I am about to change my rear rotors/pads for the first time and I cant find any write-ups on this. I have successfully changed my front rotors/pads with the motorva write up but I have heard the rears are different. I am aware of the tool need to push the rear piston back so I got that from Sears.

What about the Ebrake? Do I have to disconnect it, if so how do I and when during the disassembly do I do it?

Thanks, appreciate the help.

 

You won't need to disconnect the ebrake, just leave it disengaged. If you've done the fronts, the rears shouldn't be any more difficult for you. The only variation in the process is collapsing the caliper back in place with the tool that you're already aware of. I'd say you should be just fine.
Good luck.

 

Thanks, but I have quick follow up. I have a manual and if I leave the Ebrake disengaged wont it move around making it unsafe to jack up?

 

If you're jacking the rear of the car up, the ebrake will be useless anyways and you won't be able to pull the caliper off if it is engaged. Also, if you put your car in gear, being front wheel drive, it's not going to go anywhere if you have the front end on the ground.

 

Leave the car in gear when you park it as a secondary measure. The e-brake is independent of the rotors if I am not mistaken.

 

When re-fitting the caliper to the rotor, don't slap the rotor on the studs all the way -- you'll have to ANGLE the rotor to fit the caliper back in place.

Everything else (twist the caliper piston when compressing) you've already covered -- should be easy.

gr

 

Uh further explanation on this comment might be necessary....How can something that uses the rotors for friction to keep the car immobile be independent of the rotor?

 

If you find the thickness of the new pads are too tight due to e-brake adjustment, you can adjust the e-brake by loosening the nut in the hole directly under the e-brake handle. It should be a 10mm deep socket.

(I didn't have a Haynes at the the time and tore out my center console looking for the adjustment).

 

Make sure and line up the nub behind the brake pad with the indent on the caliper, when you do it, you'll know what I mean .

 

Ah VERY good point. This is extremely important to pay attention to as if one does not do it, it will not line up correctly and if you can get your caliper back on the car, it will not seat correctly and VERY prematurely wear out the pads and/or damage the rotors.

 

Ok - is that SO obvious, that I'm forgetting if I did it properly??!

I don't remember this being an issue....I can't believe you could reassemble the caliper without aligning this nub?!

Dammit Col. -- you got me paranoid!!!

gr

 

Well, when I did mine, I got the first side "by accident" before noticing the nub. The second did NOT line up correctly. So I then took the first side back apart realizing I just got lucky.

To me it was very clear that when you dont have the nub lined up. It just took way to much effore to get stuff to line up correctly.

 

If you're worried about the car drifting when you jack it up, USE WHEEL CHOCKS. They're not too expensive and they're nice to have-- jacking the rear up, you can probably get by with 1 chock in the front of each front tire, but to be really safe get 4 wheel chocks (or sufficiently large rocks) and place them on either front/rear side of both front tires.