[DIY] Brake pads and disc rotor change

cvkit17

2,000 RPM
Senior Member
Mar 20, 2012
2,884
1,354
1,713
Kuala Lumpur
Hi ! I replaced brake pads and disc rotor for my car recently and I am gonna do a simple write up bout it here. I know that there are already threads similar to this, but well, the more the merrier isn't it.

1. These are the new brake pads and rotors that I put in. The rotor to be replaced was OEM but I was already using Trestor Advantage.


2. Yes you would need some tools.
a. A jack
b. Jackstands
c. Wrench
d. Sockets
e. Mallet (I got hammer only, gonna wrap it with a cloth)
f. G or F clamp
g. Breaker bar (optional but recommended)
h. Brake cleaner (optional)
i. Flat head screwdriver
j. Lubricant WD40
k. A pail, cable tie, or rope



3. Yeap, start with loosening the wheel nuts. Dont loosen them all the way before jacking the car up. I usually loosen them in criss cross manner so the wheel pops out evenly.


4. After loosening the wheel nuts, jack the car up and put jackstands below to support the car. This is a must. Alternatively you may use the scissor jack but it is always recommended to use proper jackstand instead. And make sure your parking brake is pulled up (if you are doing the front brakes. If you are doing the rear, put something solid underneath the front tyre to prevent it from rolling).


5. To remove the pads, you gotta remove either the bolt circled in yellow. Or you may also remove both if you want. Once you remove one of the bolts, the another bolt will act as a hinge to the knuckle. Be careful with the brake hose (highlighted in red) as you dont want to put excessive pressure on it or accidentally pulled that thing off and mess up everything. Therefore I often remove the bottom bolt so the knuckle can be rotated up and there is ample of space for the brake hose to bend.




6. This is when you use the flat head screwdriver. Pry the old pads off! See the difference between the old pads and the new ones?



7. Make sure you remove the backing plates from the old pads and put them onto the new one. Some brake pads manufacturers provide the plates as well.


8. Now, to remove the caliper, take out these two bolts. Caution! They are very, very tight. This is why it is good if you have a breaker bar. Spray some lubricant before you loosen them. I would remove the bottom bolt first, then the top one slowly and carefully coz the whole thing will drop when the bolts are removed



9. Put the caliper on an elevated support (in my case, a nippon paint container). You may tie the caliper with cable tie or rope onto the coil/spring. This is because of the short brake hose and you dont want to break it.


10. Once the caliper is removed, you may take out the old rotor. There are 2 ways - the proper way and the mechanic's way. The proper way is by pushing the rotor out by screw at the hole highlighted yellow in the picture. I wrapped my hammer with a cloth and hammered it out :rofl:
After that, put in the new rotor and screw in 2 lug nuts to hold the new rotor in position so it would be easy for you to put in the caliper back into place.



11. So, reinstall the caliper and remember to tighten the bolts. Dont go crazy tight! Once the caliper is installed, its time to install the new pads.


12. Before installing the new pads, you gottta push back the piston in. This is due to the old pads which had thinned out, so the new thick pads would not fit in without pushing the piston back to original position. I use a G-clamp and the old pad to push the piston. There are many ways of doing this. Some use screwdriver, some use F-clamp, its up to you which way is the most comfortable and effective to you.


13. Before you push the piston back in, make sure you open the brake fluid reservoir cap to balance the pressure with atmospheric. This will make your job easier. Dont open too much, as moisture would go in.



14. Next is slot in the new pads and reinstall the knuckle and put back the wheels and tighten the wheel nuts and you done !



15. Remember to bed in the brake pads and rotor before driving your car like normal. To do bed in, just drive up to 50-60kph and press the brake slowly until the car stops. Repeat this action for 8-10 times. Don't jam the brake when bedding in as it might cause uneven wear to the rotor or the pads.


:driver: Happy DIY !
 

vr2turbo

Beyond 20,000 RPM!
Helmet Clan
Moderator
May 11, 2010
29,998
8,385
1,713
Petaling Jaya
May I just add.
When open brake fluid reservoir for fluid return, make sure not full. Some would have top up when the reservoir level drops as the pads wear. If full remove some first, if not when fluid return will overflow.
Since already open up, when fitting back floating pin of the caliper (top screw) clean and oil it
 

cvkit17

2,000 RPM
Senior Member
Thread starter
Mar 20, 2012
2,884
1,354
1,713
Kuala Lumpur
May I just add.
When open brake fluid reservoir for fluid return, make sure not full. Some would have top up when the reservoir level drops as the pads wear. If full remove some first, if not when fluid return will overflow.
Since already open up, when fitting back floating pin of the caliper (top screw) clean and oil it
yeap..fill in between max and min haha
 

cvkit17

2,000 RPM
Senior Member
Thread starter
Mar 20, 2012
2,884
1,354
1,713
Kuala Lumpur
bro cvkit17,

How is the new brake feel now?
Still bedding it in.......:biggrin:
hahahahha complete bed in already :biggrin:

It's great so far. I have not tried braking hard and prolong braking (e.g. genting downhill), but in overall the bite is good. I cant really distinct the bite now and the bite before on stock rotor when it was new, as the trestor + stock rotor were already pretty good to me.

One thing i noticed is that brake dust is lesser on my rims! I guess the rotor swipe most of the brake dust away and got blown away by turbulent air. Previously i can see a lot of brake dust on my rim 3-4days after cleaning it.
 

ken yeang

6,000 RPM
Senior Member
Feb 2, 2006
6,617
1,327
1,713
Sounded like a worth-every-dime investment. :congrats:

Next stop......braided brake hoses, for lagi best brake feel?

---------- Post added at 09:39 PM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 09:39 PM ----------

Sounded like a worth-every-dime investment. :congrats:

Next stop......braided brake hoses, for lagi best brake feel?
 

cvkit17

2,000 RPM
Senior Member
Thread starter
Mar 20, 2012
2,884
1,354
1,713
Kuala Lumpur
Sounded like a worth-every-dime investment. :congrats:

Next stop......braided brake hoses, for lagi best brake feel?

---------- Post added at 09:39 PM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 09:39 PM ----------

Sounded like a worth-every-dime investment. :congrats:

Next stop......braided brake hoses, for lagi best brake feel?
i'm on cable ties now :rofl: maybe if i am still driving this car after a few years when the rubber brake hose harden, then yes im gonna change that.
 

vr2turbo

Beyond 20,000 RPM!
Helmet Clan
Moderator
May 11, 2010
29,998
8,385
1,713
Petaling Jaya
hahahahha complete bed in already :biggrin:

It's great so far. I have not tried braking hard and prolong braking (e.g. genting downhill), but in overall the bite is good. I cant really distinct the bite now and the bite before on stock rotor when it was new, as the trestor + stock rotor were already pretty good to me.

One thing i noticed is that brake dust is lesser on my rims! I guess the rotor swipe most of the brake dust away and got blown away by turbulent air. Previously i can see a lot of brake dust on my rim 3-4days after cleaning it.
You will not feel the difference as the slotted and drilled holes works when very hot only to remove gasses trapped in between the pads, but by using Trestor Advantage I think no organic stuffs in the pads material therefore probably no gasses will be formed. Probably you need to aggressively brake downhill from genting to test the slotted and drilled disc.....:driver:
For me, I was on drilled disc before with Bendix semi metallic then solid disc with trestor advatage. The solid disc with trestor is way better, but I think is because of the pads and not the disc.....lol
 

cvkit17

2,000 RPM
Senior Member
Thread starter
Mar 20, 2012
2,884
1,354
1,713
Kuala Lumpur
You will not feel the difference as the slotted and drilled holes works when very hot only to remove gasses trapped in between the pads, but by using Trestor Advantage I think no organic stuffs in the pads material therefore probably no gasses will be formed. Probably you need to aggressively brake downhill from genting to test the slotted and drilled disc.....:driver:
For me, I was on drilled disc before with Bendix semi metallic then solid disc with trestor advatage. The solid disc with trestor is way better, but I think is because of the pads and not the disc.....lol
hahahha yea I believe that its because of the pads too :biggrin:

Most modern pads do not emit gases...I don't know why manufacturer still make drilled rotor. I wanted to get slotted rotor only but cant..sigh.

Anyway im satisfied with the bite and very happy that there is lesser brake dust now. Its very obvious when I wash my car I always spray the brakes. Brake dust is significantly lesser
 

vr2turbo

Beyond 20,000 RPM!
Helmet Clan
Moderator
May 11, 2010
29,998
8,385
1,713
Petaling Jaya
hahahha yea I believe that its because of the pads too :biggrin:

Most modern pads do not emit gases...I don't know why manufacturer still make drilled rotor. I wanted to get slotted rotor only but cant..sigh.

Anyway im satisfied with the bite and very happy that there is lesser brake dust now. Its very obvious when I wash my car I always spray the brakes. Brake dust is significantly lesser
Well, can charge higher price mah!......hhahahhahahhaha:rofl:
 

cvkit17

2,000 RPM
Senior Member
Thread starter
Mar 20, 2012
2,884
1,354
1,713
Kuala Lumpur
Well, can charge higher price mah!......hhahahhahahhaha:rofl:
I am willing to pay the same if they only do slotted. I see many supercar and luxurious car still come with drilled rotor. I really cant understand why. Unless they want to fool people to think that drilled rotor is performance brake system
 

Izso

NA NA NA NA NA
Helmet Clan
Moderator
Mar 28, 2004
15,389
6,411
5,213
KL
Need to add one more thing after installing everything.

- Start the car and give the pedal a few more pumps until it's tight.

I've seen one too many idiots who forget this and drive off immediately after changing only to realise brakes are not ready.
 

vr2turbo

Beyond 20,000 RPM!
Helmet Clan
Moderator
May 11, 2010
29,998
8,385
1,713
Petaling Jaya
Need to add one more thing after installing everything.

- Start the car and give the pedal a few more pumps until it's tight.

I've seen one too many idiots who forget this and drive off immediately after changing only to realise brakes are not ready.
He mentioned to bed the brakes means that already done.....:driver:
 

Random Post Every 5 Minutes



The next time you’re yacking away on your ultra high-tech, state of the art hands free kit consider this; a person using a hands free device is four times more likely to crash.

It was also found that drivers talking on either hand-held or hands-free mobile phones have an average reaction time that is 30 per cent slower than drunk drivers and an astonishing 50 per cent slower reaction time than sober drivers. This was...
Ask a question, start a discussion or post something for sale!
Post thread

Online now

Enjoying Zerotohundred?

Log-in for an ad-less experience