Grey

iTrader: (61)

MATERIALS NEEDED:

- socket set

- No. 3 phillips head bit

- jack and jack stands

- brake pad grease

- some strong string or wire

- hammer


OPTIONAL MATERIALS:

- wrench

- impact screwdriver

- small sledge hammer

- vise-clamp


CLEANING MATERIALS:

- WD-40

- brake cleaner/degreaser


INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Loosen the lug nuts on the front wheels.

2. Jack up the front of the car with a jack. (look for an arrow etched in the black plastic under the car to see the support point)

3. Put jack stands under the sides of the car in the middle of the special support points. (remember to make it so the wheels are off the ground slightly)

4. Remove the lug nuts completely and take off the wheels.

5. To do the passenger's side of the car turn the wheel all the way to the left. To do the driver's side of the car turn the wheel all the way to the right.

SEE OPTIONAL STEP NUMBER ONE BELOW

6. Look for two big bolts that hold the caliper to the hub. (circled in blue)

7. Remove the lower bolt first. (remember which way to unscrew; right-hand thread)

8. Suspend the caliper with some strong string tied to the spring, or a wire bent to hang from the spring. (watch out to not bend the brake line too much)

9. Remove the upper bolt and let the caliper hang from the string or wire. (make sure it's secure)

10. Spray the two phillips head screws holding the rotor to the hub with WD-40. (circled in yellow)

11. Wait for the WD-40 to loosen the screws and use a No. 3 phillips head bit to unsrew them.

SEE OPTIONAL STEP NUMBER TWO BELOW

12. Tap the old rotors with a hammer if they're stubborn and won't come off the hub.

13. Now clean the rusted parts of the hub with something that removes rust to make a good seating surface for the new rotor. (WD-40 is okay)

14. Take out the brake pads from the caliper. They just slip out.

15. Take out this little clip cover on one of the brake pads and clean it.

16. Clean the old pads and rotors. (save them and maybe sell them [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG])

17. Clean the caliper using a de-greaser. (dish washing liquid is okay, but specialty brake cleaner is preferable)

18. Clean everything else so that it's spic and span, greaseless, and dry.

19. Now put the brake pad grease on the back of the brake pads and on the slip covers. (do not put any on the sides that touch the rotor)

20. Install the brake pads. (remember to include those slip covers that you removed from the stock pads)

21. Make sure to clean the rotors of any grease before putting them on.

22. Put on the rotors. (these rotors are directional, remember to put the right one on the right side)

23. After putting on the rotors check again if they have any grease smears on them. (clean as necessary)

SEE OPTIONAL STEP NUMBER THREE BELOW

24. Put on the calipers. (do not grind any part of the caliper against the rotor)

25. Tighten everything down to specifications. (don't know what that is exactly, so I'm going on feel)

26. Before putting the wheels back on pump the brakes lightly a couple of times to seat the brake pads.


OPTIONAL STEP NUMBER ONE:

1. Look for the two smaller bolts that hold the outside part of the caliper closer to the rotor. (circled in red)

2. Try to loosen the bolts; notice that this one part spins.

3. Use a wrench to hold that part in place while you try to loosen the bolts again.


This optional step is to loosen how close the brake pads sit to the rotor's surface. You should do this if you have any difficulty removing the caliper from the rotor after unscrewing the two big bolts. The torque specification for these bolts is somewhere around 25 to 30 foot pounds. I reverse engineered this torque specification by adjusting my torque wrench until I could unscrew the bolt. Some people reccomend you break in new rotors using old pads and break in new pads using old rotors. Brembo's instructions state to replace the rotors and pads at the same time, so that is what I ended up doing.


OPTIONAL STEP NUMBER TWO:

1. Use an appropriate bit (No. 3 phillips head bit) and an impact screwdriver to loosen the screw from the caliper.

2. Set the impact screwdriver to turn counter-clockwise.

3. Tap the impact screwdriver with a hammer to unscrew the bolt. (you may need a small sledge hammer if a regular hammer isn't heavy enough)


This optional step is for older cars where these little screws have corroded threads and are stuck. An good impact screwdriver set can be bought for about $15. This tool is very good at taking out these screws; especially with the No. 3 phillips head bit. It's a good tool to have in your arsenal, so if you're not sure whether you'll be able to take those screws out then get this tool before you start this DIY. It'll save you some frustration, that's for sure.


OPTIONAL STEP NUMBER THREE:

1. Make sure the brakes are not depressed (duh!)

2. Use a vise-clamp to push the piston in if you do not have enough clearance to put the caliper back onto the rotor with the new brake pads in.


This step is necessary to perform if you have used up a lot of the old brake pad material. The piston will be all the way out and the new brake pads will be too thick to have them fit into the caliper and for the caliper to go over the rotor. If you cannot depress the piston then you might be able to un-do the bleed-valve and then depress the piston. This will cause brake fluid to come out of the bleed screw, but you'll be able to depress the piston for sure. Not 100% sure about this, so don't try it if you're not sure...


REVIEW:

I can compare the effectiveness of the stock brake pads to the AEM/Nissin brake pads since my sister also has a 2001 Honda Civic LX. It takes less pedal effort to get the AEM/Nissin brake pads to start gripping. I also notice that the brake pads work better when they're warmed up. I don't know about the rotors since I have no way of testing them. Although, in theory they should work better than the stock ones do. The holes increase the surface area of the rotor and allow the air to flow through the rotor which increases cooling of the rotor. The slots are there to prevent the buildup of brake dust so that it doesn't form a glaze on the surface of the brake pad. This glaze forms under hard braking and has lower frictional properties than the surface of a non-glazed brake pad. In effect, you will be able to effectively brake longer than before.




This is a picture of the rotor after a few weeks of time have passed. Notice the season, it's fall. [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG] Anyway, the zinc coating is holding up pretty well. This is the passenger's side. I first put on the rotors backwards! This is not the way to put them on! Whoops! If you put on the rotors this way then the brake pads will be used up quicker.




This is a picture of the back of the rotor. The piston is the circular shape in the middle. The bleed screw is pictured as well along with it's little black dust cap.


One more picture of correct mounting coming soon.

flotsamm

iTrader: (1)

Niiice thanks.

Say, about the brake disc grease, I'm assuming you mean anti-squeek compound? Also, I think that if the pads require you to compress the caliper piston in some so they'll fit, that you want to make sure that you clamp off the rubber brake line section with a soft style clamp. This way when you squeeze the caliper, you dont back-flush the brake fluid back into the system and flush any built up contanimants back in. I mention this since alot of people make this mistake when changing brakes. What happens is as your brake system gets old, the dirt starts to act like a seal around the various valves and pistons. This can mess up your master cylinder seals, proportion valve and some ABS components if your not careful. You might wanna mention that, up to you. Best way I found though is to clamp off the rubber section of the brake line with some soft vise-grips(or use a rag) and then crack the bleeder, then compress the caliper. Again this is only if you need to compress the caliper to get new pads/shoes on. If you dont do it this method, at a minimum take the brake resevior cap off and remove a small amount of fluid before you compress the caliper. This will keep the system from over flooding and spilling into the engine bay.

EDIT: BTW you might wanna mention that some peeps may need to bleed the brakes afterwards. I think those with ABS may need a different method also.. not sure.

FWIW...

7thGenerasianCivic

iTrader: (13)

Is it the same with the drums?

Grey

iTrader: (61)

Drums are not discs. It's totally different.

7thGenerasianCivic

iTrader: (13)

So...you got a DIY on the drums?

HondaLuver

iTrader: (17)

would this lets say be the same if i wer to by chance have rear discs... (snicker, snicker)

7thGenerasianCivic

iTrader: (13)

oh boy...LOL

Grey

iTrader: (61)

Yeah, rear discs are practically the same. Drums are a different story. I've seen them done before. I'll post a DIY when I get the chance.

EviLMyStS

iTrader: (1)

Nice man...

manu

Hey Grey great DIY ; but i just can't take out the bolts for the calipers . I was able to take only one bottom bolt and the other three aren't moving at all. I tried WD-40 , i tried a friend of mine who's stronger than me and it just won't come off. Got any ideas ??? anybody ??

Grey

iTrader: (61)

You should use air tools. An impact gun did the trick for me. If you don't have one, then turn the wheel one way all the way until you can fit your torque wrench in there. Then use an extention (a pipe) on the torque wrench to break the nut loose. Good luck!

SMURF_KILLER

Very clean job!!!! I like the things you have done with you car besides the disc brakes. I will be pm you on your suspension set ups

Renamazazo

iTrader: (3)

Hey grey, did you have any problems with your rotor run out being off, or do you have a ghetto way of measuring it to make sure it's within specs? I jsut got new rotors and ebc redstuff and I was thinking about putting them in myself, but I'm kidna worried about the runoff being wrong...

Grey

iTrader: (61)

Yeah, I didn't measure it. Well, I kinda noticed that the zinc coating was rubbing off evenly. That's about it though. My car was fairly new and I trusted the manufacturing tolerances to be pretty accurate. Coming from a Brembo blank and all... I don't know, it wasn't a big deal for me.

Renamazazo

iTrader: (3)

Thanks for the info, I think if I just clean off the hub where the rotor attaches really well, and make sure it's set on there properly, it should'nt be an issue. I will be doing this very soon, and I hopefully will have pictures of it as well.

streetglower

iTrader: (13)

streetglower

iTrader: (13)

since that didnt work, what do you mean by clamping off the rubber section of the brake line, the crack the bleeder?

flotsamm

iTrader: (1)

If you look at your brake lines, there should be a rubber section that leads to the brake assembly. Its rubber so that it can move with the wheel. Using a soft clamp, clamp off the hose gently so no fluid can escape. Then open up the bleeder enough to allow the piston to be pushed in enough for the new pads to be inserted. Just be careful and make sure your rubber hose is in good shape(not brittle). When you crack the bleed and push the piston back have some rags handy to catch any fluid that might drip out. Becareful with brake fluid, it'll eat your paint off your car.

streetglower

iTrader: (13)

So I dont have to remove the brake line from anywhere, right? All I have to do is clamp it so no brake fluid back flushes in it, right?

HyaBoosta

iTrader: (11)

how about just taking off the top bolt that holds the center of the calliper on and the one on the bottom as well. once you do this there is no need at all to take the calliper off. just swing down the center section of the caliper(make sure not to remove the bottom bolt completly)down. then all you have to do is pop in the pads and clamp down the cylinder with plyers with a flat surface attached(so not to damage it.) then tighten the 2 bolts on and pump the brakes. No need to bleed anything. or string anything up. BOOYA! TOOK ME 10 MIN TO DO FRONT PADS.

Grey

iTrader: (61)

You could do that. You don't have as much room to work though. Plus you should grease up the back of the brake pads with anti-squeel compound. If you do things the way you say, then it's hard to not get that anti-squeel compound all over everything.

HyaBoosta

iTrader: (11)

they don;t slide in they just snap right in so i didn;t get any on anything

Grey

iTrader: (61)

I know what you're saying, but I still prefer my way of doing it. Only one more bolt to take out and some effort to suspend the caliper. Then you can rotate the whole thing any way you like to get at it easier. At least for people that haven't done it before. It might be easier to remove the caliper just to get a better feel for where everything goes since you can rotate it freely and get a good look at everything.

Renamazazo

iTrader: (3)

I didn't use anti squeek stuff... and havent had any problems...however, I LOVE MY NEW BRAKES!!!

streetglower

iTrader: (13)

Ok, I am still figuring all of this out. So basically all I need to do is remove the 2 screws that are in blue, pull back that piece, then pull out the old pads, I am assuming they are easy to pull out, then I need something to push the piston back out, right. What is the tool called and where can I get one for and how much. Then put anti-squeek stuff on the back of the pads, install them and put the caliper back on and thats it? My only concern is with the brake fluid. I dont want to get air into there, but everyone says this is all too easy to do. I want to learn so I dont have to spend labor to get it done.

Grey

iTrader: (61)

Yeah, it's pretty easy. To push the piston back in just use a C-clamp or something like I used (like a Vise-grip).

streetglower

iTrader: (13)

Ok, since I am going to be attempting to change my brake pads tomorrow, here is how I know to do it, please correct me if I am wrong. First I unscrew the lower bolt circled in blue, then I remove the upper bolt. Then I pull the caliper off of the rotor and suspend it with some string. Then I pull out the old pads. As I know it, they just slip out. Also I keep the shims that are behind the pads. Also before I pull out the pad closest to the car, I use that against the c-clamp when I push the piston back in. Then I replace that pad. When I replace the pads, I Put anti-squeal stuff on the back. After this, I just put the caliper back on, right. Now with bleeding the brakes, Do I need to bleed all 4 if I am only changing the front pads, or can I just bleed the front 2 brakes? Now basically I get a pan or something and place a hose over the bleeder, and then have someone depress the brake pedal, and then open the bleeder. Then keep repeating this process several times. While I am doing this, do I need to just rid of all of the brake fluid, or add new fluid while I am bleeding it? How do I know when no air are in the lines? Well, this is how I know it, if this is correct tell me, and if I am missing anything, let me know?

Grey

iTrader: (61)

You have changing the pads down. It's as easy as you describe it. Bleeding your brakes is not covered in this DIY. I still haven't done it myself, but I know the principle.

First off, you need to bleed all four brakes when you do bleed the brakes. However, changing pads does not require you to do so.

To do it you basically start out with the brake furthest away from the master cylinder. This is the rear passenger side in our car (I think?). Then the rear driver side. Then the front passenger side. Then the front driver side. The furthest one will take longer to do, etc.

What you do is have someone sit in the car. Then you have them depress the brake. Open the bleeder screw and let the fluid flow out (uh... squirt out). Then lock down the bleeder screw. Then have the person in the car release the brake. This will draw in new fluid from the reservior.

Now, you have to keep an eye on the reservior. Just keep on doing this until the reservior level drops. Then add fresh fluid to it. Keep at it until you can't add any more new fluid I guess... That's all I know.

streetglower

iTrader: (13)

well I appreciate it. Also isnt there some auto shops that resurface rotors for free. I need to get them resurfaced cause I have heat spots on them.

streetglower

iTrader: (13)

So basically before I bleed the brakes I take out as much fluid from the resovoir and then put new fluid in there. Then I start with one brake and bleed it and then add more fluid when it gets low. Then I do this 3 more times, then fill it again at the end. So I need to fill it after bleeding each brake.