Hey gents,

In about 2 weeks I'm going to be doing the brakes on my car (2004 XJ Vanden Plas). I've done probably a few dozen brake jobs over the years on other cars (mostly domestic or japanese) but never on a Jag. I'm going to be doing pads on all 4 corners, and likely replacing rotors on the front and have a few simple questions:

1. I was wondering if there is anything I need to be on the lookout for. Ie, any oddities/peculiarities that would make this job different from what I'm used to? Or is it a pretty straightforward thing?

2. Does anyone know of a good step-by-step pictorial guide here on the forum or elsewhere to walk through this? I have an electronic version of the factory service manual I downloaded from here, so I should have a reference for torques etc. but they can be a little difficult to follow sometimes, any other resources would be appreciated.

3. Any recommendations on particular brand/style of pads or rotors to buy? Ones to avoid? I did a quick check on rock auto to get a feel for pricing and it looks like there is a decent selection available (plus whatever the local auto parts stores stock). I just know many cars seem to be particular about what pads they take, and thought you guys might have experience with a particular brand of pad/rotor. If not I'll probably just got with raybestos or delco or some other name brand i recognize

Thanks in advance for any help, much appreciated!!

 

Hi RocketScientist,

Our X350 is an XJR with Brembo brakes so I can't tell you any specific things to watch for on your VDP other than to check to see if you have separate pads for the Electronic Park Brake (EPB) on the rears to deal with.

The Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of the brake pads on the X350 is Mintex, and you can find the same pads through the good independent Jaguar specialists and even your local auto parts stores for much, much less than Jaguar prices. The Mintex pads are quiet and provide excellent stopping power, but the downside is that they generate OEM levels of brake dust, so if that's a concern, search the forum for recommendations for ceramic and other new-tech pads owners have had good success with.

Cheers,

Don

 

Watch the sizing with Mintex brake pads. I put on new discs and Mintex pads and I had an horrendous rattling sound when driving over minute imperfections in the road surface. When I merely kissed the brake pedal with foot the sound disappeared, when I checked the pads they appeared to be about 2mm short in the length and were moving about in the caliper, Ive sent them back to the supplier it might be they are just a bad set. Fitted a different make of pad no noise. Keith

 

I've used EBC Redstuff pads/rotors and Akebono pads on my XJ8 and I've loved them both, great stopping power and almost no brake dust, though they are a bit more expensive than traditional semi-metallic pads. I suppose it's up to your preference, but I went with an aftermarket low-dust pad because I got tired of cleaning my wheels every few days and my OCD wouldn't let them sit dirty.

Unless I'm sadly mistaken or I blindly missed something, the non-R models do not have a separate pad for the parking brake, so you shouldn't need to worry about that. However, when you go to do the rears make sure you disengage the parking brake. It will automatically apply itself when you turn off the vehicle, so to remedy that just push down and hold the parking brake button while turning the vehicle off, that should keep it disengaged.

When I first went to do my brakes on the XJ8 I had the same questions you did as well, but it's pretty straight forward like most all other vehicles.

I'm at work so I can't get part numbers at the moment, but if you're interested I could look when I get home and post them. Also the EBC website will let you punch in your vehicle information and show you exactly what will fit your vehicle. Best of luck!


EDIT: One last thing! When buying pads make sure they're for the non-brembo setup, I made that mistake on accident and ended up with $100+ of brake pads that didn't fit my vehicle LOL

 

Thanks SO MUCH for all the feedback/advice. Exactly what I was looking for. And if you could look that info up I'd really appreciate it too. Is your car an '04 as well? Wondering if there were any minor changes to the brakes from year to year, or if the same pads/rotors worked for that entire "generation" of car. again, THANKS a lot!

 

Mine is an 04 as well, yes. Assuming you have the VDP and not the Super V8 our cars should just about be identical.

 

I had the EBC info an in email; I got the Akebono pads from partsgeek.

EBC:
Front Axle Set - (DP31220/2C)
Part Number: DP31220/2C


Rear Axle Set - (DP31221/2C) Part Number: DP31221/2C

Akebono on PartsGeek: (May not be the manufacturer number)

Part Number: 17919-01003087

 

Now why didn't I think about that? I have the same problem with squeaking, but only from the left front. The squeaking is not very noticeable but I CAN HEAR IT! I should have checked that, I just replaced my Air Shocks and Hub.

 

1.You will need a tool to retract the rear calipers. Some people use large pliers.
2.You will need silicone brake lubricant for the slider pins and rubber parts(rear)
3.The electronic manual is good for brakes---I print the pages I need before I perform the jobs and keep them in a folder afterwards. Easy to use really.
4.Use anti seize lubricant on metal parts, eg. hub to rotor surface, saddle to pad surface etc.---makes things easier in future. Avoid contaminating friction surfaces.
5.I use Akebono---they wear well, brake well but initial bite is not as strong as factory and the dust is grey, does not show and is easily wiped off the wheels.

 

Check the forum here - there are plenty of threads on here about doing your brakes. One thing I remember is that for non-XJR (without Brembo brakes) one must use a caliper retracting tool for the rears, as simply pressing them back with pliers or a C clamp can blow the seals. Apparently the rear calipers need to be rotated backwards while compressing the pistons.

I think someone mentioned you could get the tool on rent at most auto parts stores. Or you could buy a kit at Harbor Freight.

 

Many , many years ago I had the early ( first ) shape Audi 200, I think it was badged Audi 5000 in the US, I fitted non Audi rear pads and also had the rattle over slightly bumpy ground when driving slowly, I went and got proper Audi pads and swapped them over , no more noise ! The tolerances were obviously different.

 

Please read this procedure for completing a four wheel brake rotor and pad replacement complete with photo's following the link below. It will answer all your DIY questions.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...ice-how-61323/

Many members have used the FAQ tab to find answers for many common maintenance issues.

 

nope you didnt use the stainless shims for the shorter pads. The longer pads use no shims and the shorter take shims on the caliper bracket

 

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Quote:




Originally Posted by Revonok

I had the EBC info an in email; I got the Akebono pads from partsgeek.

EBC:
Front Axle Set - (DP31220/2C)
Part Number: DP31220/2C


Rear Axle Set - (DP31221/2C) Part Number: DP31221/2C

Akebono on PartsGeek: (May not be the manufacturer number)

Part Number: 17919-01003087

I only use EBC and recommend highly. these are the correct part numbers for the 04-05.
later 06-09 take DP31911C front
DP31749C rear
parts geek and rock auto both have wrong info for pads on these cars. rock auto paid for return and sent correct. Partsgeek charged a 15% restocking fee claiming it is the correct info. I sent them the info from EBC engineering in the UK that showed the correct numbers plus the receipt showing I didnt "change my mind" They still refused to refund the 15%. guess who I seldom use now which is bad for them cause I buy alot parts for other peoples cars

 

Uhm NO. use plier and ruin the caliper. it screws in. If youre reffering to using pliers to grab the piston and turn it in then you run the risk of scoring the piston and tearing the dust seal. remember someone will read this, use pliers and squeeze the piston till it breaks or wonder why the cant get it in like the fronts. The professional tool is cheaper than a new caliper any day no to mention the pain in the butt cheap tool
I like to spray wd40 on the boot before I turn in the piston to keep the seal from grabbing and twisting tearing it too.

 

Always remember when doing a brake job, there is a very simple rule you need to obey, and oft neglected. The one moving part, that not only seals the fluid from escaping, but is the mechanism that properly retracts the caliper piston is the piston sealing O-ring. Never collapse the caliper piston, driving fluid back towards the ABS system, but loosen the bleed screw to allow contaminated fluid to exit the system. Brake fluid is glycerin based, and hygroscopic (absorbs water) and by reason of it being in the atmosphere causes it take on water. It is what causes rust in the caliper bore. A caliper rebuild, while oft neglected, is a vital part to doing any brake job properly.
_______________
'04 XJ8/X350-AJ33 N/A Quartz/Dove
Ex - '92 XJ40 Vanden Plas
Ex - '86 XJ6 Series III
ASE Master Tech.

There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves. - Will Rogers

 

Removed my brake pads and checked the calipers, both good. Added a little brake lub/grease which I forgot to do - problem solved! Drove to N. Chicago and back with no squeaks at all, even on those rough roads of Chicago.


Note: On the trip back, a white XJR followed me for a few miles, anyone from this Forum? (On I-55 southern Il, I was headed to Saint Louis.)

 

Thank you for the correction Brutal, that's sure to save lots of people the same headache.

 

A couple of tricks with the EPB

First I found that an old angle grinder handle was an exact fit negating the need to buy/make the service tool.
So check your old grinder handles

Also when doing the EPB on my XJR I don't follow the factory method of removing the cable and caliper.
The Way I do it is

1. Remove the 2 torx bolts and split the caliper
(When you do this the 2 pins come out with it releasing the pads)
2. Wind in the piston using the service tool
3. Insert the new pads on the pins and bolt it back on
4. Repeat for the other side
5. Calibrate hanbrake

Job done in a few mins
If you cant calibrate the handbrake remove F32 from the rear fuse box for a few mins and try again
This clears just the EBC error without losing the rest of the adaptions and having to reprogram the seat settings


Cheers
34by151

 

I had my 2004 VDP brakes replaced about a year ago with Centric Rotors and Centric Posi-quiet Ceramic Brake Pads and I couldn't be happier. Wheels stay much cleaner.