DIY - front disc and rotor replacement

[Brett1979 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Brett1979]

Re: DIY - front disc and rotor replacement

Sorry, I got your name wrong, Declan. I cannot loosen the handbrake cable from inside the car for the life of me. I tried an open ended spanner and also long neck pliars but the nut isn't budging. I'll try to get the rotor off tomorrow, but if no luck I'll have to put it in to a mechanic to do it for me. Who thought something that should be so simple is apparently not. Ahh well, I can't say I didn't try.

[williade Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close williade]

Re: DIY - front disc and rotor replacement

Hi Brett,
The cable is held in place with two nuts jammed against each other. You simply loosen the top nut first. A 10mm ring spanner should be perfect.

Don't give up tinkering with your car. I have great fun pulling it apart and putting it back together again :wink:

Cheers,
Declan.

[Brett1979 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Brett1979]

Re: DIY - front disc and rotor replacement

I still can't get the top lock nut to turn on the handbrake. It just twists and binds the whole screw with it until the spanner looses it's grip on the nut every time, so I've given up with that option. I tried loosening the handbrake cable tension on the pin screw with a flat screw driver (if that's what it does), but the screw driver opened up the insert on the end of the screw like a can opener. It was soft, old dodgy metal in that screw and was really weak. So that option's gone.

I've got the left side of the rear axle up on a support stand, the front wheels are both chocked in front and behind, the car is in nuetral with the handbrake off, and when I stick a screw driver into the vent gaps of the rear left rotor, I have to force it hard to get it to turn about 15 degrees. Should it be easier to spin given what I've just mentioned. There is a quiet audible scraping noise of some sort coming from inside the rotor, so I guess that can only be one thing... The handbrake shoe must be clamping lightly on the inside of the rotor hat. It's amazing my fuel bills aren't through the roof if that sucker is clamping all the time on a permanant basis. It just doesn't make sense to me. My Gregory's Automotive book mentioned if the rotor was difficult to remove, then you should remove the plug from the disc, insert a thin screw driver into the hole and move the adjuster wheel downward to retract the handbrake.

Well.... I had a look at the only rubber plug/seal going into the back of the backing plate and it's not going anywhere. I tried removing it and the only way I'm getting that off is with a knife and chissel and totally destroying it in order to get it off. I'll continue to bash the rotor with the hammer I've got, using an old shirt as the impact point, and I'll then twist the rotor around a little more and try it again, and so on and so on. I'm not expecting it to budge one little bit, so if that doesn't work I'll put the new pads on the existing rotor which is in bad need of replacing and book it in to a mechanic who's willing to use the parts I've already bought. I will need to pick up a set of new Bendix brake pads though because the new set I've got will be scored by the rotors as soon as I drive it again. But the old pads were completely worn so I'm not putting them back on.

[williade Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close williade]

Re: DIY - front disc and rotor replacement

Hi Brett,
The rotor will be very stiff if only one side is in the air, because of the Limited Slip Diff.

I know the bit in Gregory's that talks about a plug in the back plate. Just ignore it, I have no idea what it means. The hole you need to use is on the front face of the rotor. You will need to rotate the disc till the hole (I think there is actually three you can use) lines up the adjuster. I'd also be getting both wheels off the ground to allow to turn the rotors more easily.

Cheers,
Declan.

[Brett1979 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Brett1979]

Re: DIY - front disc and rotor replacement

I've been workingon the other side after fitting the good pads to the other side. I tested the brakes in my unit complex after just fitting new L/H pads and they're much better already. As for the holes at the front (there are 2 on my rotors), what am I lining up exactly? Should I rotate the rotor until the small holes line up to poke a screw driver through, or should I just turn a screw in the holes until it hits the backing (only a few millimeters in) and try and screw the rotors off that way?

Man are those bolts tight. It took me 2 hours just to jack/clamp the 4 bolts out (holding the calliper and the anchor plate in place).

[Chriso57 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chriso57]

Re: DIY - front disc and rotor replacement

People,

Without trying to sound too much like a smart arse I will say that the example above is exactly why you should be very careful when it comes to DIY repairs.
Dont get me wrong, I agree 100% with trying to save a buck and also learning something new.

However brakes on a road car are simply something that should be left to the professionals, or at the very least someone with a deal of experience.

At the end of the day saving a couple of hundred bucks might cost your (or someone else's) life.

BTW, I am a qualified mechanic. I have done thousands of brake repairs on all different types of vehicles and most of the time they are easy. Thing is I did 4 years training and have all the right tools to do the job.

Be careful.....

Chriso

[Brett1979 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Brett1979]

Re: DIY - front disc and rotor replacement

Declan, you are a genius!!!! I screwed screws into the two holes and I got the R/H side rotor off within 15 mins. Thankyou so much. If you'd like to know, I used two of the screws which hold the bash plate in. They're the right size. Can you message me personally of your mailing address, I'd like to post you a gift for your help and trouble over the last couple of days with answering my calls for help. You saved me god knows how much money to get a machanic to do it. I just have to go back and do the other side tomorrow after I've rested from the buggerising around.

Thanks so much for your help!!! I appreciate it more than you can ever imagine. I've actually acomplished something more than simply changing lubricants on my car now, thanks to you. There will be a seat in heaven for you my man!!!

[williade Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close williade]

Re: DIY - front disc and rotor replacement

Hi Brett,
That's an interesting method you ended up using. I actually meant to line the hole(s) up with shoe adjuster. If you can imagine looking at a cog from the side, that's what you push up or down with the flat head screw driver to adjust the shoes.

It's kinda hard to see, you may need a torch but even then, it's a very narrow viewing angle.

Also make sure you fasten the new rotors to the axle using at least 3 bolts so you can readjust the shoes afterward.

I'm glad it worked out for you though. Always happy to help where I can.

Cheers,
Declan.

@Chriso,
I hear you, and I probably wouldn't be recommending this job to someone who wasn't confident, but Brett's had a bad run with mechanics so I sympathize with him.

[Brett1979 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Brett1979]

Re: DIY - front disc and rotor replacement

I've tested the brakes over the course of a 30 min drive and topped up the brake fluid late this afternoon/early this evening. I decided not to rest a day before going back to the rear L.H.S to replace the rotor since I now knew how to get it off & it was going to be a white elephant until I did get it off. I did it immediately afterwards with only a 10 min rest and a relaxing alcoholic beveridge inbetween and since I could undo the bolts by hand this time I had the tyre, calliper and anchor plate off, the rotor replaced and new one degreased and cleaned, and everything back on including the tyre within 30 mins. The handbrake is working perfectly and the brakes are better than perfect. My front brake pads will need changing within approx 6 months or more, but those have two new rotors which were fitted by a mechanic when I last had the front brakes changed ($1,060 job at ABS Automitive). It will no doubt be a much less time consuming and easier job just changing the pads on them which really is very basic and quick to do and I learned on the go (even though I know they're slightly different with the retaining clips compared to the rears). When I did the 2nd wheel (R.H.S rear) it felt like I had done it many times before by that stage (even though it was only once). But I'm happy with how it all worked out and I'm 100% confident in changing the brakes, rotors and bleeding the brakes myself in the future. I had every tool in the box which I accumulated over the last 10 or so years, except for a rattle gun and a 4+ horse power air compressor to make things much easier. I jacked and clamped the calliper bolts back into place nice and tight, way beyond what I can do with my own two hands so they're not going anywhere. I just have to invest in buying the rattle gun and an air compressor to makes things a breeze in the future.

I do totally agree with you though Crisco and you can't replace experience. For others who will attempt brake & rotor changes for the first time in the future, if you don't have much in the way of tooling in the garage I wouldn't recommend it in the slighest as you'll hit a sticking point during the job for sure. Luckily I had a few odds and ends which I improvised with and made work, as well as 5mm tubing for aiding the brake bleeding, and a syphoning syringe and tube attached for extracting brake fluid out of the resevoir before compressing the brake piston. And you've got to make sure those retaining clips sit in the calliper properly when fitting the new brake pads (common sense though really). I had a proper designated clamp for compressing the pistons, but only used it on the 2nd wheel. I used a "G" clamp and a piece of off-cut 90x19mm pine reveal timber for the first brake piston which worked well, but the designated piston clamp was about 30 seconds faster for a 1 minute job. Brake part cleaner spray helps too to give them a quick clean during the job as they'll no doubt be filthy like mine. Just avoid getting it on the rubber boot seals.

[Derb Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Derb]

Re: DIY - front disc and rotor replacement

Hi Fellas. Amen to you Chrisso! If you have not done this type of brake work before - get a mate who has done it to help you or you will more often than not break stuff. If you do it yourself and end up having to get a garage to sort out the clusterf______k you will not only lose your self esteem when the missus finds out, it will cost you a bloody fortune. It is very easy to get it wrong with brakes and the very fact that a person is going to race out and buy a set of axle stands should bring up a flag anyway. Grab a mate and buy some beers for him and learn along the way. Good luck.

[javaman Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close javaman]

Sorry to revive an old thread... I tried to replace my 90 series front pads today, but the new pads (bendix DB-1323-4WD) seems too thick!!

I tried to force the brake pistons in and hit a stop, could not go further.

Not sure what's wrong here, as I installed the rear brakes with no dramas?

Perhaps I need to be more forceful using the "multigrips" ?

[croozza Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close croozza]

You can use a large flat screwdriver to force the pistons back, just be careful not to scrape it along the disc. Just do one pad at a time as otherwise one side of the caliper will want to push the pistons back out.

[javaman Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close javaman]

Thanks. Yes, I did that (using screwdriver) to push the pistons back. No problems with the rear and never been a problem with other cars I owned previously.

I went to Supercheap auto and bought one of those $5 G-Clamps and used it to compress the pistons. It works!! In fact it worked so well I did not even need to remove the disc assembly. The pistons are very stiff indeed to push back.

I got that idea after seeing the OP picture showint the use of multigrip. About to use that but the grim is $10 more expensive

Thanks for this great thread. 5 Star !!!

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Hey javaman,
If it was difficult to compress the piston you may need to consider a caliper overhaul. Check the seals for damage, if so, there's likely to be grit behind the seals and around the piston. This will decrease braking performance and wear the pads out quicker/unevenly

[javaman Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close javaman]

Thanks.

I had been very suspicious about that too. I checked the rubber seal etc. and there was no sign of tear etc. Should've taken them apart to see rust/grime below it but it seems all 8 pistones are behaving the same? I hope it's normal. When I compress them they moved back "smooth".. but heavy indeed.

The other thing I found out that the rotor cost were quite cheap ($170ish..) should've replaced them while getting dirty down there!