jjrl05

This is how I change my Front Brake Pads. Only change my pads because I felt my rotors are still good. Please watch the two part video FIRST before you begin. Just returning the favor for what this forum has help me.

My 2005 RL
Part bought on www.acuraoemparts.com/

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tjbSXTSxds

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dW-T3rBFqk

robarsan

Very easy to follow. Nice job!

dykyy

hey guys, just a tiny bit off topic: we have an RL in our fam now, American vehicle (45000 miles) How often do the front calipers have to be changed? Brembo is not cheap! Thats y im wondering.

Thanks!

jjrl05

Calipers usually don't need to be change unless the seal/gasket is leaking. But you should perform a brake flush as your owner manual recommend to prevent contaminate/debris that may cause your calipers to fail including seal/gasket.

037

those aren't brembo's, they're advics

Chas2

Not often unless they fail. I do not recall a caliper failure yet on this forum.

BTW, the RL front four piston calipers are aluminum and made by Advics, not Brembo. The rear units are Advics also

dykyy

Hmm interesting, why the hell did i think they were brembo's... i dont know. Anyways, thanks for the info guys!! And jjrl05, sry for the thread jack. Ur video's were great, definitely going to come in handy some time.

jjrl05

BTW, the RL front four piston calipers are aluminum and made by Advics, not Brembo. The rear units are Advics also


Thanks Chas2. Good to know. So are the brake pads Brembo? Because that's what my local dealer told me and why they are expensive...

037

if they are Brembo they're trash...I changed them to Satisfied GranSPort 6 pads ($150) from TireRack and the difference in braking at high speeds is hard to miss.

You can find a thread where I used to complain how slamming brakes at triple digits caused nothing but a slide in speed vs a break in speed.

Chas2

As you might expect, the OEM brake pads are made by Advics

I think people, including the unknowledgeable dealer, just call big calipers generically Brembos, the way people call facial tissues Kleenex or adhesive tape Scotch tape

jjrl05

^^^
Good thing I only ask about parts at my local dealer. Imagine if I bring in my car for service/repair there. Thanks guys.

danmm7

iTrader: (1)

037, ... how are the Satisfied GranSPort 6 pads in the city? Stop and go? How is the dust?

I need something more aggressive and sticky than the OEM pad.

I am looking at Satisfied GranSPort 6 ... OR Axxis Ultimate pads.

Any other suggestions for noticeably better pads than OEM?

jjrl05

danmm7,
I was planning on going with Axxis Ultimate pads too but didn't find much info on here. Please let us know what you decide on and is it better than oem. Thanks

rlerman

Thanks for posting this! Although I already know how to do it, this is probably the best tutorial I've ever seen on mechanical repair. Perhaps you have a second calling. I'll be waiting for the modules that go over timing belt replacement, strut and shock replacement and differential and tranny fluid changes.

naywayne

great job with the tutorial, I was ready to pay 336.00 at the dealer, I just need to purchase the pads and do it myself....

jjrl05

Thanks,
When that time come, I'll will make another video for this community.

jjrl05

Great to hear!!! Now go and spend the $$$ that you save on your wife or girlfriend...lol

lumpulus

I recently went through exactly this when I got my brake pads done(all four) and I had a problem with the dealer honoring their own 20% pad replacement coupon when they found out it was an RL.

Thanks to this board, I knew the calipers and pads are Advics, so I printed out pictures from here and then and only then did the Service Manager change his tune from "they are Brembos" to "they are Brembo-like"

When I asked what "Brembo-like" meant, he said, "you know, expensive!"

037

well, New York is the stop and go capital of east coast, they work great.

Stopping power is impressively improved over stock.

Of course, here are the negatives:

when cold, these have less bite than oem. Takes them maybe 3 or 4 traffic light stops to get up to speed.

When lifting off the gas from park, you hear a short not too loud of a grinding noise, similar noise comes .2 seconds before the car stops.

If noise is a major concern, this is probably not for you, even though it doesn't bother me and it's not crazy.

there is no dust to speak of, I think they produce less dust than OEM.

I have a 2nd set already waiting in the trunk, that's how good they are.

Chris Acura

Good Brake DIY,

I would add two things.

1. If I was going to re-use the rotor I would be careful when pressing the pistons back in, because you might scratch or scored the rotor with the srewdriver.
2. No need to open the bleeder screw when compressing the brake pistons, it is possible to let in air to the brake lines. Just remove the cap from the master brake reservoir.

All four calipers should be bled when doing a brake flush to get all the old brake fluids out. Brake fluid can also break down over time from excess heat and accumulates rust and debris.

queent1980

Lumpulus i need to get my brakes done really soon, where did you get the pics from to show the Service Manager that the brakes are Advics not Brembo

lumpulus

I got the pics right here on this board...just do a search on RL and advics.

rlx015

I do not want to ask this question but I have to : ) - definitely noob question...

In the video instructions are very clear and nice to understand - but one thing I do not understand: how did you replace the brake pads but you did not do anything with the rotors? So far I have always heard that rotors should be resurfaced or replaced each time you replace your brake pads. Is this correct? As I've seen the video it appears rotor replacement/resurfacing is not needed as long as rotors are completely smooth??

Please let me know whoever knows ...

white05rl

It is recommended that the rotors be resurfaced/replaced each time the pads are replaced. However this is often considered optional. I have done numerous brake jobs (for friends and family) over the last few years and never touched the rotors.

DanL07RL

Few comments:
1. GREAT instructional video--this needs to be posted to the Garage too.
2. Good point about taking off the brake master cylinder cap--much easier.
3. When flushing, a power bleeder is a great assist. Motive makes a nice one but you have to jerryrig the cylinder cap to get an air tight seal--I use duct tape to secure and Rescue Tape to air tight seal it. Also be sure to bleed the brakes in the sequence shown in the Service manual--lt frt, rt frt, rt rear, lt rear.

sleepinxlionhart

Awesome DIY jjrl! Can you do one for the rear brakes as well?




Which other method would be better to compress the pistons? Would it be possible to just compress the pistons themselves without having the old brake pad in to do so?
And when you say to just remove the cap from the master brake reservoir, where exactly is that?

white05rl

I've used quite a few different items to compress the pistons back into the caliper. There's an inexpensive kit your can use that's purpose-built for the job:

http://www.harborfreight.com/18-piec...kit-97143.html

Or, what I almost always use, is a large C-clamp. Leave the old pad/pads in place and use something to protect the caliper (where the other end of the clamp will make contact). Here's a example:

http://www.harborfreight.com/4-inch-...amp-37848.html

Cordachine007

I saw the bleeding order in the service manual and I am confused. I was under the impression you always start bleeding on the furthest brake from the master cylinder. Is this car different, or I am off base?

And great job on the videos! I found Mark1980's link to the service manual, but seeing somebody else do it helps a ton. Thanks for your time.

itsx_04

great DIY. very specific and easy to understand.

theNHBRL

same as above, my question is will it be the same way when you have brembos? because they are not brembos as some of you have stated. also would Ebc rotors work with the GranSPort 6 ... OR Axxis Ultimate pads. or which pad will be good the hawks or ebc to match?

oo7spy

If you go to the search tab, there is an advanced search. There you can type in a key word, "pads" or "rotors", and specify the 2nd Gen RL forum. There are many options out there an alot of users have posted their experience. Search is your friend!

That said, any rotor can be used if it fits the car. When I replace my pads, I will go with EBC Red Stuff b/c of the good feedback they got here.

projektvertx

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the DIY, nice and detailed! Just a question for you or anyone else, I'd prefer to use a C-clamp I have to push back the pistons since I'd rather not score/scratch the rotors. Those two 19mm bolts that didn't need to be loosened are what I'd assume hold the caliper down?

RL05TDel

I changed my front pads. Very easy. Thanks for the info.

antle1101

Great DIY. Really helpful thanks. My question is, are the steps to do this procedure similar for the rear brake pads? Also, would you suggest changing the brake fluid before changing the brake pads or vice versa?

rlerman

Rears are completely different, but easier. Really just two bolts to undo the caliper. Changing brake fluid has nothing to do with changing the pads.

blaser

What about the rotors, I assume many did it already.
It's time for my brakes, the rotors are good except the rust at the edge and I might want to replace them, not sure how.
Front and back, any advice?

shahram72

If the worn brakes still stop smooth as silk, no resurfacing is necessary. Mine were horrible and I let them go for 2 years till pads were worn. Big mistake. The wobble ate my tie rod ends and all 4 needed replacing. It was a few hundred extra for my brake job. At least they're nice and smooth now! Akebono pads are excellent and I think they make many Honda OEM pads.

oo7spy

I am not a brake expert, but I have delved into it on more than one occasion. My understanding is that your rotor is likely good for at least two pad sets if they don't warp. If you aren't sure how old your rotors are and can't measure them precisely, they are not really that expensive. Brakes are a fundamental part of a car, so when in doubt, change it out.

blaser

Thanks