Request for last minute tips - brake job & endlinks

Hi all,

 

Bout to replace my front rotors, pads, rear pads, and all 4 endlinks. Centric premium rotors, stoptech front pads, centric premium pads in the rear, kartboy endlinks all around.

 

I'm not overly concerned with any aspects of the job - it's a fairly simple job - but what I like to do in these situations where it's a core car to my household is ask what is likely to go wrong and how I can be prepared to address it.

 

I've done some reading on here that tells me I should be prepared for my rotors to be stuck on (and that I can pull a radiator support bolt to use in putting pressure on the rotor's backside to pop it off if needed - also, BFH).

 

Aside from that, that the endlink bolts like to round off. I'd prefer that not happen, so I've got PB blaster to set it up for soaking - I'll spray them all and then start on the brake job. Any other tips on how to ease the endlink bolts out?

 

One minor thing - I've never had to get a rear caliper retraction tool. I've always been able to retract the piston through force without having to turn it simultaneously. Any reason the legacy's rear caliper would give me more problems?

 

I appreciate any tips and heads up. Really want this to go smoothly, as I'm doing this + trans fluid + rear diff fluid + oil change. Not gonna have time to deal with too many problems

 

Joe

Odds are pretty good that you will break one of the front caliper bracket bolts. Be sure to soak them with penetrating oil before you attempt to loosen them.

Thanks Rao. Basically, loosen the lugs, jack up the car, put it on stands, remove the wheels, and then unleash 4-5 cans of PB blaster over every surface?

 

 

I'm gonna be pissed, honestly, if I break any bolts on a ~3 year old car due to corrosion/rust. I assume it might happen. But it'll be upsetting.

 

I just replaced the front brake pads 1 year ago with those $25 ones off ebay. The pulsation is obscene now and they won't remove the pulsation from a bed-in procedure. The fronts have 67k miles on them now, so I figured I'd just put quality rotors and pads on all at once.

 

Side note: I put the same manufacturers pads on my 06 Civic SI - along with new rotors. $75 shipped to my house for new front rotors and pads. About 15k miles on them now, and they still feel great. So who knows.

Have a dremel ready for the endlinks is all I can say. It's not so much the nut that gets rounded out, but the hex hole in the front endlinks. What I learned from my rear endlink removal is that if yo have a dremel you should crack the tension on the nuts with whatever youd like to use, then cut the endlink in half =). I Did this after 2 hours of trying to get all rounded off parts off lol, and everything basically took it self off. HOWEVER, if you have an impact you won't need to do any of this because all of them will zip off with no effort as long as you brace an open ended wrench(Connecting to the inside of the rear endlink) properly against a part of the chassis/suspension for the rear endlinks and a vice grip to the inner part of the front endlinks (Should look like a round disk). If all seems lost just go to home depot before the install and rent or buy a dremel if you dont already have one and just cut the nuts off of the endlink bolt and you can easily slide it out.

 

Goodluck!

Oh and feel free to throw the endlinks very far after removal lol

buy a bunch of replacement bolts ahead of time.

 

nothing sucks more than snapping a bolt and having to run out to buy one in the middle of the job

is that about the lifespan of our oem rotors?

 

i put stoptech pads on last xmas and love them, but ive gotten some vibration through the steering wheel now during braking and i just hit 68k miles.

^TRUTH especially if its a cam bolt...

Yea I won't even bother trying to remove the OEM endlinks now with cutting them off.

Hm?

Bout to replace my front rotors, pads, rear pads, and all 4 endlinks. Centric premium rotors, stoptech front pads, centric premium pads in the rear, kartboy endlinks all around.

 

Front rotors - Pretty easy once you get the calipers out of the way. As you noted there are holes on the front of the rotor that you can screw a bolt into to "push" the rotor off the spindle thingy.

 

End links - These have been pretty easy for me to remove/install. Just be sure you use six sided sockets whenever you can so you don't round off the edges.

 

If you do run into problems with removal, it probalby would be faster to cut them off with a Dremel or a circular cutting tool (forget hte name of it right now) than struggle with trying to remove it.

 

Overall - Like suggested, buy some replacement bolts in advance for the just in case events, you can always return them later if you don't need them.

 

Also, you may want to bleed your brakes if you haven't done so before. I have lots of ATE and Motul brake fluid if you want to buy any

Wooo peter still lives.

And I believe that circular cutting tool is an angle grinder. Personally I think it's too big for that tight space

I've got a multi-max dremel and a 3.5" or 4" angle grinder. I have no air tools, impact drivers, etc. - I do have vise grips

Then be prepared to don safety goggles and a surgical mask when cutting those nuts =D

if all else fails...stop by the dealership! ill give u a hand if u need it!

Thanks Tom! I've driven cars with the endlinks missing before. Hopefully I don't have to do it again

IMO the 3.5 or 4" grinder is going to be your best friend this weekend.

 

 

I would also spray the threads of the caliper mount bolts where they come thru the spindle behind the rotor.

 

Also re-assemble everything with Anti-Seize compound. I just bought another bottle last weekend. I use it on the lug nuts too.

 

Another hint, use it on the two 8mmx 1.25 bolts that you screw into the rotor to back it off the hub. Works better then PB Blaster in those threads, IMO.

 

I also have a long 3/8 drive flex ratchet that I use for breaking most bolts lose.

Yeah, and I just remembered that I need to procur my father in laws set of open-ended ratcheting wrenches - to stick on the endlinks and then use the allen key.

 

Also, I remembered that I installed my sway bars with the wheels hanging in the air (suspension unloaded) and that this time it's gonna be alot easier if I keep the suspension loaded, or so I've read.

 

So the wheels stay on for the endlink job.

Jesus christ what I would have done to have my set of ratcheting wrenches when i did my endlinks, that alone makes the job 60% easier.

Oh and yes, the wheels stay on

Mother of God. I just spent the 3 hours on the rear sway....alone.

 

Do yourselves all a favor in this situation and go RIGHT TO the top bolt on the sways. If it rounds, you know your answer.

 

The bottoms broke loose fine. Pulled them out. Tops were stuck on, then the heads rounded.

 

So I wound up pulling the whole sway bar out and taking an angle grinder to the edge of the endlink where it goes through the sway bar. Worked like a charm - a very loud sparky charm.

 

Anyway, then I found out my new whiteline bushings - which did not come with new straps - did not fit my existing sway bar bushing strap. So no new bushings.

 

When re-installing the sway bar, I wound up removing one of the mufflers to get the cobb sway, bushing bracket, bushing, and cobb reinforcement bracket to line up for me to install the strap back properly.

 

Anyway, I cleaned the sways off, put my old bushings back on, tightened down the new kartboy endlinks, put the muffler back, re-checked everything, and went for a drive.

 

Maybe 30% less clunks and noise.

 

Tomorrow I'm aiming to get the fronts done. I went ahead and sprayed and front attachment points.

 

This job really isn't that bad - it's not technically difficult. It's just that as a DIYer with basic handtools and having the car sitting on 4x4's, it becomes downright painful for hours on end to do 1/8th turns of bolts that seemingly never tighten....while on one shoulder crunched under the car and working with incredibly limited room.

 

Ok, done venting, now I have to go shampoo the old bushing grease out of my hair

just put my rear sway n kartboy endlinks in today...took 20 min, hahaha! had to say it

Yeah, this job reinforced for me the need to get air tools. I doubt I'll ever get a lift, but I could've done it in maybe 45 minutes with air tools (and that includes 15 minutes to grind off the old endlinks).

 

For those who enter into this - don't even mess with a dremel unless you have to. Use an angle grinder.

 

Also, it was a very pleasant surprise that Kartboy uses 11/16 (17mm) to replace the stock 14mm bolts. Much stronger, much easier to torque appropriately.

Hmm I found using my flex extension for the dremel was WAY easier than trying to get the angle grinder in there. Heads up though, the fronts are harder than the rear due to that hex key lol....Took my hmmm I believe 6 hours because I have to completely warp the circular metal piece of the endlink with vice grips (My hand was sore for 4 days after) to be able to just get enough space to cut the bolt with the dremel.