C5, if I remember right, if you get the clips for a Lincoln LS, they are the same clips. If you ask for the ones for a Jag, they will look at you like you have a horn growing out of your forehead. Granted, I would be taking an example in with me just to make sure.

 

smart move with the clamp. i went crazy trying to crank them back in with the cube, but it kept pushing back out , so i got pissedoff and just disconnected the lbrake hoses, winded them back in, installed the pads then re connected the brake hoses... worked much easier, just have to bleed the brakes after to get all that air out.

 

Benebob,

Who did you purchase from on ebay? There are a few suppliers there that offer a full set of pads and rotors, but I want one with the best customer service like you had. I'm wanting to replace them on my 05 as well since they are starting to squeak. Heck, I'll probably get a set for my Excursion too, since I know the rotors are bad on that.

Thanks,
Sam

 

I bought my whole set from Brakemotive on eBay for $185 shipped (#390284520491 for Oct 04-08). Zinc coated F+R drilled and slotted rotors with Evolution ceramic pads and they shipped FAST. I can't say much about the true quality yet since they're still brand new but everything appears to be fine, the fit was perfect, and there is no noise or vibration. Only time will tell how long they last.

There was a very detailed color brochure in each box to help installation and a 24/7 helpline, although I didn't try it so I can't comment on its usefulness. Since drilled rotors are directional each one was labeled for easy identification. Just remember to remove the sticker with a razor and some solvent so it seats flat. I was very leary about such a low price and if I didn't know better I would have guessed the set would have been double the price.

I hope they stock brakes for my wifes Passat next time around. We just did hers last fall and it was EXPENSIVE all around. Next time I'm buying the VAGCOM software to do it all myself. Electronic parking brakes, BAH!

 

That is who I think I used as well but just did a search on flebay without finding them. No issues a year into with about 1000 miles of towing. They are showing a bit of rust around the edges but that isn't a biggie for me.

 

http://stores.e***.com/Brakemotive

Fill in the *** with the site we're talking about. A mod can edit the link if it's allowed.

 

I ordered them for the Jag and will likely get them for the Excursion when I'm complete. Thanks!

 

Wondering how the brakes are? I just bought them also for my '06 X. Putting them on tomorrow and hoping it was a good purchase-debating on painting the calipers as well...suggestions? Thanks

 

The brakes have been great so far. The only thing that has come up is one of the rear rotors is showing signs of light rusting even though they're all supposed to be zinc plated. The other 3 are still spotless.

The car is stopping better than ever and as long as they last I won't even worry about the rust. The OEM were completely rusted and flaking apart. The drilled and slotted rotors do make a little muffled noise when braking firm to hard (all slotted rotors do). It's difficult to describe and almost undetectable unless you're listening for it. It's just a slight airy rhythmic pulse that's gone in a few seconds as the pads squeeze hard against the slots and completely acceptable considering the better braking. My wife hasn't noticed it at all or at least hasn't said anything. When breaking normally, I don't ever hear it.

I'm quite happy with them so far.

I decided not to paint the calipers because then I'd be forever touching up all the knicks. OEM color is fine for me on this car. No doubt they'd look great painted though.

 

C5,

I replaced pads and rotors all the way around this weekend and had no problems; took about 3 hours for me (who is not very experienced, but willing to try and save some dough). Definitely happy with the way the slotted and drilled look, and don't mind saving some $1,200 the dealer would have cost me over the parts cost.

Thanks for the encouragement, and now to decide whether or not to paint the calipers...

 

That's great. What method did you use to turn in the rear calipers?

 

I used a C-clamp positioned either as far to the left/right in the wheel well (depending on the direction the piston needed to rotate), but tightened it enough to grip the piston-then moved the entire clamp the appropriate direction as far as it fit in the well. This turned the piston in. Loosened it, brought it back over to the other side, and repeat. Didn't take long at all.

 

Great write up C5 pilot. I need to replace my rear brakes this weekend. Two quick questions for you:

1. How big was the C-clamp you used to wind the piston?
2. How small a clamp do you think you could have gotten away with?

I've got a couple of C-clamps (I think 9"?) laying around somewhere and I'm just wondering if that will be sufficient, or if I'll need something bigger.

Oh and I guess one more question while I'm thinking of it. Is the C-clamp even necessary? On most of the cars I've worked on, all I've had to do was attach a 3/8" ratchet to the cube, and just rotate the piston in the appropriate direction. The piston would screw in as I did that and not pop back out. I guess I'm just wondering what stupid thing the engineers that designed the X-Type did to make things more complicated than that.

Thanks!

 

Sorry, I didn't measure the distance the C-clamp needs to bridge. I used my friends clamp so I can't even go check the size now. If you look at my pics you'll see the placement so you can get a rough idea before you begin. Also, look at the size of the clamps shoe compared to the cube, it's pretty substantial. Feel free to get the measurement when you do yours and post it here for the next person.

No, Jag didn't do anything differently, it's supposed to be pretty straight forward. Some will find their calipers press and turn easily while others won't be able to budge them by hand. Mine were in great shape, the c-clamp just makes it easier to put steady pressure as you turn. By all means, try using just a ratchet and cube first. That's the way it's "supposed" to work. Don't forget to loosen the reservoir lid.

 

Ok guys, I'm (nearly) ready to change my brakes. I've got all the tools and only have one remaining question:

What kind of brake fluid do I need to top off my X-Type? It's a 2005 3.0. The owners manual says Jaguar Super DOT 4 (ESA-M6C25), but the filler cap says DOT 3, DOT 4 or Super DOT 4. From what I've read on the Interweb, you're not supposed to mix Super DOT 4 with the other kinds because bad things will happen. My question:

Short of flushing the entire system, how do I know if the car's got DOT 4 or Super DOT 4 in it now? I'd normally go by the owners manual (published Dec 2004), but I bought the manual separately on Ebay since my car didn't come with one. It's probably the right manual for my car (manufactured March 2005), but I'm not sure.

Thanks for any advice or pointers.

 

Ok, I misspoke on my earlier post. After doing some more research, I came across this great article:

StopTech : Balanced Brake Upgrades

It explains that DOT 5 (silicone based) is the fluid you never want to mix with DOT 3 and DOT 4. In fact, you never want to use it in a street car - it's intended for racing applications, where you're frequently changing out the fluid.

Super DOT 4 (sometimes marketed as DOT 5.1) is compatible with DOT 3 and DOT 4 because all three are glycol ether and/or borate ester based.

So now my question is does the X-Type absolutely require Super DOT 4 (as the owner's manual states), or is DOT 4 sufficient (as my brake reservoir cap indicates)? What do you guys use on your cars?

 

DOT4 is fine. The question is, how long has it been since the last brake fluid flush? It's recommended to change the fluid about every 2 years or sooner if racing. If you're really not sure, then just change it while doing the brake job and write the date and miles in a log for next time. It's cheap insurance.

 

Thanks C5Pilot. Good advice to change the fluid. I doubt it's been done since the car was new. I've owned it for a couple of years, and had a brake fluid flush on my list of things to do this summer. I'll just do it now, as part of changing out the pads and rotors. Mostly, I just wanted to make sure that Super DOT 4 wasn't an absolute requirement for our cars, and that people have successfully been using DOT4. None of the local stores I've called carry Super DOT 4, so I don't even know where to source it.

In case it's helpful to anyone, I read in my Popular Mechanics car repair book that on ABS equipped cars, you don't want to turn the pistons in without cracking open the bleeder valve. Their reasoning is that most of the contamination in the brake line ends up by the calipers. When you turn the pistons in, you force the contaminants up towards the sensitive ABS electronics - running the risk of damaging the electronics and setting off the ABS warning light.

It might also be easier to turn the calipers in with the bleeeder valve open, given that ABS systems are under higher pressure. I wonder if that would explain why some people have been experiencing such difficulty turning the pistons in?

 

Guys, just thought of two more questions to ask before tackling the job.

1. The first safety precaution I normally take whenver I need to jack the car up is to make sure the parking brake is engaged (damn, I wish I had access to a lift). This may sound like a stupid question, but when working on the rear brakes, does the parking brake have to be disengaged to enable the caliper to be moved and the pads removed?

2. When bleeding ABS brakes, do you need the key in the ignition in the On position, or the key completely out as you pump the brakes? I don't know what the proper protocol is for this, and would appreciate any guidance. This alludes to my concern that it's not as straightforward to bleed ABS equipped brakes on some cars: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars...enance/4213448

 

1. Yes, the parking brake needs to be disengaged, and you'll need to disconnect the brake cable at the rear of the caliper. Use a pair of pliers to remove the spring and the cable will slip out allowing you to get the caliper out of the way of the rotor.

2. You don't need to activate the ABS at all as long as you don't allow any air into the system while you're bleeding it. I don't know how much old fluid remains without flushing the ABS but it's shouldn't be an issue as long as you're not mixing fluid types and flushing in recommended time intervals.