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Brake pad change for tuner-nOObs

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MG Man
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Brake pad change for tuner-nOObs

Postby MG Man » March 19th, 2006, 11:13 am

This will be too basic for most tuners, but given some of the questions asked on this forum, I am sure some ppl will find it useful

Brake pad replacement is pretty simple and straightforward: pull old pads out, reset caliper pistons, put new pads in.......

First, some basics
Safety: do not take safety for granted. Always use a proper jack and axlestands if available. I did not have my trolley jack, so I used the car's scissors jack (not the best option), and put a tyre under the rocker panel.....also, the opposite back wheel was chocked and handbrakes applied.

Tools: always ensure you have all the tools available. You do not want to get stuck and have to leave the car unfinished while u look to borrow / buy tools....for this job u need the basics, spanners, pliers, plus a good g-clamp will make your life easier


Secure back of car
Image


Notice low level of brake resivior, indicating worn pads. This is because the caliper pistons stick out of the caliper further, to maintain contact with the brake pads....hence more fluid in the system, less in the resivoir. Do not top-up. Also, leave resivoir cap off when resetting pistons. Careful any debris gets into resivoir! When the pistons are pushed back in, the level will return to 'max' unless you have a leak in the system
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This is what the caliper assembly looks like, The forward facing cover keeps the pads in place, and is removed by loosening two retaining bolts. On older cars, you may simply have some spring clips and pins. Note flexible brake hose which should be inspected for cracks or damage
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note bolts top and bottom
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bolts slackened
In some cars, it is possible to just remove the bottom bolt and swing the cover up to expose the pads. In this case, both had to be removed for full clearance. It also made the task of resetting the pistons easier by removing the caliper altogether
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with the bolts off, you can move the caliper out of the way. NEVER let the caliper hang by the flexible hose. If necessary, tie it to the suspension so the hose is not under strain or twist.

Worn pads are clearly visible, and can now be removed

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The pads are backed by shims, and these are easily removed, folowed by the bads. Take care not to get any oily fingerprints on the rotors. It is also helpful to lay the removed parts out the way they came off, noting carefully the orientaion of springs and clips

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shims, old pads, new pads...OEM Toyota
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The new pads did not come with new shims and clips, so I reused the old shims and clips. Be careful when removing the clips, as they can be easily damaged. Take careful note how the fit, and which one goes on which pad!
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note use of old clip
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Pads ahd ships in place
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Time now to refit the caliper. Since the pads are thicker than the old ones, the caliper piston must now be pushed back into the caliper so the caliper assembly can be replaced. While it may be possible to pry it back using a screwdriver or other such lever, I prefer to use a g-clamp and an old pad. In this way, the piston is pressed back in evenly and n a more controled manner

Caliper, showing exposed piston
It is a good practice at this time to examine the piston for signs of corrosion or pitting, if the piston surface is visible, especiallyif the car has been left idle for some time. In older cars, pert of the piston surface is actually exposed when the pad becomes worn, so there is a much greater risk of piston damage due to moisture and dirt exposure. The piston must be perfectly smooth, otherwise it can damage the caliper seals
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Here you can see hw much the piston is protruding. It has to be bushed back flush
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The tools
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Once the piston is reset, the caliper can be reinstalled. Assembly is the reverse of removal

Remember with new pads you need to bed them in before driving like a lunatic. No hard acceleratoin / hard stops to 'test them out'

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Postby MG Man » March 19th, 2006, 11:27 am

almost forgot, its always a good idea to invest in a good service manual (Haynes or Chilton)

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Postby Mini » March 19th, 2006, 12:31 pm

good post... did the same thing on a similar car (AE110) the other day

one thing though... when pushing the piston back with the old pad/ clamp.. I usually put the back of the pad against the piston...but I guess it doesn't really matter anyways.

BTW... in my case the caliper pin was sticking resulting in uneven wear of the pads... I had to service them one time... I knew I shoulda walk with the camera that day... them pics woulda compliment this post

BTW... OEM Pads... sheesh Toyota quoted me $700+ so I bought the Wagner for $120

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Postby zodiaque » March 19th, 2006, 2:51 pm

Good read and instructions there, I see you use the G Clamp method as well :lol:
Should also mention bleeding the system if air has been introduced.

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Postby God Bless the Black Top* » March 19th, 2006, 4:29 pm

should clean out the parts with a little methalated spirits, and brake cleaner, and toyota calipers are easy, just two 14 bolts to come off, i think other cars have more complicated systems,

DO NOT PRY THE CALIPER!!!!!!! they have caliper winding tools you could around de place!!! specially in toyota cars!! can damage the caliper mechanism

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Postby MG Man » March 19th, 2006, 10:12 pm

Mini, I tried OHK and Mintex, both of which do not perform as well as OEM........next time I will be ordering EBC Green Stuff from Quickbits, cuz the pice was less than OEM last time I checked. I really procrastinated this time around and the brakes HAD to be changed this weekend (notice the degree of wear), so I could not wait to order EBC

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Postby R. Mutt » March 19th, 2006, 11:11 pm

Nice post...need more posts like this.

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Postby God Bless the Black Top* » March 20th, 2006, 12:33 am

MG Man, was wrong with the mintex? i find the pad to be surprisingly stoppingable

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Postby wagonrunner » March 20th, 2006, 12:43 am

fellas,
whats d average waiting period for B14 greenstuff pads from minicity?

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Postby MG Man » March 20th, 2006, 8:33 am

God Bless the Black Top* wrote:MG Man, was wrong with the mintex? i find the pad to be surprisingly stoppingable


the mintex not bad, but I still get better performance from OEM, but one added benefit I noticed from OEM is less brake dust.........definitely EBC bext time tho

Wagonrunner, Andy can get u some pads in a week or two, I believe.......why not click on th ebanner and check him out :wink:

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Postby redras » March 20th, 2006, 11:58 am

Good post MG Man........detailed and precise.

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Postby Polydor » March 20th, 2006, 2:23 pm

Great post with pics :!:
Last edited by Polydor on August 10th, 2006, 2:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Postby venum » March 20th, 2006, 4:07 pm

nice post there MG

good read

i should prob do a MITSu specific one ehh

but concerning the EBC

PM Rudman

he could advise you best on how to get these pads

I think is dadio got his for him

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Postby MG Man » March 20th, 2006, 4:33 pm

nah, if I want EBC, I'll go thru Andy
hadda support our advertisers :!:

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Postby plex » March 20th, 2006, 10:29 pm

nice post...EBC suppose to be good..next time i try that with a good brand rotors..

MG Man, are u getting rotors to?..i looking to put 11.5" rotors in front for the pug..but keeping the rear disc the same size but put better pads in the rear..

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Postby MG Man » March 21st, 2006, 8:49 am

nah, keeping the stock rotors. Don't need that degree of performance. The only reason I'll use EBC over OEM is because the prices are comparable.

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Postby plex » March 21st, 2006, 10:14 am

EBC cheaper?

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Postby seanf3000 » March 21st, 2006, 11:07 am

comaparable or cheaper than Toyota OEM pad!!!

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Postby MG Man » March 21st, 2006, 2:45 pm

^^^thats right
I paid $815 for OEM after discount :shock:

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Postby daNdAdDa » March 21st, 2006, 2:58 pm

this actual process of changing and pics should be moved and entered in
"best of tech forum"

this is an excellant write up...

now wheh munffi when yuh need emm....

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Postby bleedingfreak » March 22nd, 2006, 9:36 am

MG Man wrote:^^^thats right
I paid $815 for OEM after discount :shock:


You get a discount from THEM :?: :!: :?:

How...?

BTW... EXCELLENT post man :)

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MG Man
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Postby MG Man » March 22nd, 2006, 10:01 am

de man say $9something, an ah say 'bess price?'
he click he magical keyboard and tell meh $815
buh he know me by now cuz I only buy OEM for wifey car

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Postby Ignorant Ignis » March 22nd, 2006, 11:12 am

great post ..... yuh just remind me why i joined tuner

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Postby [X]~Outlaw » July 13th, 2006, 9:24 am

this is some good shite...going to be doing this saturday

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Postby March786 » July 13th, 2006, 9:59 am

Thanx man!!!
Real good info here!!
:lol: :lol:

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Postby neckto » July 13th, 2006, 10:28 am

yep

we definately need more posts like this
with diff models too
these diy-ers really help ppl save time and money and learn things about thier car too and appreciate it more

on another note how do you rate schnider silver and those brands or pads, i beleive those are much cheaper so what are the factors contributing to the decision of going with the more expensive OEM and others - is the life or the OEM longer etc?

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Postby MISHI » July 13th, 2006, 11:29 am

A question and an Additional comment as well

Comment: When replacing the shims and the caliper bolts, make sure and use a high temp grease as after time the bolts especially can seize in the calipers causing a cracking noise and also a low brake feel.

Question: referring the the manner in which the piston is pushed back. I notice many mechanics using a flat tipped screwdriver through the front center hole in the caliper to gently push back the piston as well. Is this a standard practice or not recommended?

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MG Man
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Postby MG Man » July 14th, 2006, 9:37 pm

MISHI wrote:
Question: referring the the manner in which the piston is pushed back. I notice many mechanics using a flat tipped screwdriver through the front center hole in the caliper to gently push back the piston as well. Is this a standard practice or not recommended?


not recommended
When resetting the piston, it is very important that it be pushed back squarely.......if u use a screwdriver, u run the risk of the piston going back at an angle and damaging itself, caliper bore or seals. The clamp guarantees the piston is pushed back evenly.....just make sure u do it SLOWLY. The clamp applies a surprising amount of torque, and again pushing the piston back too fast can damage seals.....given the cost of a clamp, I would be suspicious of a mechanic that does not use one. U can always judge a mechanic by his toolbox

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MISHI
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Postby MISHI » July 14th, 2006, 10:04 pm

cool. it's just that I've seen many people doing this and thought it to be standard practice, by using the screwdriver to push the pad onto the piston. Now I know....

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Postby nick009 » July 14th, 2006, 10:06 pm

how bout a post on changing d rear brakes shoes?

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