jaredb3000 Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 I've been searching around for a couple hours this morning, and havent found any photo journal links/posts... I've seen it done a while back, but I just want to be as thorough as possible before I dive into the project... I have a 94 subaru legacy wagon with critically poor rotors... Any other tips/words of wisdom appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 they're super easy, remove 4 bolts to replace rotors and pads. remove wheel. there's only two bolts holding the caliper to the caliper bracket - remove those two to replace pads. then two bolts holding the caliper bracket to the hub assembly. so - 4 bolts after the wheel is off and you're ready to replace the pads and rotor. you'll need a c-clamp to push the pistons back in. i mean i've done it by hand before, but i don't recommend that. since you're replacing the rotors, removing the old ones should be easy. i like to use a 6 foot digging bar if they're hard to get to pop off. unscrew the master cylinder cap before you compress the caliper pistons with a c-clamp. be careful, when you press the pistons back in, it's going to push fluid back up into your master cylinder, it could overflow. i have a large eyedropper to suck fluid out if needed. be sure to get caliper grease to regrease (not regular grease) the pins/slides - the two rubber boots that caliper hangs off of - clean those up and apply grease inside of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaredb3000 Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 so I got the caliper removed easily enough- it was only one bolt however (not 2), followed by the the removal of the caliper bracket. I just want to double check that there is no other bolts that might potentially be hiding somewhere. The odd thing is that it feels like the rotor has "broken" at all points of contact, as the whole rotor will pull nearly a 1/4 away, but with what I would liken to the tension of a spring, it happily resumes its original resting place... I realize its necessary to be aggressive with new england rotors, but the only times Ive seen rust be a problem the rotor would not move whatsoever. Is this normal due to the slight warping in the metal? I just don't want to cause any new harm so I figured I'd throw it out there (having hammered and pulled with decent might, I am mostly curious if there is any leverage point tips/do's/dont's....) Also, I ran the diagnostics and got a 32 (Oxygen sensor) and a 35 - which from a website link from USMB is itemized as Canister Purge Solenoid Valve; is there any co-relation with these codes, or are they stand alone issues to address? Thanks in advance (and thanks to previous reply too!)- there is alot of auto repair that I am unfamiliar with, but I am stubborn enough to take most of it on. USMB is an invaluable formum, to say the least! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaredb3000 Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 nevermind. Parking brake was on (a habit from 10+years of manual vehicles...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaredb3000 Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 aaaaaaaaaand, a new can of worms- hopefully a small can. For lack of terminology, I will describe what is missing: one of the 3 disc's (roughly the size of a quarter) fastened by an allen bolt, that would be flush with the "plate" surface with which the rotor contacts. Is this a junkyard-only part? Or, with fingers crossed, something I might be able to find in a parts store? Most importantly, is the absence of this component a red flag for the need to replace anything else in the axle/brake system (in that some critical damage might have been imparted due to the part's absence). Everything else appears to be not-out-of-whack. As far as wear on the pads, the inside pad was at roughly half of the thickness of the new pads I have, whereas the outside (away from center of car) was non existent and matched with a complementary gnarled rotor. I guess the suddenness of really bad brake noises where there wasn't even a squeak prior to this scenario adds up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 i went with "maximum number of bolts", some calipers have one bolt and one slide. some have two bolts, particularly lots of front calipers. you should remove the entire caliper to lube the slide and bolt anyway. your uneven brake pad wear is likely attributable to the bolt/slide not being properly greased the last time the brakes were worked on. proper greasing gives you better mpg, pads wear evenly, and last longer. i'm not sure what you're talking about is missing. i'm thinking this is an allen head bolt that holds the ABS tone ring in place? in that case, it won't matter, it doesn't even need to be an allen head bolt although you may find it hard for a regular bolt to fit with a socket around it to tigthen it, i believe from memory those holes are recessed? obviously make sure whatever you replace it with doesn't stick out further than the old one where it may get in the way of something. it should be a metric diameter bolt with 1.25 pitch threads probably. i mean allen head bolts are rare on Subaru's, but all the regular bolts (not the smallest or largest) are 1.25, i suspect the allen heads to be the same. you also have the option of leaving it out. it wasn't there before and caused no problems. and the ABS ring is a non-load bearing part. i have a spare rear hub i can pull the bolt of an mail it to you if you'd like to cover the postage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaredb3000 Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 Yeah, thats it- the tone ring aka tone wheel... You think its o.k. to not find a new one, eh? I would say that by the buildup in the space where the ring should be, there was a decent amount of buildup (meaning its been missing a while...). My time frame/locale (as I live in Brooklyn) necessitates the car being moved fairly soon, so if I could skip it, that works for me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaredb3000 Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 oh yeah, I should clarify as well, that it is the tone wheel and the bolt (not just the bolt...) that is missing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 okay, so the one small block that this bolt would thread into, of the tone wheel, is missing. doesn't much matter, you're leaving it like it is and not worrying about it. that's a huge job - you're basically rebuilding the entire rear hub to replace that tone wheel. hubs, bearings, races all need pressed out to do this. which means you'd need new bearings too and to have a shop press them in the hub...not too mention removing the entire hub which entails dealing with that lower bolt that is crazy problematic for us nor-easters. or buying the hub tamer special tool to do it on the car yourself. either way, probably more than necessary and more than you want to do. i'd leave it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 as a note, the first renditions of ABS weren't that spectacular so if it ever quits working it's not the end of the world, you'd just have normal, non-ABS, brakes. the system works fine without the ABS operational should you ever have that happen in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaredb3000 Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 cool, appreciate it. Yeah, given my lack of garage I was hoping to not have to go into unchartered territory, and it sounds like that rebuilding the whole thing is not on many peoples most fun things to do list... Hey, seeing as how youre online at the moment, can I ask you a quick question about the c clamp and caliper piston? I grasp the concept for the most part- loosen master cyl reservoir/remove some fluid to avoid a mess under the hood and allow somewhere for that pressure to go... I am curious how much space is optimal between the pads and rotor, and how much space might be too much. Also, once I have depressed the piston where I want it, is the next step to tighten the master cyl reservoir so the piston stays put? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaredb3000 Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 (Hmmm, I just posted the following as a reply, but I dont see it so I will post it again) I'm curious, and since you're online at the moment I figured I'd ask, the following... I grasp the depressing the cylinder concept, but I could use some clarification on two things- 1) the optimal distance of the pads from the rotors, and 2) once I get the cylinder depressed where I want it, do I then close the brake master cyl reservoir cap to keep the piston where it is? Thanks again Gary, I've usually left brakes to the pros in the past, and as this is my first rotor replacement I'm just trying to be as informed as possible. I'm glad I could skip the tone wheel, as it costs more than the pads and rotors and is special order only! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaredb3000 Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 Got it all done! Thanks a million Greg. The piston situation made complete sense once I was in there, as well as were the pads are situated. That was incredibly easy, and would have taken about 2 hours total if I didn't have a wrestling match with the emergency brake... interestingly, the hub on the other side had the same scenario, with one of the tone wheels missing. Car stops like a champ, no rubbing or any noises. Cheers! USMB rules! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebugs Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Who is Greg? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaredb3000 Posted June 30, 2009 Author Share Posted June 30, 2009 I hope mild dyslexia does not transpose to the three dimensional world of automobile repair... My thank you's above are for grossgary, and not Greg. I dropped the gross on account of not knowing grossgary all that well, and unwittingly dropped the whole name... Topical error aside, I hope this does not cheapen the breadth of my gratitude for Gary's encouragement and assistance in my learning processes- j Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Gary Gross understands - i actually get called greg frequently. glad you got it figured out, i must have just gotten off line after you posted those questions. glad you got it. the MC cap is only removed to allow fluid to freely enter the cylinder. it doesn't do anything at all to the system or caliper. the pad to rotor distance is not anything you "set" per-se. just press the caliper piston all the way in, until you can install it over the new pads. the first time you pump the brake pedal you'll set it where it needs to be. properly greased pins (i mentioned earlier) will actually set that clearance for you but slightly "pulling" or "allowing" the pad to back off the rotor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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