OBW brake pad change? Tips? Complexity?

No special tools needed. It's a straightforward job if you've done other cars before. Don't bother turning the rotors if they are not scored.

I strongly suggest that you flush the old fluid when you do the change.

As a guideline, I like to change the front pads on 40k mile intervals and the rears every other time.

Well, first I would see if they really are in need of replacement. I turn rotors when they need it but I'm still open to other ideas. Grease the caliper/pad contact areas where the pads will slide and when you compress those pistons connect a one way valve type bleeder ($7 wherever toys are sold) to the bleeder on the caliper.Might as well force the nastiest fluid in the system out of it instead of back toward the reservoir. TG

Hi Jim,

Thanks much for your informative reply.

Hrmm-I've not changed brake fluid before... what's involved there? I have this vague notion that there's a way to do that rather incorrectly. A pointer to some other reference would be great if you have it, otherwise any level of explanation would be great so I can go search for details as needed. Or is fluid bleeding pretty much the same on all cars?

Thanks again for the reply!

Best Regards,

-- Todd H.

2001 Legacy Outback Wagon, 2.5L H-4 Chicago, Illinois USA

Again, nothing special with the Subaru. I noticed that the bleeder valves in the rear are a different wrench size than the fronts. Caused me a little bit of mental confusion (:

I don't have a link for bleeding brakes, but I'm sure that one exists. If you just use a clear glass jar and a length of plastic tubing, it's a two person job, one to add fluid and watch the glass jar and another to press the brake pedal.

If you can't find a link to the procedure, let me know and I'll write it up. I'm at work and too busy to do it now.

Found this on a googlehunt:

Subes are a cross plumbed system, IE: PS front DS rear, DS front PS rear. Start at PS rear, then DS front; then DS rear, then PS front. Bottle with hose method is best, put some fluid in bottle as to not suck in air. Just remember to top off MC while doing this. Really sucks to get air in system while trying to bled air out of system.

So you does that mean you needed two different diameter tubes? sorry if it's a dumb question. I don't have a good mental picture of what this bleeder valve is gonna look like.

I found these two...

So it seems the trick to avoiding getting air in the system is to a) only have the bleeder valve open while there's pressure applied to the hydralics somehow (a helper stepping on the pedal, or having a pump) and b) making sure the master cylinder keeps getting fed with plenty of fresh fluid.

I'm not clear on the what the purpose of the fresh fluid in the catch bottle does for ya though. Is that to keep the tube continuously filled with fluid to further mimize the chance of air coming back into the system through the bleeder valve?

Cool. Ronnie, Jim, thanks much. I also found this nifty $50 toy that apparently simplifies things greatly? I'm curious if anyone's used it: Review of Motive Power Bleeder

Motive Products website: Thanks again for the educational banter.

Best Regards,

-- Todd H.

2001 Legacy Outback Wagon, 2.5L H-4 Chicago, Illinois USA

Did mine a few weeks ago on the '01 OBW. 2 bolts hold the caliper on. The front caliper is a dual-piston design, but by alternating my homemade piston pusher I got both pistons back in. The pads have shims and clips on them. I reused the clips & the shims came with the pads. Used a die grinder to knock off the rust ridge on the rotor, but this is optional. The rotors were a bit chewed up, I'll replace them next time. Aftermarket rotors are available.

After I push the pistons in I siphon out the master cylinder & refill it. Now I've got fresh fluid going to the caliper. Not as good as a full flush but it's quick & dirty.

Mike

in case the link doesn't work : Item#: SER2538 Price: $ 8.99 Hey TG--thanks for the followup. So in addition to the tube that's most prominent in the fixture, the fitting is a 1-way valve that prevents air from getting back into the system without having to use a jar/tube with fresh fluid in it? Is that right?

Napa was a bit short on explanation.

Best Regards,

-- Todd H.

2001 Legacy Outback Wagon, 2.5L H-4 Chicago, Illinois USA

> in case the link doesn't work : Item#: SER2538 Price: $ 8.99>

Well, just finished it up inside of 3 hrs (glad I don't do this for a living). It was exceedingly simple, as helpful others had said.

One thing with this job though, I couldn't budge either of those double cylinders manually like I could the single cylinders I worked with on other cars. Luckily I learned that a caulking gun plus a cleaned off old brake pad works just fine as a piston compressor when yer in a pinch. :-)

Due to time constraints, I wasn't able to bleed the brakes, but I have a 60k mi service coming up here very soon and will catch it then. But, at least I got the torque wrench out when reinstalling the wheels. :-)

A few questions for the brake knowledgeable now that my curiousity has been triggered:

1 Shims... This is the first job where I've actualy taken the time to transfer the two shim plates from the old pads to the new pads (which didn't come with any). On the prior two jobs I did, I either don't remember the old pads having them, or didn't bother putting them on the new pads. At any rate, that seemed to have no ill effects. What do these things do anyway? If I had to guess it would be to have some thin fast-cooling metal closest to the hydralics versus the brake pad's thick metalic base. 2 The little handle on the inner brake pad--at the corner of the inside brake pad. The new pads didn't come with this, but I did transfer one of them to the new inner pad for the drivers side, but realized too late I didn't do the same for the passenger side. What's that for other than convenience in handling? Does actually do anything? 3 The inner pad on the driver's side was by far the thinnest lining left. Furthermore, the lower most half of it was more worn than the top. What would cause this uneven wear? Is the caliper hanging the pad up on the rotor perhaps? Is 60k a little young for this car to need pads? I'm not a deceleration nut or anything, and my front pads on my Mazda 626 lasted over 85k.

Thanks in advance for indulging all the brake questions--y'all rock!

Best Regards,

-- Todd H.

2001 Legacy Outback Wagon, 2.5L H-4 Chicago, Illinois USA