Contributed by: TurnAround
Driver8 asked for some info on brake pad replacement.. how it went.. observations.. that kind of thing. Mike, I almost emailed you directly, but then I thought.. there might be others who could benefit from it. BTW, for all I know, something similar to the following is already saved to X5World. These are just my experiences. On the pads, I went with Axxis Deluxe Plus. I couldn't be happier. I've put them on all three cars now. I have almost 1,000 miles on the Roadster's pads. I've thoroughly bedded them in. Their cold bite is about the same or slightly less than factory. Many people might not even notice the difference. A couple of stops.. and they're heated up. Their warm and hot bite are a fair amount better than factory. I can basically launch my eyeballs out of my head. The X just got them this weekend. So far.. awesome cold bite. THe brakes on the X5 are so much bigger than the Z3's. As with the OEMs.. with the Axxis pads on the X5 I just barely have to touch the pedal to stop. I'll bed 'em in this week. I'm half way worried I'm gonna flip the car over end to end. hehehee... The following is from a document I saved: ---------------------------------------------------------------- Here's a tool list, a tool resource list, a list of internet links for basic instructions, and, some extra installation pointers I've figured out along the way. I wrote the instructions for the first time brake pad DIY person. Folks who race and do their own mechanical work.. or just.. do their own mechanical work, tend to leave out steps.. or perhaps are simply slightly tired of explaining the basics. Since I was going through it anyway, I thought I'd write down the basic stuff. Stuff I'll take for grant it in later years.. and maybe forget to tell someone who's just learning. You know.. leave out, but entirely by accident. Tool List: - A Jack. - (2) Jack stands - Torque wrench (preferably 1/2" drive) - 1/2" to 3/8" conversion head - 2" to 3" socket extension - 19mm 6 point socket head (but you might want a whole set) - An 18" to 20" breaker bar (optional, but nice to have) - 7mm allen / socket head. - 7mm regular full sized allen wrench. - A breaker pipe. (12" to 15" long section of hollow 1/2" pipe) - 2 sryinges - Brake cleaning spray. - Brake grease. Anti-squeal, hi-temp. - Needle nose pliers - Small tip flat blade screw driver. - Large tip flat blade screw driver. Tool source and usage tips: You'll need a jack. You could use the one that comes with your Car, but it's not really meant for continuous use, plus it's hard to get to on some cars. You can use it for a starter / learner job. Eventually, you'll want a good jack though. I finally had to buckle down and buy one. It's a little frustrating with jacks, 'cause they all seem to be made in China now a days. You'll find other opinions on which kind to get. I'm NOT a harbor freight fan, but in this case they had a few tools that ended up working quite well, and saved a ton of money... http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=3939 I really like it. So far, it's worked out really well. Many of their China made tools are crap, but this one is really nice. My advice is not to buy one of the really cheapo low end hydraulic jacks that they have... Sears has... and all the auto parts stores have. The other problem you can run into is that a car as high up as the X5 is too high for the typical jacks you see for sale. $130 is cheap, for a nice jack, and that goes this high. Normally good jacks are $450 to $800. You'll need two jack stands. Again, there's lots of healthy debate on this topic. I'd love to have those really nice sets available mail order, but by the time you add the rubber pads and the shipping cost, yer lookin' at $70 or so. Plus I needed 'em sooner. Here's another HF link. Just make sure you don't get stands that are too tall. These are the max size for workin' with the Coupe (upper height of 15" or 16"). Slightly smaller might even be better. They worked well with the X5. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=38846 If you don't have a torque wrench you should think about getting one. You can always have the tire store torque the wheels, but that's a pain. I bought a Craftsman half inch drive torque wrench and a set of 6 point metric sockets (important to get 6 point and not 12 point). If you don't want the set, you'll at least need a 17mm socket head for the smaller BMW's. 19mm for the X5. Also buy an extension for the head. 2" will do. 3" or 4" will work also. Without the extension, you won't be able to reach the bolts because of the tires. While yer there, also buy a 1/2" drive down to 3/8" drive converter head.... if you have other socket tools that use the smaller drive size. Otherwise you won't be able to use the torque wrench for other things. Wheel bolts are at 88ft lbs for the smaller BMWs. 103ft lbs for the X5 wheels. I also suggest you purchase a breaker bar from Harbor Freight. This is to break the bolts loose on the wheels. Yeah.. you could use your torque wrench, but it's a precision tool that should only be used to do the final "set" of the torque. A brekaer bar is just a long handle with a socket receiver on one end. I got the 18" one for $10. If you get one that's too long, you won't be able to use it on the brake guide bolts . You'll also need a 7mm allen socket head. Looks like a normal socket head, but with a 7 mm allen wrench end stickin' out of one end. This is the tool for removing the brake guide bolts. Note... that it'll prolly be a 3/8" drive... hence the converter mentioned above. Special note for the X5; The rear brake's guide bolts are very close to the rear shocks. So close, that you can't squeaze in the allen head and any of the wrenches. What I had to do was use a regular 7mm allen wrench (Bondus makes the best) to fit in there. But then.. you need a section of hollow pipe to slip over the end of the wrench so you can get some leverage on the allen wrench. Works like a charm. You end up having to guess at the torque "feeling" because you can't fit the torque wrench in there. That's ok. Just do a front brake first.. you'll get a feel for 22 ft lbs. Also.. this is on my X5 3.0. The 4.4, 4.6, and 4.8 brake guide bolts might end up somewhere different and be easier... or just as hard... to remove. Buy a couple of large sryinges from a medical supply place (you know.. that sell electric mobility scooters and bandages and stuff) or a well stocked pharmacy. 1 can of brake cleaning spray fluid, for cleaning the brake pad rack ears. (Don't spray on paint or rubber (like the rubber brake piston boot). It'll disolve yer car's paint in an instant). One small tub of brake grease. I bought CRC brand. It's black. Brake grease has additives that prevent squealing between the contact points on the pads and the caliper. It's also hi-temp grease.. so it won't melt / migrate off during heavy braking. DON't buy anything that orange or yellow or pink.. that stuf is a specialty product that's got latex and other additives in it. An attempt by the industry to stop squealing, but that's not the real problem, and all this special stuff will do is gum up your brake parts. Get the grease. Look for key words like, "Stops squeal", "hi temp", "anti seize" , "anti-squeal compound". You'll need a 6" C-clamp. Again, HF has some of the crappiest tools, but man I swear this one's a score... http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=4140 The quick release button is a major benefit when doing the brakes. Brake pads. I can't recommend Dave Zeckhausen enough. As to the Axxis Deluxe pads themselves, you might want to do some research. I had Mintex pads put on my X5, but I'm not happy with them. They dusted too much, still. And then deveoped a "clacking" sound / effect because the pad frames are slightly smaller than they should be. Stock OEM pads stop great, but produce tons and tons of brake dust. Might want to read through Dave's site. Get yourself something comfortable to sit on. Yer gonna be on the ground for a while! :-) Instructions: Read this and print it out. http://m3.madrussian.net/diy_front_brake_pads.shtml Also read Dave's instructions on bedding brakes. http://www.zeckhausen.com/bedding_in_brakes.htm For installation I would add a couple of things to the instructions above. 1) Your jack points for the Coupe are those little black plastic cups on the sides. No where else. X5... same deal. 2) On a Z3: Your jack stand points for the rear would be the loooong cross member that runs all the way across the width of the car and sits just ahead of the differential. Do not position the stand under any of the movable suspension parts (like the trailing arms). Your jack stand point for the front would be the cross member that supports the engine and the tranny. You can't miss it, cause it's the frame member with all the bolts in it. Crosses across the car sorta right where the engine and the tranny meet at the clutch area. On an X5: I used the anti-sway bar U-bracket as a good safe point. On the front, try setting in right towards the end of the main front frame, where it comes in and bolts to the uni-body (just behind and in from the wheel well). 3) Take the parking brake off and leave the car in gear. The P-Brake off will let you examine the rotor for wear, plus, if you leave it on and jack up the one rear side.. this puts a hell of an opposing torque on the two opposite parking brakes (ask me how I know...). 4) If you do one wheel at a time and you don't try to jack the car up too high, you don't need chocks for the other wheels. But remember.. rear wheel drive.. no parking brake. That one other rear wheel in contact is ALL that's keeping the car from rolling. On the X5 ... it's 4WD so you’re a bit more stable. But don't be surprised in the car rolls a quarter inch while your jacking it... for the slack to be taken up in the drive train. If in doubt... use some wheel chocks. 5) Before you start, pop the hood, and then take the cap off of the brake fluid resovior. For each brake piston you squeeze back with the C clamp... get up and go check the resovior. You don't want it over flowing or you'll have the mess of a lifetime. Typically, by doing one brake at a time it's doubtful that you'd over flow the tank. But as you do do each one... just keep checking the tank. Use the syringe to syphon off fluid when there's too much. By the time you get to the 3rd brake, you'll almost certainly going to need to syphon some off... cause see... as your old pads were wearing out, you mechanic has been topping off the fluid. Your new pads are thicker, and don't need as much fluid! 6) Study the little brake sensor dude before you pull him off the inboard pad. See how the "ball" of metal on one side is facing the pad? That's the same direction it needs to go back in. Use a pair of needle nose plyers to coax the little brass clip out of the receiving notch. Don't pull on the wire. No worries.. after the first one you pull out, you'll seee.. aahhhh .. that's how the little guy snaps into there. Just don't lose the clip. 7) When you go to put the new pads in, you'll swear that you'd pushed the piston back.. but now everything won't slide on and over the rotor. That's 'cuz, while you weren't looking, that there piston DID sqoosh back out some. That's their job and they likes doin' it. You have to take the C clamp to the new inboard pad (don't install the outboard pad just yet) and squeaze the piston back out. 8) Don't grease the guide pins (contrary to most other car's instructions). BMW wants 'em dry. I think this is a mistake... but I won't argue with them. 9) Grease the brake pad ears liberally. See where they contact the caliper on their back edge... and contact the caliper mount on their front edge? See how they float around. If they're dry you run the risk of "CLACK CLACK" every time you step on the brakes. Manual doesn't say to grease 'em. But do. After you've cleaned up your first caliper, load up the new pads (inboard and outboard). Now load up the caliper into the wheel housing. Study where the pad plates contact the caliper. THOSE are the points where you need grease. After you've done a brake or two, you'll get a feel for exactly where and where not to put grease. - Bill |
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