i'll be putting on front rotors and pads this weekend(hopefully they will be here by then). Is there anything i need to know,do, or prep before i put them on.

 

You need to pray that the screws holding your front rotors on come out!

To remove the screws you have to use an impact driver. That is the kind that holds a screwdriver bit and you smack with a hammer. Some of us are unlucky (I was one) and the screws refuse to budge even with the imapact driver. Then you have to drill them outand replace them; which actually wasn't bad at all.

Changing pads only doesn't even require removal of the caliper; I love that. You can do a search here, there are many posts on front pads and rotors.

Have fun.

 

you can use a screw driver and vice grip in place of the impact gun. just push the screwdriver in as hard as you can(seriously hard as you can or the screws will strip) with one hand... and turn it with the vice grip using your other hand. you'll hear it pop and then its easy from there.

 

Good idea.

 

I just changed my rotors and pads too. The last owner was nice enough to left out the retaining screws when he did the brakes last so all I had to do was pry the rotors out with a crow bar.

Some key things to do when changing brakes are to completely clean them with brake cleaner, free up freezed pistons.

Remember to put anti seize compound between the rotor and the hub and on all screws. You will thank yourself next time you do your brakes.

Later

 

Finally somebody else who uses ant-seize. My friend makes fun of me when I use it. Maybe I should make fun of him when he needs to use a drilll and grinder to remove those screws.

 

with a crow bar? geez...that sounds like lots of work! you couldve just bought the srew and punched it out using that 3rd hole.

 

Nah....It wasn't so hard. I was too lazy to drive out to get another screw..

 

I was also too lazy to go and get a screw and found that the bolt that tensions the alternator pulley is the right size. Just put it back when you are done with your rotors

 

Well, now I need to do my brakes. I'll be using my impact screwdriver to get those screws out.

 

i got my rotors and pads on last night they work great and look awsome my friends dad also showed me a really awsome trick to get the screws that hold the rotors on off. he got a phillips head with a rachet end on it and a hammer. he then put the rachet in the screw and gave it 4 or 5 good wackes with the hammer while applying a small amount of pressure to turn the screw and after a few good smacks the screw came right out. easy as pie. everything went great till we got stormed on while trying to change to last set PURE SUCK FREEZING COLD RAIN.

 

This site has good how-to info for changing pads:
http://www.rotarypowered.com/howto.html

-Max
heavy user of anti-sieze, especially in wheel/rotor contact area and those darn little screws (do the back of the screw head as well as the threads)

 

The problem with Brian's Method (at link above) is that using pliers to retract the 4 pistons in the caliper is a pain in the *** and damages the caliper casting - especially if you have painted & Polished calipers. A much better method is to us a (or a pair of) flat pry bar(s) against the old pads (between the pad and rotor) to push the pistons back prior to removing the old pads.

 

For the rear brakes:

At any auto parts store you can get a little cube that fits on the end of a 3/8" drive socket extension that has different bumps on each face. They are about $10 and are called "piston retractors" or something like that (I call it the Hellraiser cube).

Find a set of bumps that fits the depressions on the piston and retract it by screwing it in like a big screw. It seems weird that that would work, but they are designed to work that way. Much easier than pliers.

For the front:

I use two crescent-style adjustable wrenches to leverage the pistons back, with the pad out. I push against the rotor face, so there is little change of crapping-up the caliper finish. Do one pad at a time to avoid popping out the pistons for the other pad.

-Max

 

Yeah, that tool for the rear-calipers is a MUST have if you are rebuilding your rear-calipers. Pliers will probably work if they are in good condition, but if the dust boots and seals are shot like mine were, you will need that tool to get the rear pistons out so you can rebuild.