Bellex

Appreciate this good sir! Now if I could get a DIY for My SC430!

GRAND_LS 4

iTrader: (2)

Thank you very much for the informative post and detailed pictures. The thread has been added to the FAQ section for future references.

airtime

Two Thumbs up for a nice writeup. Did you bleed the brakes while you were at it?

I8ABMR

dude you are braver than me. I dont trust myself enough to do stuff like that.

AlexusAnja

The disc brakes on the LS actually are easier than most other disc brakes. I've done the brakes on all of my cars and they've had floating calipers where you need to remove the lower flange bolt and then pivot the caliper up. The LS, you don't even have to, just remove the clip and literally slide out and slide in the pads and you're done.

Also, discs are nothing compared to shoes. Drum brakes are the worst. Thank goodness most cars now have discs all around. A deal breaker for me on cars now would be front disc and rear drums (like on our 1990 Plymouth Voyager).

Tee

Outstanding write up with pics, Bravo sir!

TurboTodd

No problem! Didn't bleed the brakes. Had no difference in pedal feel, and at no point did the fluid level drop allowing air into the lines. Fluid was also extremely clean..

I appreciate all the kind words, the other posts were great, just wanted to add some extra detailed photographs..

AlexusAnja

Same here. Unless the fluid is dark and dirty, I've never bled the fluid after a brake change. When pushing the pistons back, you're raising the fluid level, not dropping it, so air shouldn't get in the system during the change. If nothing else, if you've added fluid at some point to bring up to the full line when it was "low" because of the pad wear, then you might have to syphon some of the fluid out after two wheels or the fluid might overfill.

jman-LS430

Excellent DIY. Thanks for the write up.

intermec

what about the rotors? Aren't you supposed to resurface them?

AlexusAnja

Unless the rotors are slightly warped, or there is pedal pulsation, then no need to turn/resurface the rotors. Of all the vehicles I have ever done brakes on, never resurfaced and have not had any premature wear or damage to rotors. I honestly feel that "resurfacing" is a purely "perfect world" step where you want the rotors to be absolutely flat again and get "perfect" contact with the pad. The only problem with this is that resurfacing is shaving away good material and THINNING the rotor to get it flat again.

Like I said, if there was not warping or pedal feel when you changed your pad, then leave the rotors alone. Extra task for nothing more than to wear away the rotor material and lead to earlier replacement.

AlexusAnja

I don't know what you guys do with "spare metal" like the brake parts, old rotors, metal plates and such, but I bring the pieces to my local metal recycling yard and deposit it with them to recycle. I use to just throw them away but one day just thought "I'm throwing this in the trash, which then sits in a garbage mound somewhere for who knows how long..." So, when it came time to get rid of an old metal shack I had, I went to the metal yard. Got $12 in weight for the shed and ever since I've thrown my metal stuff there.

vbspunger

iTrader: (2)

Great write up, ill be doing mine soon

tbilisi79

SUper!! ANd I almost went out to get a $105 sensor.

danxp

i'm about to tackle a brake pad change myself and had a few questions...

- if the brake wear sign comes on, does that mean the sensor is now "broken" and it has to be replaced?
- can i get away with just replacing the front pads only? i was told that the fronts wear out twice as fast as the rears... is this true?
- where's the best place to get oem pads? and for how much?

thanks for the great writeup, turbotodd! (and moogy who originally inspired turbotodd)