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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Maintenance and Repair / December 200496 626 brake & rotors - need advice
Have a 96 626 w/ 98K miles & the rotors have been warped (I'm assuming- shudders significantly when braking) for a good while - probably 10K or so. Also - when braking hard, a bit of grinding is evident too, and I figured that can't be a good thing. So I'm going to attempt replacing rotors & pads. Needless to say, I'm a bit of a rookie, so if my questions seem elementary, go easy on me. Anyway - had some questions. First - does anyone out there know about removing the rotor from the hub once I get the brake assembly out of the way? The Chiltons manual said there on "most" models there will be two small threaded screws holding the rotor on, and a mechanic in the past told me that I would "probably" just knock them off with a hammer. I want a little more certainty of what I'll need to do before I get in there. Are these statements accurate or am I going to need some special tool to get these puppies off? In what order should I do this - first the rotors, then work my way back out, replacing the pads, etc.? Or go ahead and do the pads with the caliper still attached, and then move the caliper out of the way, then the rotor. When replacing the pads & rotors like this, am I going to need to do any bleeding? If so, I'm going to need a better how-to than Chiltons - slightly confusing for a new guy. I'll look around on the web, but if anyone knows of a good site for this, post it. One more - how often do the rear brakes need replacing? I've had the car since for 60K miles and haven't taken a look at them. > Have a 96 626 w/ 98K miles & the rotors have been warped (I'm > assuming- shudders significantly when braking) for a good while - [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > do before I get in there. Are these statements accurate or am I going > to need some special tool to get these puppies off? You need to get a manual that is specific to your car, or take the wheel off and look at the rotor. Best case is the rotor is held on only by the wheel and it will come right off after the wheel and caliper are removed. Worst case is the rotor will not separate from the hub. and the rotor and hub assembly must be replace. > In what order should I do this - first the rotors, then work my way > back out, replacing the pads, etc.? Or go ahead and do the pads with > the caliper still attached, and then move the caliper out of the way, > then the rotor. Remove the caliper, use a wire coat hanger to tie it up to something to prevent damage to the bake line. Then remove the rotor. Install the new rotor, then put new pads in the caliper and reinstall it. > When replacing the pads & rotors like this, am I going to need to do > any bleeding? No > If so, I'm going to need a better how-to than Chiltons > - slightly confusing for a new guy. I'll look around on the web, > but if anyone knows of a good site for this, post it. Brake jobs are fairly simple, but if you are in doubt you should either have someone show you how to do it or thoroughly read up on the subject before doing it. Remember that brakes (and suspension) are critical for safety and you don't want any surprises because something was incorrectly installed. You will need something to press the piston into the caliper. I use a 6 inch clamp. > One more - how often do the rear brakes need replacing? I've had > the car since for 60K miles and haven't taken a look at them. Rear brakes usually last 2 or 3 times as long as the front, but you should check the rear for premature wear when you do the front. If the rear brakes are drums don't take both sides apart at the sare time. If you are not sure how the hardware goes on one side you can refer to the other side.  SignatureMike Walsh West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.A. >Have a 96 626 w/ 98K miles & the rotors have been warped (I'm >assuming- shudders significantly when braking) for a good while - [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] >One more - how often do the rear brakes need replacing? I've had >the car since for 60K miles and haven't taken a look at them. I don't have a '96 626 but I do have a '98, which I recently did this job on. I've also had an '88 and an '84 (in addition to two Mazda trucks). These vehicles have all been very reliable but also hard to work on. Simple jobs always turn into problems. I can guarantee you that the rotors will not come right off. My '98 does (did) have threaded holes that you can run a screw in to push the rotor off. This works well. I replaced my rotors with NAPA rotors that do not have threaded holes so I liberally coated the contact areas with anti-sieze so I'll be able to get them off again. The rest of the job is straightforward. Rich Russell Rich - where were the threaded holes? Just on the front face of the rotor between the lug bolt holes? So then just find the right size screw and screw them in towards the hub to push the rotor off? > I don't have a '96 626 but I do have a '98, which I recently did this > job on. I've also had an '88 and an '84 (in addition to two Mazda [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > is straightforward. > Rich Russell Another question - what brand of rotors should I go with - I've seen some complaints about the Autozone stuff, but this is just going on a sedan that I drive back and forth to work - no serious racing. Other stores/brands recommended out there? Any sites online that are reputable to deal with? > Rich - where were the threaded holes? Just on the front face of the > rotor between the lug bolt holes? So then just find the right size [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > is straightforward. > > Rich Russell >Another question - what brand of rotors should I go with - I've seen >some complaints about the Autozone stuff, but this is just going on a >sedan that I drive back and forth to work - no serious racing. Other >stores/brands recommended out there? Any sites online that are >reputable to deal with? In what state do you live Corey? States that use salt on the roads tend to wreck brake rotors (and a lot of other things) a lot quicker than, for instance, southern California. All kinds of things can go wrong with rotors here in New England, or in other salt states. Most of the time it's because the calipers stop working like they used to. I've seen rotors so rusted up that when you it the side of it, huge flakes would pop off leaving a big pot hole in the middle of the braking surface. Most calipers are now designed with shielded and booted slides so that the corrosion process is delayed, but it gets in there eventually. But the rotors themselves pretty much require constant use to stay clean. If your rotors don't come off easily, things could get very very tough for you. By the way, once you get the rotors off, and put the new pads on the pad holders, you'll have to push the piston into the caliper. Big C clamps work well for this job. Also gives you an idea of whether the piston is moving easily or is stuck. Corky Scott I'm in NC - salt is generally not a long term issue - we have a few ice/snow showers each winter, but no prolonged exposure. So the short of it is - if the rotors come off, not too bad of a DIY job - but if they don't, it could get interesting? I wish there was a way to tell, without going all the way in and discovering I'm screwed. >Rich - where were the threaded holes? Just on the front face of the >rotor between the lug bolt holes? So then just find the right size >screw and screw them in towards the hub to push the rotor off? You got it! Rich Russell |
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