forester brakes front

[ron2368]

I want to replace the front pads on my 99 forester but have never done this and am a bit nervous. Is there a grade of pad I would be better with?

 

Any information site that could help get me started or provide a few important pointers? thank you

[porcupine73]

oem is a great choice for standard daily driver use, even a little bit spirited. Beyond that you're looking at getting into any of the dizzying array of various ceramic and other pads. And possibly rotors. All have various advantages/disadvantages. Check out tirerack.com and stoptech.com for various artilces and inof.

[ron2368]

Rotors? I did not want to get involved with those. How do I know if the rotors need to be replaced.? I thought I could get away with just the pads.

[porcupine73]

You probably can get away with just pads. You can have your rotors checked for runout. If you weren't getting any pulsation or anything they're probably ok. I was just saying rotors because if you upgrade pads sometimes you would upgrade the rotor to slotted or some other options.

 

This is how you check runout, $7 dial indicator from harbor freight, spin the wheel and read the peak to peak difference.

 

edit: oh yes, your rotors must meet the minimum thickness spec too:

[Olnick]

Rotors?

 

You probably won't need rotors. If you're not sure, ask some "car types" to look at them and evaluate. (Just don't go to a chain brake shop or parts store . . . guess what they'll tell you!)

 

Changing pads is simple. Remove the wheel, unbolt the caliper and swing it up, pop out the pads. Search on here or google it--there are plenty of writeups.

 

You will need a way to push the piston back in before swinging the caliper back down. I bought a 9" c-clamp to do this and it's paid for itself over the years.

 

Be sure to check the caliper slide pins, clean 'em up and regrease with special (high temperature) brake caliper grease. Sticky pins cause brake drag and cost a lot of drivers many mpg each year.

 

Good luck and if you have any questions, just axe!

[porcupine73]

If you have ABS, it's a good idea to open the caliper bleeder valve before pressing the piston back into the caliper. This method keeps contaminated fluid from getting pushed back into the ABS unit. Of course you need to bleed the brakes after that, but it isn't hard.

 

Yes cleaning and relubing the guide and lock pins isn't a bad idea when doing this job.

 

Oh, if you do go with oem pads, and they seem a little tight going back into the caliper mounts, some of the new oem pads were a little too wide at the tabs. You can file the tabs down slightly if they're tight.

[Olnick]

I meant to mention, I put some aftermarket ceramic pads on my '95 Legacy (nothing fancy--can't even remember the brand!) and have been quite happy with them. But I'm a very light braker and pads last me "forever!"

[OB99W]

If you have ABS, it's a good idea to open the caliper bleeder valve before pressing the piston back into the caliper. This method keeps contaminated fluid from getting pushed back into the ABS unit.

Yes, it's a good idea to "crack" open the bleeder rather than risk pushing "crud" into the ABS. In fact, I'd suggest putting a short piece of hose on the bleeder, with the open end going into a jar; besides not getting brake fluid all over the place, it will become obvious why that's important soon.

 

 

Of course you need to bleed the brakes after that, but it isn't hard.[...]

That in itself won't necessarily be a reason to bleed the lines; if you close the bleeder just as the piston has been pushed all the way back, it's unlikely that any air will be introduced. On the other hand, bleeding/flushing isn't a bad thing, especially if the brake fluid collected in the jar looks anything but light in color and free of contaminants.

[idosubaru]

front brake job = easy. don't replace your rotors unless you had problems...vibrating, pulsating, or ground down because the pads were too old, you'll see massive grooves, pitting and pieces of metal. i doubt you waited that long?

 

i unscrew the brake fluid reservoir cap to make sure the fluid has somewhere to go. if you're using the bleeder screw you don't need to do that, but i like the added protection of the master cylinder.

 

other than that, it's easy. caliper top comes off really easy, compress pistons, install new pads and you're done. nothing fancy to it at all.

[OB99W]

front brake job = easy. don't replace your rotors unless you had problems...vibrating, pulsating, or ground down because the pads were too old, you'll see massive grooves, pitting and pieces of metal. i doubt you waited that long?

[...]

other than that, it's easy. caliper top comes off really easy, compress pistons, install new pads and you're done. nothing fancy to it at all.

All true, but if you live in the rust (salted roads in winter) belt, the rotors may indeed look like the ones in porcupine73's pictures or worse. Even with good pads, I've seen rust creep in from both the rotor outer edge and the hub area, leaving only a narrow band of solid metal near the middle of the pad area.

 

Also, the problem with the pad tabs/ears seeming to be tight in the caliper can be due to rust as well; scrape as needed.

[porcupine73]

[OB99W]

Exactly! Running new pads on rotors like those doesn't lead to great braking or long pad life. If there's enough solid material, they might be able to be cut on a brake lathe without getting below minimum thickness spec, but even that doesn't always lead to a satisfactory/long-lived job.

[porcupine73]

Also turning reduces rotor mass which reduces its heat capacity.

[OB99W]

Also turning reduces rotor mass which reduces its heat capacity.

Which not only can make the brakes more prone to fading, but also the rotors to warp (with the typically pedal pulsation, etc.). It's usually best to change the rotors unless only a very superficial cut will clean them up.

[uniberp]

Which not only can make the brakes more prone to fading, but also the rotors to warp (with the typically pedal pulsation, etc.). It's usually best to change the rotors unless only a very superficial cut will clean them up.

IMO, most cases of rotor "warp" are actually caused by uneven pad deposition due to standing on very hot stopped brakes.

 

Nobody said "turning rotors (or installing new rotors) is important when installing brake pads."

 

IMO, again, it is important.

 

And I have heard many people tell me turing NEW rotors is important. I disagree. I have yet to see a brake lathe with the same tolerances as a manufacturing lathe.

[OB99W]

IMO, most cases of rotor "warp" are actually caused by uneven pad deposition due to standing on very hot stopped brakes.

Rotor runout isn't a myth, and the thinner the rotor the more prone it is to develop the problem. Sure, keeping the pads in contact with a hot, stationary rotor can cause some of the friction material to transfer, but that will usually get resolved after a few "normal" stops.

 

 

Nobody said "turning rotors (or installing new rotors) is important when installing brake pads."

 

IMO, again, it is important.

It's a judgment call, based on experience and conditions. I've replaced rotors when cutting them didn't make sense, I've done only cross-sanding when they were basically sound but I wanted the pads to seat fast, and I've occasionally just mounted pads and left the rotors alone if they looked good (minimal scoring, little rust) and I knew that the driver would be easy on the pedal until pad surfaces mated with those of the rotors.

 

 

And I have heard many people tell me turing NEW rotors is important. I disagree. I have yet to see a brake lathe with the same tolerances as a manufacturing lathe.

I've never cut new rotors. If the surface isn't good enough as it comes out of the box, then I reject the part. The only "service" I've done to new rotors is degrease them.

[ron2368]

Thank you for all the suggestions. Now I am really not sure if I should do it. Can putting new pads on my current setup be any worst than what I have now? The new pads would wear to whatever form the rotors wear pattern was?

[porcupine73]

If you're not getting any noticeable shimmy or vibration when braking, then your rotors are probably ok and you can just put new pads in. You might want to check in the bed-in procedures on stoptech.com For basic normal daily driver use a proper bed-in may not really be necessary.

[porcupine73]

If you're not getting any noticeable shimmy or vibration when braking, then your rotors are probably ok and you can just put new pads in. You will need like a 5" or 6" c-clamp to get the caliper piston pushed back into the caliper body. The rotor thickness should still be checked to be sure it's not below the service limit.

 

You might want to check in the bed-in procedures on stoptech.com For basic normal daily driver use a proper bed-in may not really be necessary.

[jamal]

Rotor runout isn't a myth, and the thinner the rotor the more prone it is to develop the problem. Sure, keeping the pads in contact with a hot, stationary rotor can cause some of the friction material to transfer, but that will usually get resolved after a few "normal" stops.

 

http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_warped_brakedisk.shtml

[OB99W]

[...]Can putting new pads on my current setup be any worst than what I have now? The new pads would wear to whatever form the rotors wear pattern was?

Good braking is dependent on the pads making contact with the rotor over as much of the pad's surface as possible. It's also dependent on the rotor being able to dissipate heat well. A rotor can be scored, and rusted over a significant portion of its surface (which is bad for reasons including that rust doesn't transmit heat like solid metal), and still not induce vibration. That's because the pads and rotors have had lots of time/miles to conform to each other. New pads are flat, and if the rotor surface isn't, there will be poor contact between the two. "Bedding-in" won't resolve the problem if the rotor surface is sufficiently uneven. Therefore, braking can actually be poorer with new pads on bad rotors than with the old pads (assuming the old pads arent so worn as to be down to the backing plates).

 

If you're going to do a pad replacement yourself, you need to examine the surface of the rotor that the pads contact. If there's significant grooving or rust, I'd suggest that just replacing the pads is a bad idea. Also, don't forget that the caliper mechanism has to move freely, and if it doesn't can lead to inefficient braking and short pad life as well.

 

Under any circumstance, if brake work is needed, either do it properly yourself or get it done by someone else, but don't wait.