Comprehensive Brake Info Thread

[upsidedownaaron]

just did my front brakes on my 318ti today. it helps to pay attention to the fact that you have to remove the guide pins to get it all back together. 30 min job became a 3 hour job real quick until i washed my hands, opened up the old laptop and reread the directions. ohhh. that.

[BimmerBum]

Originally Posted by upsidedownaaron

just did my front brakes on my 318ti today. it helps to pay attention to the fact that you have to remove the guide pins to get it all back together. 30 min job became a 3 hour job real quick until i washed my hands, opened up the old laptop and reread the directions. ohhh. that.

You should not need to remove the guide pins... just make sure you lube them when you have them apart.

Regardless, glad you finished the job!

[upsidedownaaron]

now i just realized what you are getting at. but i assume then that the floating part of the caliper gets lowered down with the guid pins on and then lowered down on top of the pads that are already in place?

[BimmerBum]

When I change brake pads:

1) Remove the caliper and carrier
2) Remove the old pads
3) Separate the caliper from the carrier
4) Compress the caliper piston all the way (you will need to have the brake fluid cap off for this part)
5) Clean the carrier where the ears on the pads reside
6) Lube the guide pins
7) Put the carrier back on the caliper
8) Install the inside pad that clips into the caliper piston
9) Install the outside pad
10) Slide over the rotor and bolt back on
11) Install the spring clip
12) Reinstall the brake fluid cap (when I'm done changing all the pads I'm going to change)

[upsidedownaaron]

originally i tried to follow exactly what you have listed (also i hope this is where we discuss this and i am not cluttering this thread) but with the piston side pad in i couldn't get the other pad to go in. it was about a full mm too big. perhaps the aftermarket pads i got were slightly too big? the only way to get it all to fit was to take the pins off, drop the pads in, drop the carrier on, install pins, slide over rotor. it was killing me.

but as a side note, i love driving this car so much, its even more fun than the mg i used to have when i was in high school. best $1000 i ever spent.

[BimmerBum]

Originally Posted by upsidedownaaron

originally i tried to follow exactly what you have listed (also i hope this is where we discuss this and i am not cluttering this thread) but with the piston side pad in i couldn't get the other pad to go in. it was about a full mm too big. perhaps the aftermarket pads i got were slightly too big? the only way to get it all to fit was to take the pins off, drop the pads in, drop the carrier on, install pins, slide over rotor. it was killing me.

but as a side note, i love driving this car so much, its even more fun than the mg i used to have when i was in high school. best $1000 i ever spent.

Do you have solid rotors? It has been a few years since I have swapped pads on those calipers maybe they have less room to work?

All that matters is that it's done. Enjoy!