Brake issues!!...
12-19-2011, 10:24 AM
#1
Brake issues!!...
Are gone 
Finally after about 8 months of my car jerking when I hit the brakes and a shake in the wheel on braking I replaced my rotors and pads. The process was a long drawn out pain in the butt.
For those who have not changed their brakes out yet, the back requires a small little square tool that has pegs on each side and attaches to a socket wrench extension. All of the bolts had Loktight on them too and required either a socket wrench about a foot and a half long or an impact gun to get the right amount of torque on the bolts.
The square tool is used to screw the piston back into the caliper and for me was very difficult to use. The tool slid off every turn and started to round the slots on the piston. My dad took the caliper off the car and placed it in a vice to hold it still and took the piston gasket off and screwed it in without the tool. The back was done separately and solved the jerking issue.
The front was done just last week (about a week after the back) and I am glad it is all over with. The brakes feel great and stop really well, not to mention they look sharp behind my 20" wheels now that the calipers are painted.
To paint the calipers we just took regular black gloss spray paint to them after taking a wire brush to remove the brake dust and dirt. I'm not real sure how the paint will hold up to heat but we will see. So far they are holding up great.
The rotors are ATE slotted rotors and the pads are Hawk HPS pads. There is barely any brake dust even after two hours of stop and go traffic, 400 miles of driving and some decently hard braking. The stopping power is better than stock and there is no brake noise at all.
Thanks Sam Strano for mentioning them and sorry for this being so long winded.. This turned out to be quite an experience considering all the problems we ran into and I wanted to try to give a heads up of possible snags in what I thought would be a simple take off put on procedure.
Finally after about 8 months of my car jerking when I hit the brakes and a shake in the wheel on braking I replaced my rotors and pads. The process was a long drawn out pain in the butt.
For those who have not changed their brakes out yet, the back requires a small little square tool that has pegs on each side and attaches to a socket wrench extension. All of the bolts had Loktight on them too and required either a socket wrench about a foot and a half long or an impact gun to get the right amount of torque on the bolts.
The square tool is used to screw the piston back into the caliper and for me was very difficult to use. The tool slid off every turn and started to round the slots on the piston. My dad took the caliper off the car and placed it in a vice to hold it still and took the piston gasket off and screwed it in without the tool. The back was done separately and solved the jerking issue.
The front was done just last week (about a week after the back) and I am glad it is all over with. The brakes feel great and stop really well, not to mention they look sharp behind my 20" wheels now that the calipers are painted.
To paint the calipers we just took regular black gloss spray paint to them after taking a wire brush to remove the brake dust and dirt. I'm not real sure how the paint will hold up to heat but we will see. So far they are holding up great.
The rotors are ATE slotted rotors and the pads are Hawk HPS pads. There is barely any brake dust even after two hours of stop and go traffic, 400 miles of driving and some decently hard braking. The stopping power is better than stock and there is no brake noise at all.
Thanks Sam Strano for mentioning them and sorry for this being so long winded.. This turned out to be quite an experience considering all the problems we ran into and I wanted to try to give a heads up of possible snags in what I thought would be a simple take off put on procedure.
12-19-2011, 11:00 AM
#3
4th Gear Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Temple, TX
Posts: 1,277
Yeah, I replaced all four rotors (powerslots) and pad (Hawk HPS) at one time... Use a 5" C-clamp for the fronts and a caliper tool set from Harbor Freight Tools that set me back $10. Took longer for me to run to the HFT for the tool when I realized the C-Clamp wouldn't work than anything else did... LOL... That caliper tool is a must.
Don
Don
12-19-2011, 11:01 AM
#4
Yeah no problem. Hopefully you won't run into as many problems as I did. Lol.
Edit: Don - Yeah the C-Clamp I forgot to mention, worked great for the front but there is absolutely no way you will get the back in with a C-Clamp without breaking the piston and then requiring a whole new $75 caliper. The caliper tool for me was like $7 alone.
Edit: Don - Yeah the C-Clamp I forgot to mention, worked great for the front but there is absolutely no way you will get the back in with a C-Clamp without breaking the piston and then requiring a whole new $75 caliper. The caliper tool for me was like $7 alone.
Last edited by ZPounds07GT; 12-19-2011 at 11:06 AM.
12-19-2011, 11:03 AM
#5
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Maui
Posts: 4,752
That square tool isn't the proper tool that's why you had the issues. For everybody else you can buy the tool kit from amazon for $34 With it the rears come out with no issues.
http://www.amazon.com/Professional-D...0&sr=8-1-fkmr0
Glad you were able to get it done. Those hawk pads are great too.
http://www.amazon.com/Professional-D...0&sr=8-1-fkmr0
Glad you were able to get it done. Those hawk pads are great too.
12-19-2011, 11:11 AM
#6
4th Gear Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Temple, TX
Posts: 1,277
That square tool isn't the proper tool that's why you had the issues. For everybody else you can buy the tool kit from amazon for $34 With it the rears come out with no issues.
http://www.amazon.com/Professional-D...0&sr=8-1-fkmr0
Glad you were able to get it done. Those hawk pads are great too.
http://www.amazon.com/Professional-D...0&sr=8-1-fkmr0
Glad you were able to get it done. Those hawk pads are great too.
12-19-2011, 11:29 AM
#7
12-19-2011, 11:47 AM
#8
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 1,486
12-19-2011, 11:52 AM
#9
4th Gear Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Temple, TX
Posts: 1,277
12-19-2011, 12:30 PM
#10
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 1,486