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Re: changing front disc pads

Pretty simple job - about an hour. You just remove one bolt, at the bottom of the caliper, and flip it up out of the way. Pay CAREFUL attention to the various shims, how they are oriented, and how they should be greased and all. Thomason Subaru (great guys) sold me a kit for about $50 that included the pads, new shims, and even little packets of the correct grease.

Of course you have to retract the piston so the caliper will fit back over the new pads. I was able to do this with my fingers. You must remove fluid from the reservoir else it will overflow. I just do it in conjunction with my annual brake fluid flush (very easy with one-way bleeder valves from

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Needless to say, don't do this yourself unless you're SURE you can do it right !

John

Reply to
John Eyles
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Thanks John.

What's the grease for? I've never removed fluid from the master cylinder, and I've never had trouble opening up the calipers to accept the new pads.

Reply to
rick

The grease goes on the various shims that go between the pads and the caliper, as well as on the anti-rattle clips that go at the top and bottom end of the pads. The instructions with the kit I mentioned show where to put and not put the grease. I think the grease just keeps things quiet - I'm not sure.

I didn't have "trouble" open up the calipers either - like I said, I was able to push the single piston back in with firm pressure using my hands, even though manauls usually mention a C-clamp. But if this procedure doesn't make your fluid reservoir overflow, then either your fluid reservoir ain't full, or else you replaced your pads way too soon.

John

Reply to
John Eyles

Yes - the grease re-tunes the pad/caliper system to get rid of high frequency resonances (otherwise known as brake squeal).

Bill Putney (to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with "x")

Reply to
Bill Putney

Which part number did you get? Thanks.

Reply to
Viktor

The only time that you should have to remove any brake fluid from the master cylinder while doing a brake job is if there has been fluid added to "top it off" in between brake services. The car starts its life on the lot with a specific amount of fluid and as long as none is added, when you push the pistons back in with whatever method is required/works you should end up with just a hair more than when you got the car new. This difference is from the fact that the piston goes in just a little bit further than the distance required for the caliper to go over the disc with new pads installed. If there is any concern of an overflow condition, all you need to do is complete one side and put the lid back on the master cylinder reservoir then pump the brake a couple of times to seat the new pads on the side just completed and then go and do the other side in a similar fashion. Unless you are doing all 4 corners of the car at the same time however, this probably won't be an issue as some of the excess will be in the other set of brakes' calipers on the car from the wear on those pads from their original size because of the pistons being pushed out from their original new position.

HTH,

David Bickel

Reply to
DaBickman

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