I was changing my oil and decided to check the rear brakes as the safety inspection is due in October. Pads pretty worn, and rotors all rusted, been on the car since I got her in 10/16. Have all parts in basement. Really hot outside! (As I was under the car saw the petcock/spigot for radiator, was tempted to drain/fill but didn't want to deal with spent coolant right now)

Immediately, I went to use the extractor bolts and they had no issue separating from the hub. But I couldn't get the rotor completely off. Why? The parking brake was set!!

So some caps, springs, tiny rods went flying. grrrrr, rookie move!! Guess it was LS brake job "Training Day!" lol

Long story short is I looked at the other side to see how those things are supposed to go. The bottom one was tough to get through the hole, I was thinking, holy cow does the hub need to be removed for this tiny pin? Then a little hard to compress the springs and twist the cap.

Confession, I did not use new caliper bolts nor a new sensor, because, I was not sure if I needed to remove the caliper again to fix the parking brake (actually invalid argument for right side, I could have left the left side only with old bolts). But it turns out the brakes work, no warning, and the parking brake holds as well....took 2/4 gal of old oil to Advance Auto to return, and road tested (Advance never gives me a hard time, the three stooges always do). AA is even friendly.

Look at the rust on the old rotor, which was a cheapo non coated. I believe the new centric will also rust like that near the center--big gap running along the center/hat that the pad does not sweep! And, I also notice all 4 pads have a cutout for the pad sensor, which is poor design if you ask me. imho only one should have it, it has less surface area with the cutout...(Akebono ProAct)

All in all, imho this is a flagship car that is relatively inexpensive to maintain!

edit p.s. the rotors actually fell right off, didn't even need the extractor bolts on right side, prolly didn't need on left either, parking brake held it in place. The fact that they came off so easily defied the completely rusted appearance

p.p.s. I never understood why so many holes in the rotor hat, seems it's so no matter how you mount it, one large hole will line up with the hole that's used to adjust the tension of the parking brake....

 

The extra holes allow you to reposition the rotor to minimize run-out (see sketch from repair manual)...

 

That's very interesting! I have never heard of such a procedure. I suppose we can do it on the fronts as well, as there is no set screw. If there is a set screw, then it only goes one way....

 

So is it back together, or was it handed over to a mechanic??

 

It's back together....I have never really looked at a parking brake very closely before, just took the rotor off, and put the rotor back, without touching it. So when those pins and springs came off, I really didn't know how they were supposed to be positioned. Now I know....(but they won't fly off next job, obviously a huge error yanking the disk with the parking brake not released).

I laugh at myself because I did think, well I don't really need a parking brake with an automatic....but that's silly I know.

 

Good job! Now you can be our resident Parking Brake expert...

 

Glad you got it all back together... and for being willing to post up your 'stupid'... many of us have done similar.
Years ago I put the Avalon on ramps to do the oil change... ended up draining the transmission pan instead... ooops.
Happens to all of us at one time or another.

 

Back in 1990, I had a 1986 190E 2.6 that I had just bought. I was playing around with the jack (which slides into a small hole on the rocker, and you crank a handle to raise the car)
I got the car off the ground, and for some reason now lost in my memory, I went to open the adjacent door,, which would only open half way....
I kept pulling on the door wondering why it wasn't opening, and finally realized the door was hitting the jack handle and stopping it.

I closed the door to find rather large divot in the bottom of the door where the jack handle was being driven into the door skin....

I had the car for 2 days at that point. Made me sick.

Went to a body shop and they fixed it. Never told anybody that story until now. Whew... do I feel better.

 

haha I don't know why, but my parents totally trusted me with their cars. As a teen I maintained them and didn't even tell them what I was doing. Well, my dad had a V8 350 4bbl and I decided to change the fuel filter. As I was removing the nut, the fuel line was turning with the nut, and broke. Man my dad was cool. He doesn't even like cars. But my dad's generation did what they could themselves, from electrical wiring, to pouring concrete, to cutting down trees, to going up on the roof of the house, to working on cars when they don't like cars.

He didn't smile, but he wasn't mad. He said c'mon we have to go down to the plumbing supply house, no big deal. I can't remember how he knew what size piping to buy, because I to this day mix up OD vs. inside. But he bought the pipe, and a kit to flare it, as well as a tube bender. And like McGyver, he just bent a new fuel line and attached it! I'm pretty sure I cannot do that today!! And I like cars!

The less exciting story was when I changed the oil in his car, didn't replace the drain plug, and poured 5 qts. of oil into the engine. dang!

p.s. and whether it was electrical or plumbing supply, my dad would give the guy at the counter some fake co. name, and get a discount? lol

 

A few years back I spent 3 weeks trying to get the brakes bled on my 1998 Honda Legend (Acura RL).
I'd replaced all 4 calipers with aftermarket ones and just could not get the darned things to bleed. Brakes were spongy and had very little braking power.
I even had the ABS system sent out for a check and it came back with a clean bill of health.

On the last day, I stood back whilst considering finding a rag and some matches,..... when I realised the bleed nipples were at the bottom of the calipers!
I'd put the left calipers on the right, and vice-versa. DOH!!

Swapped them over and she bled perfect first time and had awesome brakes.
Oh well, at least the braking system got flushed thru with about 5 gallons of DOT4.

 

LOL 5 gal.....on my BMW, I replaced the ABS/DSC pump (sent out for rebuild), and so I wanted to be really sure I did a good job with the bleed (both computer and manual). I used 5 containers of genuine BMW DOT 4, when it really should be only 2 1/2. So I can relate....brake fluid is relatively cheap when compared to labor, so it's ok to waste some to be sure. Now if you're running a shop, you can't waste like that, but as a shade tree, why not? (here it is 2 yrs. later and I bought the fluid from FCP Euro online--if I want to, I can send the old fluid back and get new fluid free--lifetime warranty on everything they sell).

On the Lexus I am still disappointed on how much is left unswept on the rear rotors, it's obvious now on my car.....I guess on the old rusted rotors it was the same, but I hate to see it on new rotors...