Author Topic: Changing Brake Pads  (Read 878 times)

Dan Powers

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Changing Brake Pads
« on: December 08, 2003, 03:29:00 pm »
So guys, my front brake pads need changing & i think the back ones need to be done some time soon probally.  Well I went into some blue car shop in Richmond today & asked the lady behind the counter how much to change my pads.  She quoted me like 440 for all four w/ cermatic brake pads, but I laughed & walked out.  First of all why do I need cermatic pads?  haha like I got x-drilled rotors, so w/o the right tempature being built by my rotors the pads are not that great..   Anyhow any of you guys know of some shops in richmond or vancouver who will do a decent job for a good price?  Or should I put on the gloves, go to lordco, & throw the car in blocks & get at em for the afternoon.  What cha figure?

Offline Kevin Chan

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Changing Brake Pads
« Reply #1 on: December 08, 2003, 03:32:38 pm »
try Apollo on No.3 they're alright.
pretty good job in changing my brakes to all x-dril and all pads, belts, oil etc...
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Offline Jeff Armstrong

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Changing Brake Pads
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2003, 03:36:26 pm »
Try doing it yourself.  $40 for front pads, probably the same for the rears.  And you don't need gloves......
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Offline Cole MacDonald

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Changing Brake Pads
« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2003, 07:49:23 pm »
Front pads can be changed by yourself in under an hour. It's only two bolts once the tire is off. That is unless your rotors need turning! Never done the rears before though.
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Offline Mike Schmid

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Changing Brake Pads
« Reply #4 on: December 08, 2003, 07:53:33 pm »
I'll agree with the above, pads are easy to swap.  And if you screw it up, hey, brakes aren't that important right?   :P
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Offline Cole MacDonald

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Changing Brake Pads
« Reply #5 on: December 08, 2003, 07:58:12 pm »
HAHA, don't scare him now!!
1990 FWD Laser 240 FWHP
1993 AWD Laser, 2.4L GT35r powered 562 AWHP
2014 Ram 3500 6.7L Cummins
2012 Skidoo Summit X 800 E Tec 164HP

Offline Scott Girvin

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Changing Brake Pads
« Reply #6 on: December 08, 2003, 09:15:23 pm »
Rear brakes are as easy as the fronts. Like cole said, just two bolts once the wheel is off. Leave the upper caliper bolt in though and use it as a pivot poit to rotate the caliper up so the pads can be removed and reinstalled.

Mmmmmmmmm brakes

Offline Michael Cummings

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Changing Brake Pads
« Reply #7 on: December 08, 2003, 10:45:47 pm »
stop flauntin your nice wheels its not the point of the thread
haha
1992 Talon Tsi (Sold - Owned from 02-09)
1990 Chev Astro (RIP)
1988 Yamaha FZR250 (RIP)
2008 Kawi Ninja250R (daily rider)
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Offline Michael Cummings

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Changing Brake Pads
« Reply #8 on: December 08, 2003, 10:49:52 pm »
i know this is posted everywhere but this will save me 10secs of looking
how often should your brake pads be changed
1992 Talon Tsi (Sold - Owned from 02-09)
1990 Chev Astro (RIP)
1988 Yamaha FZR250 (RIP)
2008 Kawi Ninja250R (daily rider)
1998 Ford Explorer XLT (daily driver)

Offline Eric McIntyre

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Changing Brake Pads
« Reply #9 on: December 08, 2003, 10:53:26 pm »
"hey i'll trade ya my nice heavy steelies and 3 stylin hubcaps for those ugly old rims ya got there" :roll: (while dying with envy)


ceramic pads do help.......they are denser, and therefore can take more heat faster. this is important because when you brake, your rolling energy is turned into heat. the better and faster that your brakes can do this, the more power you will have braking.
what year is your car? if you don't have big brakes, then you probably have bent rotors.....and they probably need turning.
when you stop from higher speeds, does the steering wheel wobble harshly? dunno if any shops would just do the machining or not.......
if you don't need them turned then its a simple job! takes about 5 minutes each side once you get the wheels off!
good luck
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the only way it was doin 12's in a quarter mile was being dropped off a 1320 foot  cliff
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Dan Powers

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Changing Brake Pads
« Reply #10 on: December 08, 2003, 11:10:19 pm »
Thanks alot guys,
I'm definatly gonna take a crack at this one in a few days.

Eric, my car is a 95, but I have X-Drilled rotors (not sure of size), they don't look warped, but then again I can hear it when i'm driving, but I suppose it is because I basically have no brake pad on the front left anymore.  


Well I figure I should get the pads & put them on the front, the rears aint too shabby.  And if I get a wobble when I brake then i'll have to get the discs re-surfaced.  Thanks alot guys & anymroe tips are helpful  :D

Offline Mike Schmid

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Changing Brake Pads
« Reply #11 on: December 08, 2003, 11:26:13 pm »
It's like this:

Replace your pads when they're worn out.  Mileage doesn't matter, pad type doesn't matter for this, there's no rules, it all depends on driving style and braking habits.  You can eat a set of pads and rotors in a weekend at an open track event or have them last 200,000kms on a highway vehicle or anywhere between.  Just replace them when they wear out.  Check pad wear by looking through the inspection hole in the rotor whenever the wheels are off, the more often the better.  Make sure to check each pad too, that means inside and out, usually one will wear faster than the other.  If they squeel or grind look at them ASAP and get them changed.  A really loud squeeling/howling fingers on chalkboard type sound is the wear indicator on the brakes hitting the rotor telling you to change the pads now.  But don't wait for it, I've seen pads worn to the rivets that never hit the wear indicator.  

Warped rotors are fairly common, they'll show up as a shake or shimmy in the steering wheel when you are braking.  It's not really a major problem...  The car will still stop fine, it'll just shake the wheel when you do it.  To fix this you need to get them turned down.

Any shop with a brake lathe, or even Lordco and some other parts stores will turn your rotors down without doing the brake job for you.... as long as the rotors don't need to be turned below minumum thickness.  No one will turn rotors below min. for liability reasons and you shouldn't run them anyways.
DSMs - fun when they run

'92 TSi AWD AT - 180bhp
'93 TSi AWD - 195bhp
'90 Laser RS NT - *sold*
'71 Camaro - *sold*

Offline Michael Cummings

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Changing Brake Pads
« Reply #12 on: December 09, 2003, 11:22:25 am »
thanks for all the good info
1992 Talon Tsi (Sold - Owned from 02-09)
1990 Chev Astro (RIP)
1988 Yamaha FZR250 (RIP)
2008 Kawi Ninja250R (daily rider)
1998 Ford Explorer XLT (daily driver)

Dan Powers

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Changing Brake Pads
« Reply #13 on: December 09, 2003, 05:47:09 pm »
Yeah thanks alot for the info mike, & all :D

Offline Mike Schmid

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Changing Brake Pads
« Reply #14 on: December 09, 2003, 07:34:11 pm »
Oh yeah, when you change pads and have to push the piston back into the caliper, just do it on a normal car.  However, if you have ABS, set up your clamp, and then open the bleeder screw as you compress the piston back into the caliper, then close the screw, you may need to bleed your brakes after this.  

If you don't do that on an ABS system you can push gunk into the ABS mechanism and mess it up.  Remember to check your brake fluid levels after letting fluid out.
DSMs - fun when they run

'92 TSi AWD AT - 180bhp
'93 TSi AWD - 195bhp
'90 Laser RS NT - *sold*
'71 Camaro - *sold*