changing brake pads..? - Honda Prelude Forum

puffxy · 08-31-2003, 01:08 PM

kay my front brakes are like... completely gone, it's come to the point where i really shouldn't drive the car.. anywhere.

i got the pads, but i've never done it before, so i went around looking for a write up, but i couldn't find any =\

could someone point me in the right direction please?

thx

prelude styl · 08-31-2003, 01:44 PM

nothin' to it:

Take off brake resivour cap
Jack up car
Take off wheels
Remove Caliper Bolts (there's 2, they're 17mm bolts)
Slide caliper off rotor
Take off pads
Use a C-Clamp to compress the piston (you need to make space for the new pads, cause they won't fit over the rotor if you don't.. the piston is too far out)
Put new pads in
Slide caliper back over rotor
Put caliper bolts back in
Put wheel back on
Lower car
Close brake resivour lid

Done.

jsmooney · 08-31-2003, 03:07 PM

oooh, make sure and depress the brake pedal when you first start the car before you drive anywhere - this compresses the piston against the new pads and "adjusts" it to where the pedal has feeling, it'll scare you at first when you press the brake pedal and it just falls to the floor. Its A LOT easier than you would think if you've never done it before. just make sure you got the right pad in the right side. its easy

4bidden · 08-31-2003, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by prelude styl
nothin' to it:

Take off brake resivour cap
Jack up car
Take off wheels
Remove Caliper Bolts (there's 2, they're 17mm bolts)
Slide caliper off rotor
Take off pads
Use a C-Clamp to compress the piston (you need to make space for the new pads, cause they won't fit over the rotor if you don't.. the piston is too far out)
Put new pads in
Slide caliper back over rotor
Put caliper bolts back in
Put wheel back on
Lower car
Close brake resivour lid

Done.

Just wondering, why would you take off the whole caliper just to do pads? Why not just undo one of the bolts and swing that part up? No need to take the caliper off the rotor.

prelude styl · 08-31-2003, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 4bidden

Just wondering, why would you take off the whole caliper just to do pads? Why not just undo one of the bolts and swing that part up? No need to take the caliper off the rotor.

Just wondering, why would you take off the bla bla bla... I gotta be better than Ryu... do this do that naa naa naa

PSSSHHH.. whatever

4bidden · 08-31-2003, 03:52 PM

I was just askin? I've only done mine once, just thought maybe you knew somethin I didnt?

prelude styl · 08-31-2003, 04:00 PM

nah, it doesn't matter, you don't need to take them both out, it's just easier to work with I think, more manuverability etc.

puffxy · 08-31-2003, 05:07 PM

i'm a little confused on the compressing the pistons part... could someone elaborate on that?

4bidden · 08-31-2003, 05:24 PM

When you push in the brakes a piston pushed the pads together against the rotor. As the pads become worn the piston stays pushed out farther creating less distance between pads. When you go to put new pads in, they are thicker than your old worn ones so you have to push the piston back in to make room for the new pads. The front piston pushes back in, preferably with a vice grip I think its called. The rears screw back in.

puffxy · 08-31-2003, 10:52 PM

woohoo i did it, thx all

4bidden · 09-01-2003, 01:58 AM

MAKE SURE you do a break in period. I think it usually states a couple slow stops from 30mph then just take it easy for a bit.

jsmooney · 09-01-2003, 10:18 AM

just back up at first to make sure they catch before you get on the road

brendon2k · 09-03-2003, 12:21 PM

I would put some anti sqeeking grease stuff on the back of the brake pads. Most people don't enjoy noisy brakes.

y2james00 · 09-07-2003, 12:51 PM

by the back of the brakes do you mean the part of teh brakes that don't touch the rotor or the side that does? I wanan do my brakes too but i forgot what side to put the grease on. Sounds dangerous to put it on the side that touhces the caliper, but just making sure.

cantdrive55 · 09-07-2003, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by y2james00
by the back of the brakes do you mean the part of teh brakes that don't touch the rotor or the side that does? I wanan do my brakes too but i forgot what side to put the grease on. Sounds dangerous to put it on the side that touhces the caliper, but just making sure.

You put it on the back side of the pad, between the pad and the little metal part that it sits in.