Replacing a brake rotor

[desura]

wait.. so you mean you went in for something else.. and the dealer told you the brakes were warped? even though you have no pulsating in the peddle? ..if so they flat out lied to you, If this is a new car dealer than i would pissed if they told one of my friends that.. can report them to the Attorney general consumer protection dept online i believe. If this is a normal shop tho or a used car dealer than i wouldn't be saprized.

..you may have much more than 30% life left, rotors don't wear as nearly as fast as the pads.. the pads are made of softer material for that reason.. and if there's brake squeeking, that in itself doesn't indicate anything wrong either, brand new brakes working 120% can squeek

Good chance.

I'm going to take it to Sears (or any other repair chain place you guys might recommend).

 

[BUTCH1]

I have my own methods, first, since I like to change fluid when I replace pads I'll remove all the fluid from the master cylinder and replace with fresh then crack the bleeder screws and draw fresh fluid through each caliper, this avoids sending old dirty fluid through the brake lines and possibly into the ABS unit when you compress the piston. Remember to lube the caliper slides with the correct lube during re-assembly, it's important that the caliper assembly be able to move freely. The first vid linked to showed the caliper hanging by the brake hose, bad idea, those hoses were not designed to support the weight of the caliper and could be damaged doing that..

 

[desura]

http://www.cartalk.com/content/today-when-replace-brake-rotors

so the cartalk guys are saying that with modern cars, you need to replace the rotors and the brake pads at the same time b/c modern brake pads are harder and so corrode at the same rate as the rotors.

 

[z1ggy]

I met a lady at a local auto parts store. Her husband was a mech and did side work for cash. So i went to his house, brought the parts and paid him 50 bucks to change all my rotors and all my pads.

I watched him do the work, and now I know how to change the pads and rotors on my own. It's been a while, so I'd consult youtube, but the job took around 1-2 hours. Pretty simple.

 

[jolancer]

http://www.cartalk.com/content/today-when-replace-brake-rotors

so the cartalk guys are saying that with modern cars, you need to replace the rotors and the brake pads at the same time b/c modern brake pads are harder and so corrode at the same rate as the rotors.

those guys sound like the services reps at the desk, not the techs.. that or there clowns LoL.

proper automotive advice online is hard to come by... there maybe websites or places online that may have a higher percentage of reliable auto advice, but i wouldn't know I don't use'em..., but even then its going to be mixed with opinions or not so good advice sometimes.

if your a novice, my suggestion would be to get the bulk of your advice from a real tech offline. Then after you aquire some basic understanding not even just about car's but(not sure how to word it but) common sense of basic mechanical concepts, then i think it would be a bit safer to jump into the randomness of info for auto crap in the online pool.

....about the link, there point about what shops on a flat rate do by replacing rotors instead of resurfacing them is true and is a good arument for replacment if the shops policy is to always make sure the rotors are resurfaced or replaced due to there own standards of how they want the brakes to feel for the customer... however I have no clue why they would throw out there such non-sense about rotors wearing as quick as pads LOL... along with what thy said about there assumptino the rotors are recycled and that this is somehow 'good' for the environment LOL. Personally i think castration would make a sound environmental policy.

...you can buy pads with a higher metal content that last longer, but they do not last as nearly as long as rotors, if they did you would sound like a train hitting the ebrake going down the road.

 

[FeuerFrei]

Its a pretty straightforward job. Once you do it, you will have a hard time paying someone more than ~$20/wheel, IMO ... going shop-labor rates be damned.

 

[desura]

Its a pretty straightforward job. Once you do it, you will have a hard time paying someone more than ~$20/wheel, IMO ... going shop-labor rates be damned.

Yes, I am seriously considering just doing a DIY job.

Since this is a cheap car, I'm looking at the cheapest rotors on amazon to do it...or should I care and get more expensive ones?

 

[someone16]

I've found that the rotors on most Japanese/American cars can be reused after a pad change. Most european cars have designed it so that the rotor and pads wear out at the same time.

 

[desura]

So, just need to pick up some equipment for this little job...

For starters, I need a good way to get the car off the ground. which is better?

or

 

[bruceb]

Most of the time, unless you let the brake pads get worn way too far down, the rotor will not need resurfacing or replacement. You can easily look at the surface for scoring or groves. If you have them or can feel them, they need to be resurfaced or replaced. Most rotors have a Minimum Thickness stamped on them. Use a ruler or caliper to see if they are still thick enough to resurface. Also, if you began with new rotors and changed pads when you should, you might have to change the rotors when you install your second set of new pads (on average this would be around the 90K or so mileage)
As to aftermarket rotors, personally, if I use them, it would be Brembo rotors. The price is reasonable and the company is reliable.

 

[PottedMeat]

So, just need to pick up some equipment for this little job...

For starters, I need a good way to get the car off the ground. which is better?

or

you use the top to stick the bottom ones in, you don't rely on the top only

you could use your cars' jack to lift it up and stick the stands in

 

[twinrider1]

Maybe you should just go ahead and pay someone to do your brakes.

You really should have both. You'll have to have the jack. It lifts the car up. The jack stands are there to keep the car up. A jack will slowly go back down.

 

[BUTCH1]

Maybe you should just go ahead and pay someone to do your brakes.

You really should have both. You'll have to have the jack. It lifts the car up. The jack stands are there to keep the car up. A jack will slowly go back down.

Yea, I agree, if he thinks jack stands are used to jack up a car he probably has no business working on brakes!

 

[sdifox]

all 4 rotors for 100 labour? Pay the man. Replace the pads too.

 

[thomsbrain]

very simple you can do it on that car easily

As for relieving brake pressure all you have to do is take brake fluid resevoir cap off. When you remove the caliper you can use a c clamp or wood clamp to push the caliper in.

Rotors sometimes have retaining screws that can be a real PITA. An impact driver used in the following manner solves that issue:

Yup, a cheap impact driver and hammer are very helpful for those screws. If all else fails, you can drill the screw heads off. The screws are unnecessary and don't need to be replaced unless you enjoy facing that same headache next time.

 

[desura]

It's a little stuck right now. Advice? Pic worth 1k words

 

[someone16]

If you've got the caliper pin bolts off then just pry it a bit with a screwdriver to get it off the rotor.

Btw are you doing the pads too? Looks like you'll have to do the pads soon anyways so get it all done together.

 

[iamwiz82]

Get a crow bar between the caliper and the rotor and pry it up if the screwdriver isn't working.

That rotor looks like it's bonded on there. You are going to have to beat the hell out of it, most likely. You have any rust eater? PB Blaster, etc? WD40 won't help here.

 

[desura]

If you've got the caliper pin bolts off then just pry it a bit with a screwdriver to get it off the rotor.

Btw are you doing the pads too? Looks like you'll have to do the pads soon anyways so get it all done together.

yes, I'm doing pads also.

there is one bolt on there that I can't get unstuck. Near the back underside..., can't see in pics.

 

[someone16]

You talking about the caliper bracket bolt? You'll need a breaker bar for that. You can also try spraying some WD-40 on the bolt.

 

[desura]

Got it out.

Basically...slotted wrench in...then kicked wrench till loose.

Okay, so the one part I'm missing I think is the part where I...relieve brake pressure fluid in order to push back a cylinder so that I can install the brake pads.

Now, I hear that getting air in the brake fluid line is a problem.

How do I get air out of it?

 

[iamwiz82]

It would be unusual if you got air into the system just by changing pads and rotors.

To relieve pressure, pop the brake fluid cap at the master cylinder and then take a c-clamp and compress the piston into the brake caliper.

If air were to get in you would notice a spongy pedal since air is much more compressible than fluid. To get rid of it is a two person job, or one person plus a speed bleeder. If you are doing this you might as well replace all the brake fluid as well, it's not a whole lot more work.

Bleeding brakes: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/maintenance/4213448

 

[desura]

ack!

Stripped a screw.

I f'ing hate phillips head screws. Why???? Why do we still use them?????

They're the worst screw design ever.

Anyways, got it out.

Need a replacement, of course, will get tomorrow...

I'm hoping I can find it at...Lowes?

 

[BUTCH1]

Got it out.

Basically...slotted wrench in...then kicked wrench till loose.

Okay, so the one part I'm missing I think is the part where I...relieve brake pressure fluid in order to push back a cylinder so that I can install the brake pads.

Now, I hear that getting air in the brake fluid line is a problem.

How do I get air out of it?

How did you lose the bleeder screw, your just supposed to loosen it a bit while bleeding the brakes. Yes, you now most defiantly have air in the system, most auto part stores should have bleeder screws.

 

[bruceb]

Phillips are used as it easier for automated tools or for an assembly line worker to use. The bit just pops into the screwhead. With slotted screws, it takes much more time to get the tool into position and the bit can easily slip out and ruin the screw. If your Phillips screw was extremely tight, then you should have sprayed some penetrating oil on it first, then be sure the head was oil free. Use of the proper number Phillips bit is important as well. They also make what is called a Pozi Drive Bit ... it has serrations at the very tip where it fits into the screw and it will grab it much better than a regular bit. Also if you used a screwdriver, the better ones are the ones with the Black Tips as they are harder.