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Originally Posted by GaryS
I spent a few hours today having fun ordering tools, but I'm not sure about a few. I see there are some specialty brake tools advertised for BMW called brake pad spreaders and caliper piston tools. Do either of those help?
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Nah, crack the brake fluid reservoir open a bit to make it easier and with the original pads still in, you can push/pull them toward the pistons to get them (pistons) to back off a bit. You need to do this when the pads you're putting in are thicker. You'll feel them slide back. So no need for the spreader. Some cars have calipers where the pistons must rotate as they are pushed back (usually on the rears), otherwise the seals can be damaged, and there are various tools for this, but we do not need to do this - push/pull 'em straight back.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GaryS
What about brake cleaner, a rubber mallet, caliper grease, white grease, Lubro Moly Anti-seize, or anti-squeal compound? The DIYs posted on 1addicts don't mention any of this stuff, but some other DIYs I've looked at do. Do I need any of that?
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Rubber mallet is useful to pop off the front calipers - even with the mounting bolts out, they stick fast to the disc pretty good. Light tapping on the flat part of the calipers which point forward (aiming the hammer toward the back of the car), alternating between top and bottom, and they come off. You can do it without the mallet using the "wiggle hard" technique, but the mallet makes it quicker/easier.
Anti-squeal is up to you, make sure it's high temp stuff. My Hawks came with packets that I used. I don't think it would harm not having it.
No requirement for anti seize or white grease, although I use a light coating of anti seize on the wheel mounting surface of the discs during the winter months to prevent sticking. If you're swapping discs, the locating screws can often benefit from a light coat of anti-seize - I can't tell you how many cars I've seen with stuck locating screws.
I use Loc-Tite (blue) on the caliper mounting bolts just to be safe. Technically they are "stretch" bolts designed for one use only, but find me a tech that actually adheres to this (they're rare). Just make sure they are tightened properly.
Brake clean is useful if you get the discs dirty, but I don't bother - I just make sure I don't touch the discs on the brake pad surface. You don't want stuff on your discs to cause improper bedding.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GaryS
I'm going to get my feet wet by replacing my Cool Carbons with a new set. I don't have any stock OEM pads, so I'm hoping I can use the backing plates from the old Cool Carbons to hold the new track pads. Does anyone know if that's actually going to work?
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Depends on the track pads - my Hawks were clearly cut to match OEM size *without* the backing plate, meaning they basically need the backing plate, otherwise they were too loose for my comfort.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GaryS
I notice several people swap between street and track rotors to avoid having to bed in over and over. Some people have told me that swapping rotors adds only a few minutes to changing the pads. So I'm wondering if I should do that. I don't see the cost of the rotors as an issue, because I'll have to buy new ones eventually anyway.
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Really easy on the fronts - you already have the caliper off, so it's only one extra bolt (the "rotor locating screw"). The rears I haven't done this yet, so I can't comment on that yet.
A few things you probably already saw in the DIYs:
The four pad locating torx bolts on the front calipers can be backed off (don't remove them, just unscrew them to their last threads) and it can make it much easier to get the new pads in the right position (you don't have to fight the pad retaining spring). These are much easier to break loose while the caliper is still mounted (leverage). To get at the inner two, it's easiest if you have the wheel turned toward the opposite side.
The sensors (1 Front Left, 1 Rear Right) can be brittle when you try to pull them off the pads. They pry straight up from the "top" of the pads, but always seem to give me trouble. There's a little metal surface that popped out on mine every time I've done them, make sure you take note of this and ensure you put it back on. Alternatively, some people have bought replacement sensors, but if you're swapping a lot and monitoring the pads yourself, no point in wasting the money.
If this all sounds foreign, give it a shot one day as others have said. Then come back and re-read everything and it will all make sense. You can seriously get this down to under 15 minutes per corner while still being thorough.