Changing your own brakes

[alex]

A few questions.

Good guy neighbor offered to help change my brakes some weekend. I'm curious to know what all I should expect to purchase to complete the process. 2008 Mazda 3, no ABS. Pretty sure I need rotors in addition to the pads, which are sounding pretty gnarly these days – the surface of one of the rotors is quite grooved as a result. Rear brakes seem fine, so I'm only looking at doing the front right now.

Anyway, is there much else you need to purchase (assuming you have all the necessary tools – this guy does his & his kids brakes when they've needed) for a standard brake job other than pads, rotors, and brake fluid? Stupid question, but pads come four to a pack, right? And rotors are sold individually?

[THW]

what 2008 model year car doesn't have ABS? I thought this was standard on everything. Pads generally come in 2 pairs, rotors individually. You probably won't need the brake fluid as it's not necessary to disconnect any brake lines, unless you want to bleed the lines to get any air out of the system.

[alex]

Grassy ass. Might just buy the parts & see if I can't get 'er dun myself, since they're sound pretty horrible lately, and said neighbor won't be free until roughly two weeks from now. Can't be that hard, right?

[THW]

it's quite easy, but you need the right tools. You'll need a C clamp to compress the piston the caliper so you can reinstall it. I use one of the old brake pads, put it over the piston, then compress. A wire (bend up an old clothes hanger) is good to hold the caliper out of the way. And of course a jack and jack stands and some metric wrenches/sockets. Sometimes the disk can be hard to remove too if it's stuck on real well.

You'll have to pump the brakes a few times to reset the piston. The first time you press the brakes it will feel like it goes clear to the floor, but as you work the piston out they firm up (tee hee) and feel like normal. In fact since you have a thicker pad surface, you won't have to depress the brake as far and it's quite a noticeable difference even though it is only a fraction of an inch's (tee hee) difference.

[alex]

Yup, those are about the same instructions that I've been looking at just this afternoon. Brother has most of the tools already. Might buy some parts and beers and tackle it later this week when I've got a few days off work.

[THW]

lol n00b

[alex]

So yeah. After watching a few videos on youtube and reading a bunch of how-tos online, that was a pretty easy job. Took a good part of the day, since I intentionally took my time so I wouldn't screw it up, but also had to go get new rotors since one was too low to machine. Threw in a oil change for good measure. Next time should go much quicker since I'll actually know what I'm doing. Now I need to address the horrible camber and wear on the ride's tires.

[caddymac]

Good job, Alex!

Last time I did a brake job it was with a friend after we spent the previous day boozing at a wedding. Never doing that again (the brakes hungover that is). If you have the time it's actually a bit relaxing doing brakes.

[daoist]

Before doing anything with brakes I make sure I have a new unopened bottle of brake fluid on hand.

When compressing the caliper pistons your master cylinder *might* overflow. Then when you apply the new brakes for the first time it might be too low. Thus, a top-up.

As long as you leave it unopened it'll keep for quite a while.

[alex]

I popped the reservoir's cap, no overflowing, and it wasn't low afterwards. I considered picking up a bottle beforehand, but there were a number of shops open at the time I did the job, so I would've borrowed my brother's car to get some if it was needed.

I may have heard a little.. something, as I got home last night. Will have to keep an eye on it, make sure there isn't something working itself loose. I borrowed a torque wrench for the job, but didn't get to use it, as it was too big for all the wrench bits we had on hand. Used loctite and just tightened everything by feeling, based on the list of torque specs I found and how tight they seemed to be when I took everything apart. Might take it to a garage and see if they can torque everything down to spec, just to be safe.

[caddymac]

If the master cylinder overflows, get that stuff cleaned up right away. Brake fluid is nasty stuff, especially on anything painted.

[alex]

Brakes are still fine a week later. Lug nuts, not so much. One wheel was knocking, as some nuts were loose. Plan to pick up a new pair of tires tomorrow, so I'll just have them correctly torque all four down at that time.

[THW]

Do you need my wife to show you how to torque down a tire? You pathetic excuse for a man.

[alex]

I cannot tell you how much the derision of a person I've never met means to me, because, well.. it means jack shit.

[THW]

good. Now go kll yrslf

[daoist]

Brakes are still fine a week later. Lug nuts, not so much. One wheel was knocking, as some nuts were loose. Plan to pick up a new pair of tires tomorrow, so I'll just have them correctly torque all four down at that time.

Do it now. Do not drive another inch with loose lugnuts.

Just put the torque wrench on there and turn it until it won't any further. Then jump on it.

[Uncle Sherm]

Then spot weld them into place for good measure.

[THW]

Then install a locking wheel cover so nobody can fuck with the spot welds.

[daoist]

And then 4 boots so nobody can remove the wheel covers.

[THW]

Then put the car in a steel shipping container so nobody can jackhammer off the boots. Guard the shipping container with a platoon of Navy SEALS.

[alex]

Well now you're just being ridiculous.

[stick]

I wouldn't feel comfortable until the shipping container was housed in the vault of Fort Knox.

[stick]

[THW]

I wouldn't feel comfortable until the shipping container was housed in the vault of Fort Knox.

that's a little overkill. We're just trying to keep his lugs from coming loose again.

[floor punching mummy]

Brakes are still fine a week later. Lug nuts, not so much. One wheel was knocking, as some nuts were loose. Plan to pick up a new pair of tires tomorrow, so I'll just have them correctly torque all four down at that time.

get one of these.

[daoist]

Then put the car in a steel shipping container so nobody can jackhammer off the boots. Guard the shipping container with a platoon of Navy SEALS.

Better give those SEALs some jeeps for mobility.

[THW]

mobility isn't a bad idea but if they have no air support they're screwed. 2 Apaches for close air support and 3 F16s in case Russians send in their MIGs.

[daoist]

Those F16s aren't going anywhere if their landing gear wheels fall off. Better put a torque wrench on there and jump on it.

[THW]

then spot weld them into place for good measure.

[MarcusAurelius]

Then install a locking wheel cover so nobody can fuck with the spot welds.

[THW]

And then 4 boots so nobody can remove the wheel covers.