Topic: What did you do to your car today?

[BWII]

I'm going to guess somewhere in Winnipeg. 

My DIY for the weekend.  Had to be done and had to be done now.  No waiting for my friend.  Had my oldest kid help, so that was a good thing.  Needed the extra set of hands to hold the rotor to get the two set screws out.  And only had to drill one out on the driver side. Anyway, no DIY thread/post is good without photos, amIright?

So, starting with what it is. Rear brake rotor.


Nice.  That's 200,000 km.

Look I got it off!  All by myself!  The 4 bolts holding the caliper and bracket were surprisingly easy to get out.  No cussing, no flailing limbs...nothing.  One good HMPH! and oh...loose!  Couple of turns and out with the fingers they turned easy. 


Then brake pads... holy fack!
Inner pad - no wonder it was starting to get noisy! 




Outer pad - the only one you can see when swapping wheels.  Not good, but thought I might get another summer out of them...so wasn't in any rush to get it done despite having the parts.  Glad we did it...these are nasty.


New pad


Finished one side.  Took over 2 hrs but no one but us did it.  Biggest PITA is having to turn the feckin' piston back in as you try to squeeze it in at the same time. And then making sure it lines up with the little pin on the brake pad. Took some time, don't think I damaged the rubber in any way, but the piston has some definite scarring from the vice grip.  And getting the pads in.  One side goes in click! In.  The other side, left, but not right.  Pull it out...right goes in, left...nope.  Had to get it in as straight as possible and then gave it a little help with a rubber mallet.  Of course this side makes a funny tktktktktktk sound when you hit the brakes...   Oh well...I hope.


Drivers side took a lot less time since this time we had an idea of what to do.  Probably just over an hour, maybe not even.  Pads on this side looked about as pretty, eh?
Inner pad nearest to the front.


So now I wait until the long weekend and then do the fronts.  They should be easier, at least squeezing the caliper in will be.  No need to turn it - just squish it and go.  Hopefully everything comes apart as smoothly otherwise. 


And that will complete my first ever brake job!

[Seafoam]

You sure got your money out of those pads. Good for another 200,000 km.

[Gurgie]

You sure got your money out of those pads. Good for another 200,000 km.

 

[EV Dan]

I washed it, then photographed it with a rainbow in the background.  The 2006 taillights look great.

Nice down-grade 

[BWII]

Well, something aint 100%.  Right side goes tktktkt (like when you put a card in your bike spokes), left side was so hot when I got home the wheel was almost too hot to touch.  Fack. 

[KD]

Wife picked up another nail in one of her tires.  She was supposed to meet me in town this morning but called to say her tire was flat.  I went home later and pumped it up and followed her into Costco where we bought them.  Just our luck it happens during busy tire changeover season and they were swamped.  Told me the best bet is to bring back just the wheel/tire and they fix would it sometime tomorrow, if they had the time.   I went back to work and asked my wife to take it to the indy close to home and just pay for the fix.  They were busy but told her they would try to fit her in later on.  They called back within a couple of hours and removed the nail.  Got to love a good indy!  This one is particularly accommodating! 

[Firm]

Well, something aint 100%.  Right side goes tktktkt (like when you put a card in your bike spokes), left side was so hot when I got home the wheel was almost too hot to touch.  Fack. 

Start with some basic checks:
Right side:
- I bet this is something to do with the pad clips. Take the wheel off and spin the hub/rotor...can you see anything rubbing? Sometimes aftermarket pad clips (or bent OE clips) will touch the rotor in a spot. If so, pull the pads back out and make sure that your hardware is sitting perfect in the caliper bracket....If there's rust/crud under the clips, wire brush the bracket clean, then re-install.
-When you put the rotor on did you clean that rust build up on the hub face? If not, it'll cause the rotor to sit uneven and rub in a spot.

Left Side:
-Did you twist that piston in all the way? Or did you bang the caliper on and make it fit? If the latter, take it back off and push the piston back enough so that the caliper slide on over the pads easily. Those rear twist-in pistons do not reset their 'off' tension.

[tortoise]

Well, something aint 100%.  Right side goes tktktkt (like when you put a card in your bike spokes), left side was so hot when I got home the wheel was almost too hot to touch.  Fack. 

The ticking could be a shield that needs bending.  Your pads that came off looked pretty uneven.  You could have a sticking caliper.

[Firm]

Weather here has been ridiculously crap...I did get Mrs.Firm's Firebird out on Saturday and changed the oil, plus I watched the kiddo while she took it for a drive (the first time she's driven it since she was pregnant and started struggling to get in/out...so over a year).

Sunday I worked inside on some MGB bits I'd taken off the orange car, mostly cosmetic stuff.

[Firm]

Well, something aint 100%.  Right side goes tktktkt (like when you put a card in your bike spokes), left side was so hot when I got home the wheel was almost too hot to touch.  Fack. 

The ticking could be a shield that needs bending.  Your pads that came off looked pretty uneven.  You could have a sticking caliper.

Good point - I assumed BW cleaned and greased all the slide pins, if not, that's a must here...

[BWII]

You assumed wrong.  I didn't have the right grease, and I figured they still pushed in and came out easily enough maybe it would be OK.  But, I also don't know for sure that I pushed the piston in all the way.  My friend offered the same bit of advice...so looks like I may need to take them apart and try again.  Thing is...can I drive it like this 'til Friday?  Or am I asking for warped rotors and toasted pads?  I'm going to have him send one of those kits that has all the right bits for squeezing and twisting these stupid things to the local store and maybe I can get it done one of these evenings. 

If it was a mistake, at least it isn't an expensive one.  New rotors and pads for the back would be about $75...I'd still be 5-600 ahead of doing it right once at the dealer.    And I actually learned something new!  Couple of things really...good and bad.

[Firm]

The side that's getting hot I wouldn't drive on much until it's sorted - that one will toast the rotor & pad.

[BWII]

Yup, parked it.  Worse comes to worse my wife can take it to work, it's only 4 km for her.  Shoulda coulda woulda gone to Cdn Tire on Sunday to get the disc brake tool kit - but we figured it's 2.5-3 hrs there and back, and in the meantime I can just turn it in even if it takes 20 minutes.  Guess we shoulda.  Local one doesn't have any in stock...so...might be a good weekend to get the dog groomed and go to the city again. 

[Gurgie]

The side that's getting hot I wouldn't drive on much until it's sorted - that one will toast the rotor & pad.

 

[Firm]

Yup, parked it.  Worse comes to worse my wife can take it to work, it's only 4 km for her.  Shoulda coulda woulda gone to Cdn Tire on Sunday to get the disc brake tool kit - but we figured it's 2.5-3 hrs there and back, and in the meantime I can just turn it in even if it takes 20 minutes.  Guess we shoulda.  Local one doesn't have any in stock...so...might be a good weekend to get the dog groomed and go to the city again. 

Can you get one of these local? It's not as slick as the good tool, rather this just goes onto your rachet and fits into the slots in the piston so you can turn it back...push with your own force while turning.

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/disc-brake-piston-tool-3-8-in-0252013p.html#srp

[Gurgie]

Yup, parked it.  Worse comes to worse my wife can take it to work, it's only 4 km for her.  Shoulda coulda woulda gone to Cdn Tire on Sunday to get the disc brake tool kit - but we figured it's 2.5-3 hrs there and back, and in the meantime I can just turn it in even if it takes 20 minutes.  Guess we shoulda.  Local one doesn't have any in stock...so...might be a good weekend to get the dog groomed and go to the city again. 

Can you get one of these local? It's not as slick as the good tool, rather this just goes onto your rachet and fits into the slots in the piston so you can turn it back...push with your own force while turning.

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/disc-brake-piston-tool-3-8-in-0252013p.html#srp

Still better than the pair of needle-nose pliers I used when I did the rears on Bella's Mini a few years back 

[Arthur Dent]

The Tercel is road legal and registered now. I drove it to work. It is actually a really nice, basic car. The engine has 345k kms on it but purrs like new. Amazing.

[BWII]

Yup, parked it.  Worse comes to worse my wife can take it to work, it's only 4 km for her.  Shoulda coulda woulda gone to Cdn Tire on Sunday to get the disc brake tool kit - but we figured it's 2.5-3 hrs there and back, and in the meantime I can just turn it in even if it takes 20 minutes.  Guess we shoulda.  Local one doesn't have any in stock...so...might be a good weekend to get the dog groomed and go to the city again. 

Can you get one of these local? It's not as slick as the good tool, rather this just goes onto your rachet and fits into the slots in the piston so you can turn it back...push with your own force while turning.

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/disc-brake-piston-tool-3-8-in-0252013p.html#srp

Closest one doesn't have any.  I was thinking of getting this, a bit pricier, but then I'd be set.  Heck, I might even advertise I can do brakes then!    Try to earn enough to get it back, use Max for parts, charge double and still undercut the indies and the dealers by hundreds.   
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/oem-disc-brake-tool-11-pcs-1250001p.html#srp

[ChaosphereIX]

fixed a bent front wheel backing plate that was scraping something fierce on my rotor. Quiet wheels now. Phew, thought a caliper had failed or something.

[Seafoam]

Yup, parked it.  Worse comes to worse my wife can take it to work, it's only 4 km for her.  Shoulda coulda woulda gone to Cdn Tire on Sunday to get the disc brake tool kit - but we figured it's 2.5-3 hrs there and back, and in the meantime I can just turn it in even if it takes 20 minutes.  Guess we shoulda.  Local one doesn't have any in stock...so...might be a good weekend to get the dog groomed and go to the city again. 

Can you get one of these local? It's not as slick as the good tool, rather this just goes onto your rachet and fits into the slots in the piston so you can turn it back...push with your own force while turning.

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/disc-brake-piston-tool-3-8-in-0252013p.html#srp

Closest one doesn't have any.  I was thinking of getting this, a bit pricier, but then I'd be set.  Heck, I might even advertise I can do brakes then!    Try to earn enough to get it back, use Max for parts, charge double and still undercut the indies and the dealers by hundreds.   
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/oem-disc-brake-tool-11-pcs-1250001p.html#srp

How close is the Princess Auto to you? They sell that same tool as Firm mentioned a couple of posts back.