Hello all,

I am finally going to change my brake pads. Just like my SAAB, I seem to be light on the braking because I am over 130,000 miles.

My question is, are replacing the front brake pads easy? Are there any special tools I will need, items I should be aware of, things I should watch out for?

Thanks for any advice!

 

Front brake pads are essentially a standard brake job with no special tools required. Rear brake pads require the special tool needed to push-and-twist the pistons into the calipers before you can remove the pads. Autozone or Advance Auto Parts will loan you that tool for a nominal deposit ($25 around here) that is refunded to you when you return the tool to them after the job is done....

 

Follow JTIS, very simple process. Don't forge to inspect clean and lubricate the mounting pins.

 

If you end up removing the brake discs, smearing some anti-seize compound on the contact surface between the hub and disc will facilitate future disc removal.

 

Need it do my fronts but I have a Mac and can't use JTIS, is there a walk through posted here? I've searched but can't find much.

 

I did the rear brakes today. I used a spanner from an angle grinder to rotate the pistons and pushed them back with a bolt through a bar for joining bed legs to the bed, fronts ones should be easier and scrape less skin of your knuckles. I got advice from another car website as there is nothing jaguar about the brakes on my v6.

 

Vance580 has some vids on YouTube that might be useful for you. Straightforward job really.

 

The fronts are so simple I reckon you don't need any walk through if you've ever done a bit of wrenching. Check the new pads seat properly so you won't get any squealing.

Good idea to measure the rotor thickness, in case they're below the minimum.

 

JTIS is invaluable/mandatory for doing any serious work on the car. Might want to borrow/buy a cheapo windows based computer just to run it.

 

I just finished replacing the front pads. Installing the front pads was very easy. I think it takes longer just to chock a rear wheel, jack the car up and remove the tire than it does to replace them.

A good thing about living in the country is a paved back road for testing. :-) I found the driver's side was making a scraping sound and I found out it was on of those clips dragging across the top of the rotor. Once adjusted, I tried again. There is a slight squeal, but I am hoping it is just the pads having to wear in.

I have the rear pads, but looking through the rim slots, I can see grooves in the rotor. I will either have to turn or have them replaced before installing the new pads.

Can anyone tell me how to replace these rotors? I know they can be turned once, but I wonder if it would be best just to replace them. What is the average price of each rotor to buy new?

Thanks for any input.

 

Well today I finally attempted to replace the rear brake pads and rotors. I purchased a tool from Advance Auto. Wow!

On another thread, I followed the directions on disengaging the electronic park brake. With the car in neutral, I found the car moved forward and backwards telling me I had not set the brake. I then put the car in 1st gear, chocked up the front wheels, and got to work.

The caliper was not difficult to remove. I set it aside on top of a jack for support. The bar that envelopes the rotor took some extreme torque to remove. Even as it came out, it had friction. Upon examining the bolt, I found it was the lock tite or whatever the manufacturer uses to secure the bolt that made it difficult.
The rotor has two sprocket washers, but even after removing, I had to bang around the rotor with a rubber mallet to break it loose.
The new rotor went on easily, however, the pads made me pause. The pads look exactly the same as what I pulled off, only they have more pad. On the car the new pads seemto be about 1/4” from the edge of the rotor. The original pads are even closer to the edge of the rotor.
Then the work came to an end. The tool I had purchased, one of those cubes with different type pins, would not fit the caliper piston Arghhhh! I call Advance Auto and they said they had a loaner tool with different heads, but it had not been returned. I called the other store and they said theirs was available for $99.00 plus tax. Once done, I just return and get my money back.
Tomorrow morning I will begin again in hopes I can complete this job.
Questions:
1. Must I use a specific lock tite when re-installing those 15mm bolts?
2. Do these bolts have a specific torque when re-installing?
3. Should the pads be wider so they are essentially flush with the edge of the rotor?
4. Is there anything else I need to be made aware of before re-mounting the tire?

 

You're supposed to replace the bolts. The new ones come with one-use threadlock already on them.
Torque as per JTIS.

 

Oh Oh. I have only bolted down one side. Is this a problem? I haven't finished this side, car still without a wheel.

Also, I do not have a JTIS manual anymore as my CD no longer works. I do not know the torque lbs needed.

Another comment I heard when replacing the rotor is the bolt threading. To remove, One side is counterclockwise, the other side clockwise. before I do the passenger side, I want to be sure I get this part right, considering I will be applying alot of strength to loosen the bolts. LOL

 

For the money saved by DIY I'd buy a cheap laptop or desktop from ebay, just to run JTIS. Less than $100. That's if I couldn't find another even cheaper way. You can download JTIS for free but $4 on ebay isn't too bad.

I've pointed out before that the files are text files so worst case it's not too bad to just look at them and ignore the formatting (SGML). (I don't run Windoze.)

 

Thanks JagV8 for such a QUICK reply. I have been scouring the net, trying to be sure I don't mess anything on my car.

Yea, I think JTIS runs on WindowsXP. No problem, I still have a desktop with that operating system I use for troubleshooting.

I wish I was as confident working on my Jag as I am with computers. :-)

 

CD, don't worry about using new bolts, I haven't replaced them on several vehicles including 2 S Types.

Use Loctite from big box store.

If you still have the "cube", you must remove 2 of the 4 pins on the side that has the 4 pins, a grinder works best but a hand file will do. If I remember correctly turn the caliper pistons clockwise to disengage.

Interesting on the sizing between old and new pads. I am at a loss.

Torque values:
Brake Caliper Anchor Plate (bar that envelopes the rotor): 103Nm
Caliper: 34Nm

 

I also found the cube was not a good fit for the rear brakes but the y shapes spanner from a small angle grinder worked better and would go round the bolt I was pressing the piston in with. I used a tube and an old pop bottle to let out the extra brake fluid.
It was fine in the end and my skin has grown back on my knuckles.

 

Rule of thumb;;; Inspect old pads, if the REAR pad is worn a lot and the front isn't THE PISTON is sticking. IF the FRONT is worn but the rear is a lot thicker the SLIDER PINS are gummed and sticking( test them by trying to move them.) If they don't ,put them in a bench vice and pull them apart,clean with brake clean,dry, use SILICONE grease, If you use regular grease they will freeze again. It's best to do every time you do pads. IF it's the piston, well you might need a assembly, I have had poor luck trying to repair these. the piston usually goes crooked and scores the wall. If you find every thing is ok your good to go. Another very important thing and as a rule,OPEN THE BLEEDER BEFORE you pull the calipers off, NEVER push old fluid back into the system against the proportioning valve. I gravity bleed the system untill it's clear(keep the reservoir full). On ABS system the light will come one when you first drive it but after the first stop it should go out. I always burn my pad in when i'm done to insure there seated and the system is ok. Burning in or seating is a special trick I use,personallyand I never have had a complaint about the pads I installed. If you replace the rotors clean them squeeky clean b-4 installing. The newer models have rotors that most of the time they are not worth turning, the new-to throw away tolerance is slim, some where between 60 and 100 thousands difference and the LAW says they can't give them back undersized.
Last thing CHECK YOUR HOSES ,they break, you have a four-plus thousand pound missile

 

Bill-

That's good advice, but I think you mean inner and outer pads, not front and rear (of the car).

 

Thanks everyone. I did inspect my brakes, pads worn even between both sides. But I have only done driver's side. I am concerned about the passenger side in do the bolts on the caliper AND caliper anchor plate must be turned counter-clockwise to remove? The caliper anchor plate, if I go by the driver's side, took some extreme strength to loosen. There is not much room in that area for leverage, and so I want to be sure I turn the the bolts in the correct direction.