the best I could, taped up the bleeder nipple, the bolt that holds the brake line on, and the piston, and sprayed it down. I did black so I had to be less concerned about overspray in the wheel well. I used the duplicolor black caliper spray, so far I'm quite happy with it.

https://img485.imageshack.us/img485/9364/paint1yr6.jpg

https://img395.imageshack.us/img395/8131/paint2hq0.jpg[/b]

I know it looks like I did a half ___ job (I basically did, I was in a hurry) but you can't see any of the overspray (there's almost none anyway) especially with the wheel/tire on, and it looks awesome!! you can handle the painted caliper carefully in about an hour, the paint dries fast.

anyway last but not least, wanna bleed the brakes? it's so easy it's funny.

put the bleeder kit in the nipple like so, the bottle has a magnetic attachment so it'll stick to most stuff around the brake.

https://img467.imageshack.us/img467/...ederkitgy0.jpg

then unscrew the nipple with the adjustable wrench until a little fluid comes out, maybe half a turn or so, and either get someone to push on the brake (not sitting in the car!!) or go push it yourself, but keep checking on the reservoir to make sure fluid/bubbles are coming out and don't over fill the container. I used a broomstick to push the pedal so I didn't have to get in the car. pump it half a dozen times or so, that should get most of the air out of the lines.

Note: make sure to pump the brake to push the piston back into place on the new pads before doing any brake bleeding.

OK, tighten the nipple back with the wrench, reassemble everything, top off the brake fluid if you need to, torque down your lugs on your wheel real good, make sure it all works right, and then go do the other three!

Whew!

All done!!
https://img237.imageshack.us/img237/8924/alldoneml9.jpg

Thank you! :bow:

Mods: would it be possible to merge his posts?

Questions:

The bolt that you used to pop off the rotor (which is a cool trick btw, I never knew that), where did you get that bolt from? Also, since you were working with the rears, I am wondering, how do you check the drum back there for the parking brake (and/or where is it located)?