OK, a few things to bring you up to speed on my situation.

I have warped front rotors. I have had a break job in the past on them and they were turned.

Now I have to make a choice.

Option 1. The pads are just fine. Do I have the dealer turn the rotors again for $204 ? I don't like this choice as this would leave even less material and they would just end up warping again in no time.

Option 2. Should I have them install new rotors at $445 ? (Ripoff prices)

Option 3. Or finally, should I just buy new rotors online at $89 a piece and install it myself.

I'm a willing DIYer and would like to take a stab at doing it myself. My question would be; How difficult is it to replace just the front rotors?

On a difficulty scale of 1-10, 1 being the easiest and 10 being very difficult, can someone chime in on what this number would be?

 

IMHO, try to buy the rotors via mail order and have a dealer install the rotors.. No point in turning them again. I don't do brake jobs because I want someone else responsible. If they fail, I'm going after someone else...

 

it's a simple job

once the car is jacked and the wheels are off, it's a matter of removing the caliper and bracket, and possibly the philips head screw on the rotor if the dealer re-installed it

 

I was reading the service manual and it talks about screwing 2 8 x 1.25 mm bolts into the disc to push it away from the hub. I don't have these bolts. If it doesn't want to come out by me pulling on it, can I use a rubber mallet to gently bang it out?

Also, during this whole process, is there anything I need to do as far as cleaning the whole area? I remember watching the techs when they did my first break job. They would spray some break cleaner is certain areas. Is this necessary?

After reading the service manual, it seems pretty straight forward and I think I might just do it myself. If I can do this, I think I can even do the pads in the future. Seems so simple.

 

You can get the bolts in Lowes or Home Depot or any good hardware store.

It won't hurt to tap it with a rubber mallet.

If you get oil or grease on the rotor, you could use the brake cleaner to clean it off. If the service manual doesn't tell you to clean, you probably don't have to unless you see a lot of grease. In the good old days there was always grease from the grease fittings and the ball joints, but these days there is very little grease to be found unless you have something leaking.

Rotors and pads are the only thing I will do on front brakes, and it is an easy job.

 

You must clean the new rotors with brake parts cleaner as well as wipe down any dirty areas

 

You only need those bolts if the rotor is stuck on. Most of the vehicles that I have replaced rotors on, the rotors came right off after removing the calipers. I only needed to use the two bolts on one rotor. The bolts are inserted to push the rotor off the hub assembly if it is stuck on there.

 

I agree. Always clean the rotors to remove the crap

 

Thats not crap!! Its specially designed packing preservative

 

Shop around for a better deal on your rotor turning. I go to a shop that is a supplier of brake parts and also does machining. They turn the rotors off-car for 10$ Canadian each, that's about $8.50 or $9US.

Put the car up on jack-stands and pull off the rotors and get them machined and install new pads at the same time. If you turn the rotors or get new ones you really must get new pads even if they have good life left in them.

On the scale of 1-10 I'd give it a 4. You should use a torque wrench when installing the caliper mounting bolts. They are not expensive, say 30-50$.
Also good to have the manual on hand just in case.

 

I did this diy about 2 weeks ago and this was my first major diy on my car. I was hesitant about doing this diy because i have always thought that anything to do with brakes was a hard job. But surprisingly this replacing the rotors was really strait forward and easy. The hardest part if u consider it hard was to take out the two screws that hold on the rotor, but i had and impact screwdriver and they came out pretty easy. The whole process took me about 5 hours, but i am a rookie and i didn't have have a lot of the tools that would make the job quicker like a jack stand, and a second person helping.

 

Congrats on your first repair!

Make sure to go back now and recheck the wheel lugs- they sometimes loosen a litttle and its better to be sure they are at 80 ft lbs of torque- no more no less

 

Do you all agree that it is necessary to get new pads for the fronts if I just replace the rotors? I didn't want to have to do this. Also, how important is it to get the torque right on the calipers? I never see th techs down at my local Acura Dealership use torque wrenches when doing my brakes.

 

If you get new rotors, always get new pads. At least that's what I was told.

Go with option #3. Doing brakes is no more difficult than changing your oil. It's just different. If you have the right tools, it's a snap.

You can get Brembo replacement rotors and a set of Akebono ProACT pads for about $200 shipped from TireRack. $59 each for the rotor and $54 for the set of pads.

 

I think I will try the brembo replacements with the ProAct pads.

How much better is this combo? Do the brembo's resist warping?

I'm not too worried about the pads but I'm sure the lower dusting will be a plus.

Also if you have any comments on the torque specs on the bolts, I would appreciate it.

 

Has rotor warping been an issue with all of the vehicles you have owned, or is it exclusive to the TL? If you've always had issues with rotor warping, it may be a reflection of your driving style, telling you that you need better brake components.

Most aftermarket replacement rotors for the TL are in the $50-$60 range. Brembo and Raybestos PG Plus are two that I know of. But they are merely "stock" replacements so I'm not sure how they'll behave under your type of service.

You can try the aftermarket Rotora Slotted Rotors: https://acurazine.com/forums/sponsored-sales-group-buys-10/rotora-slotted-drilled-slotted-rotors-special-cl-tl-tsx-324531/

And use EBC Greenstuff pad with them. Plenty of 2G TL guys have had good luck with that combo.

 

My vote for rotors and pads combo of the year!

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...=316102&page=7

 

Your quite the fanboy for these rotors/brakes aren't you.........

 

You've noticed as well?

 

If you take a look at the link I provided of the type of roads available to me,
you will understand why I think so highly of this combo of rotors and pads.
Scientific data backs everything I say.

Why anyone would buy lesser quality when you can get:
Heat treated-resist warping AND they are ready to go out of the box- unlike others which need 500 miles of gentle driving- effectivly heat cycling!
Special Alloy- custom metals make the differance in grip
Curved inner cooling vanes with convergent vane technology- Patented
method that keeps rotor temp equal across the surface as it expels the heat-resist warping

When your brand can provide the same info and quality let me know.

The products I use have full info about them on their websites and years of racing and street use behind them.
www.racingbrake.com
www.hawkperformance.com
www.heeltoeauto.com thats Marcus- acurazine sponsor

 

And check out the pics from my saturday fun run see link in post above
Thats why I think so highly of these brakes- I use em!!!!

 

The only advantage to having the dealer resurface the rotors is that they have the machine that does them ON THE CAR. That way, the new surface is perfectly aligned with your suspension and wheel spindle, making brake problems less likely. It's the ONLY reason I had my front brakes done by the dealer. You might get lucky and find a brake shop that has this device.

One of the chief causes of warped rotors on Acuras and Hondas (aside from crazy driving) is overtightened lug nuts. Any tire shop should use a device called a torque stick which stops the air gun once they're tightened to 80 ft-lbs.

 

DMZ

You dont really believe those sticks work do you?
Send that to Mythbusters
Check ANY car coming out of the shop with a real torque wrench and be very surprised

Torque is all important in the assembly of any connected parts.

Many techs do not bother to set things at spec, as long as it wont fall off they are happy, really good ones have a procedure they follow and then recheck-
Later you must return to buy more new parts- guess why!

Wheel lugs 80 ft lbs- more distorts the rim, rotor and axle the bolts go thru and into.

 

As for turning the rotors on car- thats fine when done correctly.

The OP of this thread stated- had prior turn and new pads.

The chances of getting more life from these rotors- which are warped,
is pretty low. Its normal to resurface once with pads, then next time its all new everything.

The exception being RacingBrake rotors from MrHeelToe
They are special alloy and heat treated- have been known to go thru 2 sets of pads without resurface, and on 3rd set and still fine.
You pay for quality and its wonderful to have~!

 

Doing the rotors at home is fairly a simple task. It would be wise to get an impact driver for the 2 counter sink screws.

At the my dealership we use the on car brake lathe. We haven't had any problem with the TL's braking system besides normal wear and tear.

01tl4tl:
As for your comments about tech's not using a torque wrench...this is true Sir. I have seen alot of tech's that done use the tool. I've always used mine. I have several different torque wrench sizes for different jobs. The last one that I just got (2 weeks ago) was a $400 angle electronic torque wrench. This is used for doing major engine work. I also use a torque bar...but I will go back and use the torque wrench just to make sure.

 

Is it difficult to push back on the caliper pistons to get the pads back in? Is there a special way to do this so that it is easier?

Can I pick up the molykote M77 at my local autozone? Can I use any grease?

What is an impact driver?

Sorry, I'm asking alot of questions. I want the job to go as smoothly as possible.

BTW, I really appreciate everyone's help! This is why I love this community!

 

Torque sticks may not be 100% accurate, but I feel safer with my lugs tightened with one rather than without. All my warped rotor issues dissappeared since I started using them about 10 years ago, so that's good enough for me.

And that's no myth, 01tl4tl .................

 

DMZ

OK the sticks get you close
BUT
There is SPEC and there is close
Look how many techs blast on the wheels- you cant change a flat yourself and
there is way to much pressure being adversly and unequally applied.
Check any car done with sticks with a real torque wrench and see the differance.

ATTN HK:
There IS a special tool 5 to 8 bucks- Brake Caliper Tool- its like a reverse C-Clamp and it pushes the piston back exactly straight- no worry of any probs
The Impact Screwdriver 10 buck at parts store- must have item
The brake grease can be had in $1 packs that have enough for the whole job (one end of the car)

 

I think what he meant, (at least that's how I do it)...

Use a torque-stick to tighten the lugs on... Then when you lower the car, go back with a Torque Wrench, and tighten it down to spec... My torque sticks tighten down a tiny bit under what it says. The point of the torque stick is to prevent over-tightening. I don't think it was meant for use as a replacement for a torque wrench.

With that being said... With my air-tools helping me... I replaced my rotors/pads a few weeks ago... I think it seriously only took me about 15 minutes per wheel.

 

You can't use any grease it must be high temperature and water resistant.

 

If you get the Akebono brakes, it comes with a small tube of grease.

 

A "C" clamp will help you push the caliper pistons back in. You should be able to pick up an impact driver at your local parts store as well.

 

I have another question.

I picked up a torque wrench that can do 10 to 150 lb-ft .

The spec for the spindle nut is 181 lb-ft. How important is it that this spec be met? Can I get away with tightening with the 150 torque setting and then going even more with just a regular wrench?

Should I return the torque wrench and get a higher capacity one?

This wrench cost me $45. I found a 250 lb-ft one for $110 at Sears. Can anyone recommend a better place to get one for a better price?

Thanks!

 

$110 for a 250lb-ft torque wrench is actually not bad... however, it's a Craftsman, and they are relatively crap compared to snap-on and other higher end tools (so many have told me, not that I know from experience with torque wrenches).

I have the Husky 150lb-ft torque wrench that i bought for 40 or so bucks at Home Depot... has served me well, i like it a lot.

I personally would get the torque wrench that'll get you exactly to 180lb-ft rather than "eyeballin'" it by going past 150lb-ft with the Husky wrench

 

OK, so I tried to attempt this today.

I got as far as getting the car up on jacks and getting the wheels off.

I went to get the caliper assembly off the hub and the bolt just would not give. I think the combination of the previous grease monkeys brute force in tightening and the rust accumulation has pretty much made the whole thing impossible.

Does anyone have any tips on getting the bolts loose? I'm going to give up for today and try again next weekend.

 

^ - you need something that will give you a lot of leverage...I usually angle a large wrench on the end of the socket wrench to give me the right amount of force

 

And I know that isn't a clear explanation. Its pretty much like a breaker bar..just with a wrench. I can take a picture if needed

 

I think I know what you are talking about but I don't know how I can get a lot of leverage since I am working with the car on jack stands.

 

Hey Hukashi, I totally forgot about this thread!

Try spraying some PB Blaster penetrating oil on those bolts. That stuff should dissolve some of the rust to make it easier to remove:



Let it soak, then give it short "bursts" with a 1/2" drive ratchet (rather long one). Is yours about 10-11" in length? That should remove those bolts. Be sure to use a 6-pt.

Are you still using Akebono ProACT pads and Brembo OEM replacement rotors? The Akebono pads should come with some brake caliper grease already. Otherwise use Permatex's Disc Brake Lube. You can buy it at Kragen for about $1 per single use pack. Apply a thin layer to all moving parts except where the pad contacts the rotor, duh.

Pick up a can of brake cleaner and clean all parts very thoroughly. Use soap and hot water in a tub to wash and hand dry the new rotors before installation. Then use a shot of brake cleaner at the final step to ensure that it's spot less...keep all grease (including oils from your hands) off of there.

Good luck

 

Sounds to me like you're getting the car 'up' and jacking the wheels off.