With the stopping force, although not amazing, I don't want to loose any bite compared to OEM pads. Compared to stock pads, which had better initial bite? You mentioned better after-contact bite with the TRD, but I know some pads can feel "soft" at first until you push them harder until they really cut in.

Would you say, all around, it is improved? Your pro list looks good, I just want to know as much as possible and not too many people have them it seems. So I appreciate your help!

 

oh you dont lose any initial bite compared to stock. but there is better bite after initial if that makes sense. i guess its as if the pads hit an operating temp and just bite better. so its that post-initial braking force has increased and the much improved pedal feel.

i little bit down the line when more manufacturers come out with pads i might want to test them out even if these havent worn out. i miss the sharp bite that my parent's bmw 5 series had.

 

Yeah that is what I was looking for, a nice crisp bite. Sadly, our choices are veryyyy limited. EBC only does a ceramic pad and Hawk is yet to do any. I really wanted HPS pads, but they told me to contact them in 10 weeks for any updates... No promises.

I guess I just have to decide if I want to dish out $70 or not for something I "don't" need, but it would be fun to have something to do during spring break next week as well... lol

 

getting back to the install....

i have yet to do the brakes on the xB, but here's some general advice i have from doing this kind of work on many other vehicles:

1) before pushing the piston back into the caliper, take the cap off the brake master cylinder reservoir. if nothing else, it makes it easier. just remember to put the cap back on when you're done. also, be sure to use the old brake pad when doing this step. i've seen many make the mistake of just putting the c-clamp directly on the piston and then going WAY too far. this can result in leaking brake piston seals or other damage you just don't want. lastly, if you ever find yourself doing this job on a car where the c-clamp doesn't work, they make a cheap tool you can buy at any auto parts store that basically doesn the same thing but pushes from the inside of the caliper (where the floating pad would sit).

2) if you're not going to change the rotors, make sure you give the old ones a good 'once-over' for signs of hot-spotting, grooves, or warpage. obviously a warp would be very heard to see, but you'd know it from the vibrations while driving anyway. if you touch them while doing this job, it's best to give them a quick spray of brake cleaner

3) do NOT let the caliper hang by the brake hose while swapping everything out!! resting it on the rotor or other suspension is OK, but some string or a clothes hangar would be best.

4) i'm not sure if the xB design uses slide pins, but if they do, lube them up with some brake lube. you can get little packets of it at any parts store cheap. it won't hurt anything to NOT do it, but you may develop an annoying squeak from the brakes when you release the pedal otherwise.

5) to minimize the likelihood of developing brake squeal, there are products out there you can put on the backside of the pad (backing plate). the most popular stuff i know of is called 'Disc Brake Quiet' and comes in a little squeeze bottle, but you can usually get small packets of it at the parts counter as well. important: this stuff goes on the back of the pad, NOT on the pad material!!!! i know that would seem obvious,m but in my several years of selling car parts, you would be surprised how many times i saw this.

6) when you get back into the car, pump the snot out of the brakes until you get pressure back on the pedal. there's nothing scarier than backing out the driveway only to realize your brand new brakes aren't working (yet)

7) remember, many brake pads contain asbestos. it's nothing to be overly alarmed about, but i would try to minimize contact with brake dust (eating it is likely a bad idea).

obviously, a lot of this stuff is 'no brainer' stuff to many of us gearheads, but hopefully it helps someone out.

Mike

 

although I own a tc, when I do the fronts I just take out the lower bolt and flip up the caliper. Worst thing that can happen at that point it comes crashing down on my finger.

another thing thats good to do is yank out the slider pins (if you do decide on completely removing the caliper off the bracket), clean them off, and give them a good coating of high temp grease. I use moly-lube because its anti-corrosive and can withstand high temperatures.

hope this helps a bit!

*edit* i overlooked #4 above me. whoops!

 

I did end up installed the TRD pads and I am now selling them. With my wheels, they throw off insane amounts of dust. So I bought ceramic pads to install... See how those go.

 

agreed. im low on funds so im just going to have to wear these out and deal with the dust.

 

Yeah in two days my wheels look horrible (and I do mostly freeway at that). Got the Centric Ceramics and will install them hopefully this weekend.

 

I love DIY stuff untill it comes to something that is SAFETY related like brakes. You don't compress a brake piston unless you have OPENED the BLEEDER SCREW first. Why? Because if you don't you are forceing the old fluid back into the system in the reverse direction. Not to mention any debris that may be there at the caliper in the fluid line. One guy even said..."hay that might even help with my spongey pedle". If you don't know what your doing, do something other than brakes. Please!

It would be a good idea to have a good mechanic do a brake fluid PPM test and see if your fluid needs to be FLUSHED. In our shop we find cars as young as 20,000 miles old that have crap for brake fluid. Why? Because heat breaks down the quality of the fluid. And guess where the fluid quality is the worst? Right were it's needed most. Right there in the last foot of brake hose and in the caliper.

If nothing else, at least open the bleeded screw before you compress the caliper piston. Then find someone that can help you bleed the brake system. Better yet, find a competent shop that will flush the brake fluid system with DOT4 fluid. (Flush, not bleed. It requires a machine or at least a vacuum system on the air line) I just don't want to see anyone get hurt out there. I have seen several caliper piston seals blown by guys doing their own brake job and compressing the piston without opening the bleeder first. Guess where they find out they have a problem??.... about 1/10th of a second after they have a panic stop situation. NOT GOOD!

whiteboyslo has some good advise, so take not of his reply above.

 

hmm.. interesting. if you open the bleeder while pushing the pad wouldnt that only bleed the fluid that is pressing on the piston? please explain.

ive done something like 20-30 brake jobs during the couple years that i took auto mechanics and thats how i was taught. i was taught that you never open the bleeder unless you are prepared to do a flush, because opening the bleeder might introduce air back into the lines.

im interested in your side of the DIY. im open to new ideas and processes.

 

I don't want to start a battle about brakes. I'm sure that's too late though. I only go by what ASE teaches. You never compress a caliper piston without opening the bleeder first. You were taught wrong. Sorry. I have seen more than one vehicle where we opened the bleeder and pushed a mud-like substance out of the piston. Why? Cause no one had ever let any fluid out of the system. ALL FLUIDS WEAR OUT!! Why change eng oil? It does it's job, suspends solids and needs to be replaced. Same with ANY fluid on your vehicle. Brake fluid is HYDROSCOPIC and will collect moisture. It also suspends any solids in it's self to try and protect the master cylinder seals. Over time it needs to be replaecd (about every other brake job) to keep it's chemical properties up to spec. What do you think does the work when you step on the brake? FLUID! that's all you have. If you constantly push that crappy fluid back up into the system, your simply not doing it right.

Don't get me wrong, you (anyone) can do it any way you want to. I am trying to say how it "SHOULD" be done. Not to mention lubricating the slide pins so you have equal pressure applied to both sides of the rotor, and your best chance of not having a caliper stick and ruin your pads & or rotors.

 

i know this is an old thread and a how to. but is it typical for the stock brake pads to wear w/ just 20k miles?

 

brake wear isnt really based on miles.. like it depends on city vs highway driving.

 

Did you stock pads have 2 sets of shims on them? I am replacing my brake pads and the posi quiets i got come with 1 shim on them, but I am confused on whether I am supposed to reuse 1 of the stock shims.

 

What are the exact steps after you release the bleeder screw and compress the pistons back in , to make sure that something doesn't go wrong.
I understand that the brake fluid will be shot out and once the piston is leveled again, you screw the bleeder screw back in but am I going to have to be worried about missing fluid or air in the system?

 

This will help me when I change my front brakes during the summer. I get a light shake when I try to slow down, figure they'll need to be done at least by winter.

Thanks for the detailed post!

 

If they shake, your rotors are warped. You're supposed to either get new rotors or get the current rotors machined when you change pads anyways because if you don't then it puts grooves in the new pads and can cause premature wear.

 

Good Write-up!

Be sure to Read whiteboyslo and RC-PILOT's advice at the
end of the Thread!