Wow! This is the only brake video I've seen to rival ChrisFix's quality (and I've seen quite a few). I don't know why we don't see more repair videos from EE, judging by this one. You still can't beat a ChrisFix video... but this is freaking good.
Hahaha, I'm with ya. Chris is the man and his DIY video quality is the best. I like to focus more on how stuff works rather than DIY's, but if it's something I'm doing to my own car, I figure I may as well post the video. The test portion should be pretty interesting!
No offense to EE, cause I love his videos, but if you are looking for car repair on RU-vid go check out South Main Auto Repair. Guys a mechanical savant and has a 40 minute video just on brake hardware.
I'd like to see you do a comparison video between braking styles: light brake riding vs intermittent (firmer) braking to see which creates more brake wear and shortens the life of your pads. I advocate intermittent braking, and find myself rolling my eyes whenever I see people riding their brakes, especially on relatively flat roads.
Some important points to consider... #1: Apply anti-seize compound between the new rotor and wheel hub to prevent rusting. Makes the job easier next time. Also...if you have a brake pulsation issue, and new rotors didn't solve the problem, you may have a bent wheel hub. #2: The caliper slider pins should NOT be lubricated with a petroleum based grease. A silicone based grease or a product specific for caliper sliders should be used. The rubber bushings inside the caliper sliders will swell up and seize, if you use a petroleum based lubricant. Those sliders should slide freely but still be snug. If the outboard pad has plenty of lining remaining and the inboard pad is worn out, you need to look at the operation of the slider pins. Slider pins that are too stiff or too loose need to be fixed or replaced. This is very important. #3: The bracket that holds the brake pads needs to be cleaned. The brake pads should fit snug in that bracket and be able to easily slide in that bracket. I use a little anti-seize compound on the mating surfaces too. Sometimes the brake pads may need to be filed down in order to achieve a perfect fit. #4: Be careful when applying the anti-seize compound on the back of the brake pads and on the wheel hub and on the caliper/pad mounting bracket. The heat generated by the brakes can make the anti-seize creep onto the brake pad linings. Not good.
Hey there, do u know if all vechicles have a rear piston that needs to be spun to push it back? I have an electric parking brake, and i wonder if i need to spin it cuz im changing rear pads tomorrow myself and i dont have the tools to spin it.
This video has been of great help. I hadn't done this in years. Thanks a lot! One of the very few things that don't match with my my experience is the torque given to the bolt for upper front caliper pins. I tried at 24 lb-ft and the bolt beoke. Got a brand new pin and bolt, tried to torque at 23 lb-ft and stopped before making it to 23 cause it felt like it was going to brake again.
I learn more from you in one 10 minute video than I have in the last school year, not to mention I _will_ use the stuff I learn. They should teach this in school.
Mine was fine for 2 lifts until it wouldn't let my car come down. The company told me to find 4 other really strong guys and pick my camaro off the lift while they build, test and send me a new motor.
wow thank you for installing the slotted rotors properly, i have seen so many people even professional shops install slotted rotors backwards, if you dont have directional internal vanes then the outside edge of the slots should always contact the pads first when rotating forward not the inside edge, thank you for informing people properly
Jeff Grey Some manufactures call for it to be opposite. Not all rotors are the same, I just installed new rotors and it specifically says to have the inside contact first to keep noise down when braking. They were straight vanes.
sam campbell well all slotted rotors i have seen with both directional and non directional vanes usually are the outside edge of the slot contacting the pads first, even ferrari's, lambo's, and many other exotics are that way, even race motorcycles too. Im curious as to what type of car you have and what brake kit it is if not stock.
Jeff Grey I just installed a set of EBC rotors and EBC indicates the slot is to contact the pad at the inside diameter first. Concrete example utilizing a known-good aftermarket supplier.
Walter K but you fail to say what car, and what are you trying to say? that the way you did it is the correct way? 99% of slotted rotors have the outter diameter of the slot contacting the pad first and there is a reason for that and i have seen ebc rotors that way as well.. maybe this guy should make a video on it since hes an engineer and all
StopTech Street? Good choice, I have the same setup on my 3MPS BK (mazdaspeed3 gen1), and they are phenomenal on the street as well as light track (one cool down lap every 3 laps or so, just to be sure).
This is the best! Im in the process of looking for a new car, and the first mods i have planned are rotors, pads, and calipers, as well as getting seperate wheels and tires for different seasons to deliver better overall wear and increase fun factor....thinking about the new 6 speed manual golf alltrack instead of going the subaru route.
Jesus, you make it look so easy. I changed the pads on my '14 Focus ST today and it took me like 4 hours (it's the first time I've ever done it, and wasn't properly prepared to push the piston back in, so I needed to stop, and get the right tool, and by "right" I mean a C-clamp haha). And now my brake pedal is squishy as hell and have a few drops of what I assume is brake fluid leaking (I presume due to the pressure difference after compressing the piston). Hopefully I don't have a major issue... but the car does stop, so at least I've got that going for me
@ 2:45... I just did this yesterday and used (And have always used)... Never have had an adverse experience. .. Yes...@ 4:40 have this too. .. Works just fine... 👍
Good video, keep up the quality of the channel. I just wanted to add, you must use silicone lubricant on the slide pins, because if you use a petroleum based product, it will degrade the rubber boot
Good video. I like to use some bungee cords to hang the calipers off of a spring or a part of the suspension while I"m changing out the pads. Keeps you from bumping the caliper and accidentally stretching the line or something.
A tube of M77 is available at your local Honda dealer. Clean and lubricate the anti rattle clips also (with M77). Clean and lubricate the caliper pins with a silicone grease/paste per Honda specs, e.g. Superlube silicone brake grease.
please don't forget to bleed the brakes too while you're there. I've been running Castro's new synthetic formula in fact I just flushed my system out of my Subaru I usually do it about every two years this time I went over to two and a half years and the fluid was still pretty darn clean I was surprised!!
Top tip when trying to wind back pistons/ how the rotor (discs) are mounted: If they aren't budging easily, get a friend to open the brake fluid reservoir for a split second while you wind the piston back in, then top up brake fluid if needed. When pads are low, the brake fluid level will be low so be sure to check afterward and always replace the brake fluid every 2 years or so! Regarding the discs or rotors, remember that it's how the fins on the INSIDE matter when placing the disc, and not the grooves on the outside. Centrifugal forces will push air out of the rotor and with it heat, so make sure the fins on the inside are not 'scooping' air when rotating forward (as seen on 2:24).
Some ceramic/copper grease on the hub will make it easier for the future, and it is said that copper grease will support heat transfer from the disc to the hub... It also helps when pushing the piston back.. to open up the bleed valve... it is always good to bleed the brakes after a brake job... dump a bit of the old fluid out....inspect caliper, clean it up... or rebuild it:) The caliper guide pins, only grease them with a silicon based lube as petroleum based grease will swell the rubbers.
Easy for you to do on this car. 24 years ago, honda thought it was a good idea to use hub over rotor on my 93 accord. It's going to be a pain in the butt to change those rotors if I have to. :\
the rear brake cube is ok till you get a full rear caliper kit I got mine from matco for under a 100 bux, I recommend an impact driver instead of a hammer & regular screwdriver.
hey u forgot one thing! that is opening the brake fluid cap (if fluid is at max level and if we force the piston inside there will be increase in brake fluid in reservoir).
Well first you want to check and see where the fluid level is. If it's at max or near max, then you might want to remove some of the fluid (depending on how much you have to compress the piston(s)). Or, just have someone watch it and make sure that it doesn't overflow in the reservoir.
It is recomended to not apply anything between the pad and the piston to reduce vibrations and movement. the only place to apply a lubricant is on the brake pad shims where they stay put on the caliper bracket so they can move when the pison is released. And any rotor should be washed with water and soap to ground the rotor and wash away small particles of metal . When the brake rotors are machined, theres a magnetif field created on it and metal dust will stick to it. Most brake fabricants wont decontaminate the rotors and apply grease on them to not rust . But its really important to wash them , that way tou reduce the riscs of creating hot spots on the rotor which cause noise and warping it.
Open the brake reservoir cap and make sure it is not over flow before you push the piston back and bleed that brakes while you are at it. Use 3M silicon paste for pads
Someone probably have already asked this, but here goes: Brake wear. Considering in a controlled environment where the vehicle weight, travelling speed, brake size, brand, braking times/cycles etc etc are all identical. In which manner will the brake pads and discs have the least wear? Light and gentle, progressive, sharp and hard braking. Many thanks!
When are you going to post the video of the temperatures? Would like to buy a set of these, but hard numbers would be nice to see if they actually work. Thanks.
Legend has it that an impact screwdriver will remove the disc retaining screws, or at least most of the Phillips head making way for the drill bit... I keep a bolt on hand that threads into the remaining holes to help push the rotor off in the event its rusted to the hub...
This video was well done. I do have a question about brakes, in particular the sensitivity in the brake pedal itself. Some vehicles I've driven have much more of a "sensitive" response when applying pressure to the brake pedal, in other vehicles the amount of pressure applied to achieve similar stopping results requires more applied force to the brake pedal. Why is that, and can the sensitivity be adjusted?
MoCooL usually a brake system with contaminated brake fluid or just plain our air in the system results in a squishy brake pedal, that's why when there's a leak in the brake system , the brake pedal just bottoms out. If you think your pedal is not as sensitive as you want it too be , maybe bleed or flush your brake fluid depending on when it was last changed. Also a abnormally stiff brake pedal could mean a leak in the brake booster (black Pan looking thing on your firewall ) But usually if everything is okay then it's just the way of the beast.
If there's air in the system you will definitely feel it. The pedal gets spongey and very unresponsive. But different systems require different pedal effort based on their geometry and piston sizes used, as well as the vacuum assist. There are quite a few variables that engineers can play with to make pedal effort higher or lower.
Also consider stainless steel lines. There are many components within a good high performance braking system that will give the brakes better feel, but adding stainless steel lines is a cheap way. It prob won't be night/day difference, but also will add protection against line aneurysm/damage.
One suggestion: I like to use a little of that same high temp lube between the rotor and wheel hub surface to prevent future rust from forming making the next time easier. (I live in the rust belt, obviously this wouldn't apply for everyone.)
If you cant remove the rotor screws I've found hitting them with a punch trying to turn them out seems to work really good, if that doesn't work I've also had good luck just smashing the piss out of the rotor and breaking the screws off lol. they're usually pretty soft screws.
How do you bleed brakes then, at the line? I like to change the brake fluid and bleed the system every time I do brakes, it's a good habit. If my customers decline that's on them, I like to give cars the TLC they deserve.
Not sure that's even a possibility to be honest, the ABS pump is usually pretty far away from the brakes, especially the rear brakes, and 99% of the time the fluid just moves back in the line and causes the master cylinder reservoir to move back up in volume, there is no way that any "gunk" is going to make its way back to the master cylinder let alone the ABS pump. A brake system is very high in pressure theres no way the stuff is getting back there. Cracking a bleeder is the best way to do it i wont disagree, problem is threads aren't perfect, they can and will suck up air, how do i know? Bled my motorcycle brakes had a great feeling lever then went for a ride, oh yea it went spongy like a min later and couldn't brake, the bleeders were letting in air at the threads. Unless you are fully bleeding a system i don't recommend it, even then most of the time you never get the original feel of the brakes.
Why does your brake fluid turn from clear amber to a sludgy color then if it's not possible? Have you ever compressed a piston with the bleeder cracked open and seen what comes out?
There are a few tips to doing a similar brake job. 1) Never grab a wheel by the inside spokes, because the wheel can fall and smash the fingers. Always grab the wheel by the front/rear outside diameter to avoid smashed fingers. 2) Although there are hex surfaces on the caliper pins, these hex surfaces do NOT need to be held in place while loosening the caliper retaining screws. 3) The brake rotor retaining screws are #3 Phillips, not #2. 4) An impact screwdriver (not a normal screwdriver) are needed to remove stubborn screws. 5) A smoke wrench on the top hat works well to remove the rust bond between the hub and rotor. Do not impact the brake rotor outer surface, because that damages the wheel bearings. 6) The outboard rotor surface is always cleaned first. The top hat of the rotor prevents the cleaned surface from getting dirty when the inboard surface is cleaned. 7) The use of anti-seize lubricants on the backs of the pads and shims is entirely useless. 8) The steps to clean the caliper cradle mount and replace the hardware are entirely missing. 9) There are specific tools and procedures to clean the hub mating surface. 10) The steps to check the fit of the brake pad ears in the cradle, file if necessary, and lubricate the brake pad ears in the cradle are also missing. Many blanking dies are worn out for the brake pads, so the burnished and painted surfaces on the brake pad ears must always be verified. 11) The brake caliper pins must be lubricated at every brake service interval. 12) Torque wiggle sticks are good enough to tighten lug nuts. 13) The step to align the pins of the inboard brake pads to the notches in the rear caliper pistons was left out. 14) It is a good idea to bed the brake pads and rotors to avoid Judder complaints, especially with the hi-po brake pad formulae that are offered. Very few mechanics or even engineers understand how brake friction works, and Judder (and sometimes Thudder) are common complaints that are mostly preventable. Brake pad friction is primarily composed of adherent friction and only partially composed of abrasive friction.
Your new rotors had this oil film on them to prevent rust, so they needed cleaing. I bought a set of coated ones; they looked like they were painted grey. They don't need any cleaning before installation, because the pads will quickly eat away the coating. However, the driver needs to be aware that this happens for the first mile or couple of miles of city driving, so don't expect your brakes to be very effective before the coating wears off. At first I wasn't aware of how big a difference this makes, but it didn't take long until the brakes were working normally.
Those are on backwards, likes should slop towards the rear of the car, yours are going to the from ( top to bottom ) should be hight at the front low in the rear .
Wooha. I like those quick jack. I wish I had a garage to use this kind of device. Is the lift safe enough to work under your car? or it,s preferable to use Jack stand too ( although the quickjack make it super easy to place the stands). Great instruction, it always to me to be a hard job, but if you take you time it,s not really that bad. Cool! thank!
Where do you find the manufacturer recommended bolt torque specifications? Do you have to order a repair manual through the dealer or is there another way of finding this information?
I've often looked at brake caliper location on various cars and wondered, why have they been placed just there? Usually front brake calipers situated at the front edge of the rotor while at the rear they are at the rear edge. But not always. Is there any rhyme or reason for those locations or is it a " design " feature?
Remember, rotors are directional based on manufacture. Some rotors are straight vaned and really doesn't matter which side of car they are on. Some rotors are specific sided based on the vanes acting as a pump.
Hi, I just bought mine 2008 MY and put it on plates today. I will have to do front discs and rear pads (discs seem to be wide enough altough rusty around the edge). Should i change them too? HELP NEEDED: Can you please send me a link on where did you get that tool for pushing rear piston back into caliper? That would really help me as i want to do these basics on my own. Big thanks. Ondrej
Another good tip would be to apply anti seize to the face of the hub to prevent the rotor from rusting on. Not every car has the holes to get the rotor free.
Nice video! I just replaced the front rotors and pads on my 7th gen Accord... I'm now hear a slight "bump" on the passenger side only while braking at low speeds, less then 20mph. It almost sounds like a wrapped rotor, but I put on a new rotor. I didn't use the Molykote M77 stuff, would that cause this noise?
Is their any reason why you put the rotor on, with the slots going in that direction? I bought some slotted rotors (TRD) and the installation directions, say to put the rotor in, with the slots going the other way. Hope this makes sense.
Just a question: Where do you find the manufacturers instructions about the necessary torque and which brakes pads, and lubricant you should use? I'm asking since i don't have a car yet and therefore think that they won't write it in the users manual since they do not intent you to do work on the car on your own.
Another tip, press your piston in first as soon as the calipers off, you dont want to clean it up, change your disc, grease your pads, build it back to find out you need a new caliper or flexi
Chrisfix said that blank rotors are much better for street-driven cars than drilled and slotted rotors because drilled and slotted rotors will eat the pads faster than blank rotors. Is this true?
