idk why but my ******* rear brake pads keep slipping out. only the outside ones. at first i thought my caliper was sticking but then it still did it after i replaced it. so then i thought the shims were fucked up cause when i would pull the ebrake up the outside pad would just kinda hover there and not be within the shims. so i pulled the tabs on the shims flat so they can be closer to the rotor but that isnt working because the bottom shim is slipping out, which means this brake pad is bouta fall out again. idk whats goin on but its really pissin me off and i've never had this **** ever happen before. if anybody knows the problem please tell me so this **** can stop

btw anybody know the part number for outer tierods?

 

for the rear brake pads with the e brake you need to compress the piston only enough so you can barely slip the pads on the rotor. You also have to make sure the slot on the piston lines up with the dimple on the back of the inner pad. I'm having a hard time imagining how the pads are falling out

 

You can't "compress" the rear pistons, they screw in.
There's a commonly available little cube tool that makes it very simple.

You screw the pistons back as far as they'll go, insert pads (making sure to align the pin on the pad back with the notch on the piston, as mentioned above) and install the caliper.
Pull the ebrake a few times and pump the brake pedal and the caliper will self adjust to the new pad.

 

i know that i have to align the lil nub on the pad with the dimple of the caliper. and i also know that it needs to rotate to go in. one of my homies who used to have an rx7 says there needs to be a little spring or some **** on the shims so when the pads move back and forth (from depressing the pedal/vice versa) it doesnt fall out of place (like mine is doing)

 

The caliper piston only moves a tiny bit between rest and full brake, a "bit" being a millimeter or so (if that).
The pad doesn't move enough to be falling out, nor should it be possible to fall out at all when properly installed, even if the shims are left out altogether.
The shims are a sound dampening strategy anyway and have nothing to do with pad retention.

 

The little V spring is what keeps the pads from dragging onto the rotor when not engaged. I can't see it has any purpose other than that.

 

Did you replace the brake rotors when you put the pads on? I can't comprehend how anyone could replace vented rotors with solid rotors, but if you were sold the wrong rotors you could have put solid rear rotors on that were standard on base models.

 

This. Only thing that seems probable.

Your profile shows '90 Vert. (you may want to add a signature at the bottom of your posts that shows your car info, or mention it in your post). So you *should* have 5-bolt hubs/rotors/wheels. You should also have 4-piston calipers up front, and single piston calipers with vented rotors in the rear. The only thing that really holds the brake pads in place is the caliper bracket. The pad 'ears' slide in and out along the groove on the bracket. If for some reason (such as thinner disk/rotor) the pad slides too far in, it could fall off. The spring, clips (between the pad ears and bracket groove), and shims are good to have, but not the main problem here, I think.

But pics. would help us help you.

 

I'd agree about the rotors except for the fact that solid rear discs are almost impossible to find, so I think it'd be unlikely they'd be swapped in by mistake.

 

Lol, maybe this will sound odd, so I'll just post it. Any chance of mounting the caliper bracket wrong? Like inside or outside the mounting portion of the spindle? What about reversed? Upside down?

OP, we need some pics, lol.

 

wow they sent me solid disk smh. i dont have vented discs in the back. also when i bought the car it also had solid rotors. im guessing my rotors are probably wrong and too skiny huh?

 

i thought adjusting the shims would work but i guess not. here's a pic, u can see the bottom shimm tryna come out since i bent the tabs but its not really working

btw anyone got pics of said v spring?

 

Dude, the vert needs vented rear rotors, the solid ones wont work, the caliper is too wide.

 

Yes, looks like Molotovman was right on. Can you take a pic viewed from the side with the caliper swung out of the way?

BTW, the V spring goes into holes on the backing plate of each pad. It pushes the pads away from each other. Not your main problem, just to remind you.

 

When I replaced my rear rotors, I had to actually argue with the parts man at autozone.

It went like this...

AZ: Here is your rotors.
ME: *looks in box* no, I need vented rotors for the rear.
AZ: The computer tells me, this is the part number.
ME: No, these aren't
AZ: but my compu....
ME: look up a 1990 rx7 turbo *shakes head*

 

wow i had a feeling the rotors were too thin smfh, well i gotta drive like this for another day since i owe the police $170 and i dont get paid till thursday. thanks guys

 

i can but i really dont feel like taking my heavy *** jack outside and taking the wheel off, then undo the caliper and put it back on. then perfectly align my wheels since they arent hubcentric lol. too much work but i can get pics on thursday when i fix it

 

I always tell the parts guy turbo when it comes to most things because the vert is like a inbred coupe with turbo suspension.

Get the vented rotors and you'll be golden, although I would NOT drive the car in the condition yours is in when it comes to brakes...I like to be able to stop and such.

 

k off-topic but can't you buy centering rings to lose the hassle?

 

are there base model 5 lug brakes? cause i always thought all the 5 lug rear calipers were the same? the car can stop. i dont wanna drive it but i have to. **** i drove it for like 4 days with basically no brakes yeah but i'd have to get custom ones and i dont feel like shelling out $40 for it when i'm bouta get new rims in the next couple months

 

Mystery solved. Congrats.

 

lmao thanks

 

Sounds like a very safe vehicle
You cant mess with brakes, they are kind of important. If god forbid someone gets seriously hurt that car will be impounded for safety check

 

There were S5 models with 'regular' brakes. All were 5-bolts, but had single piston front calipers up front, and single piston calipers with solid disks in the rear.

Why not get the spacers and forget about the new rims for a bit, while you focus on making sure all is up to par on the car?

Hear me out for a bit, lol. I'm posting for you, but see it on the forum all the time. People focus on looks and sometimes have more important issues unresolved. No offense intended.

My (uncomplete) list:

- brake calipers free and not seized? Sliders good? Hardware there? Everything lubed and anti-seized (where applicable)? Torqued?
- bearings smooth, quiet, lubed (fronts) and tightened properly (front is a few step procedure), rears you just torque
- any bad shocks, leaking, completely worn?
- broken or sagging springs?
- fluids changed, maybe some nice synthetic tranny or diff gear oil?
- air filter, fuel filter, fuel sock at bottom of pump?
- any leaks or issues, vibrations, etc.?
- engine and tranny mounts
- a/c work?
- kinda mentioned, but any fuel leaks, rusty fuel or brake lines?
- tie rods good? Ball joints? Sway bar mounts and end links ok? (these should be quality, name brand parts like Moog or similar - the cheap stuff will go faster and you'll have the work all over again)
- tires, treadwear pattern, alignment?
- car pass emission test (if applicable)? How are spark plugs, wires, timing checked, O2 sensor, cat clogged or in good condition?
- belts, hoses?
- etc....


This will make the car much more enjoyable to drive than wheels or other bling.

edit: check out Rockauto.com - they even have a ton of stuff on clearance.

 

i am makin sure everything is good, i do everything little by little, next on this list is change balljoints/lca's/tierods and possibly the bushings. then i'm going to do the belts and hopefully a taurus alternator before my first event next month. also gonna do a full fluid flush right before the event. and i should changed my fuel filter and put a new air filter on their just to be safe. i always fix **** before i buy new **** that i dont really "need" cause i hate having a fucked up car that looks cool