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Lucid Moments
12-29-2003, 05:27 PM
OK guys, looking for future help here. I got SS brake lines for christmas, and just ordered slotted cadmium plated rotors, axxis ultimate pads and ATE Super Blue brake fluid from brakezone to go with them. Sherwin sd they are running behind right now so it will be about 10 days before they ship. I have never worked on brakes before, and since they are a kind of important to safety they are not something I want to screw around with. Should I try to do this change out myself?
Anybody local with experience working on brakes willing to help me? (Chunky I hear you have had some recent experience :rolleyes: , or Scott, or anybody else)

Thanks in advance for any and all help or advice.

Zero Three Si
12-29-2003, 07:19 PM
Changing the rotors and pads are a breeze. I've never put brake lines in though. I know you'll need to bleed your brakes, I've done it on a motorcycle with someone experienced and it didn't seem to hard.

When bleeding the brakes, you'll need to people though.

chunky
12-29-2003, 08:33 PM
Originally posted by mlkelley68
OK guys, looking for future help here. I got SS brake lines for christmas, and just ordered slotted cadmium plated rotors, axxis ultimate pads and ATE Super Blue brake fluid from brakezone to go with them. Sherwin sd they are running behind right now so it will be about 10 days before they ship. I have never worked on brakes before, and since they are a kind of important to safety they are not something I want to screw around with. Should I try to do this change out myself?
Anybody local with experience working on brakes willing to help me? (Chunky I hear you have had some recent experience :rolleyes: , or Scott, or anybody else)

Thanks in advance for any and all help or advice.

I'm down to help you. brakes are cake. the lines will be the hardest part. hope you got a lot of the super blue, b/c you're gonna have to totally bleed the entire system.

And yes, i had a recent brake fiasco. I'm in the process of cleaning that mess up still. I need to get the caliper rebuild done still.

Lucid Moments
12-29-2003, 10:13 PM
Originally posted by chunky
I'm down to help you. brakes are cake. the lines will be the hardest part. hope you got a lot of the super blue, b/c you're gonna have to totally bleed the entire system.


Coolness. I'll PM you when the parts are in and we can do it. I may know a guy that has a shop (with a lift) not too far from you where we can do it.

Zero Three Si
12-31-2003, 09:40 AM
Originally posted by mlkelley68
Coolness. I'll PM you when the parts are in and we can do it. I may know a guy that has a shop (with a lift) not too far from you where we can do it.

No need for a lift man...
You're in the peach state...it's still 50/60 degrees down there. Let me know how the install went and take pictures.

Lucid Moments
12-31-2003, 09:48 AM
Originally posted by Zero Three Si
No need for a lift man...
You're in the peach state...it's still 50/60 degrees down there. Let me know how the install went and take pictures.

Yea, but I'm lazy, :D and a lift sure will make things even nicer:cool: I will say it's nice not to need a lift just to get the car above the snow:eek: like you guys living in the frozen northlands

chunky
12-31-2003, 08:37 PM
Originally posted by mlkelley68
Yea, but I'm lazy, :D and a lift sure will make things even nicer:cool: I will say it's nice not to need a lift just to get the car above the snow:eek: like you guys living in the frozen northlands

actually, for brakes, a lift is not really much help since you don't need to get under the car. jack & jackstands work fine.

Lucid Moments
12-31-2003, 08:43 PM
Originally posted by chunky
actually, for brakes, a lift is not really much help since you don't need to get under the car. jack & jackstands work fine.

I am the one that fully admits not knowing what he is doing so I will follow your lead.

siver-SI
12-31-2003, 10:54 PM
To bleed the brakes make it easy and see if you can get a bleeder pump. What this is, is a pump that you put the brake fluid into and you hook it up to the bleeder valve on the calaper and you just pump the fluid up through the system up to the Master Cylinder. That way you can do this job yourself and you go through a lot less brake fluid and the job it done a lot safer.

I do know if a auto zone rents out this type of bleeder though.

chunky
01-01-2004, 12:47 AM
Originally posted by siver-SI
To bleed the brakes make it easy and see if you can get a bleeder pump. What this is, is a pump that you put the brake fluid into and you hook it up to the bleeder valve on the calaper and you just pump the fluid up through the system up to the Master Cylinder. That way you can do this job yourself and you go through a lot less brake fluid and the job it done a lot safer.

I do know if a auto zone rents out this type of bleeder though.

in my experience, the best bleeders are the vacuum type bleeders. They are the only truly one man bleeders made. You hook up to the bleed screw, and suck the old brake fluid out. the only thing you have to watch out for is keeping the MC fluid level above the minimum mark.

vacuum bleeders for lyfe! I'm gonna buy one in the near future, they're about 50 bucks for a decent one.

Zero Three Si
01-01-2004, 02:49 PM
Originally posted by siver-SI
To bleed the brakes make it easy and see if you can get a bleeder pump. What this is, is a pump that you put the brake fluid into and you hook it up to the bleeder valve on the calaper and you just pump the fluid up through the system up to the Master Cylinder. That way you can do this job yourself and you go through a lot less brake fluid and the job it done a lot safer.

I do know if a auto zone rents out this type of bleeder though.


That's a great idea. He's got somebody helping him though so I would say save the money. One guy pumps the brakes and the other guy hold the brake line.

Is the any true way to find out if all the air is out of the lines?

siver-SI
01-01-2004, 03:34 PM
Originally posted by Zero Three Si
That's a great idea. He's got somebody helping him though so I would say save the money. One guy pumps the brakes and the other guy hold the brake line.

Is the any true way to find out if all the air is out of the lines?

Unless you have the right tools I hate to say no. All you can do is think that all the air is out of the line. The best way to tell is by how the pedal feels. That is just the one thing that I had about doing brakes right now since I do not have all the tools yet to do them.

Zero Three Si
01-01-2004, 05:49 PM
Originally posted by siver-SI
Unless you have the right tools I hate to say no. All you can do is think that all the air is out of the line. The best way to tell is by how the pedal feels. That is just the one thing that I had about doing brakes right now since I do not have all the tools yet to do them.

Did you upgrade your pads and rotors already? If so, what'cha get?:D

siver-SI
01-01-2004, 10:35 PM
Originally posted by Zero Three Si
Did you upgrade your pads and rotors already? If so, what'cha get?:D

When I work on my race cars I had to redo the brakes. I have not done my SI yet. I hate the rotors on the car with the rusting so I want to get new pads and rotors this year for it. I was thinking slotted and drilled but I heard drilled it not good for are winters so I think I will not get those then. I am not to sure for pads yet either. I want something that can take the Auto-X tracks if I go but be good for every day driving. Right now I want to get shocks for the car and then I am going to do the brake upgrade or the tires. If I have the cash I would love to do all 3 by around July of this year.

oldschoolimport
01-01-2004, 11:31 PM
Originally posted by chunky
vacuum bleeders for lyfe! I'm gonna buy one in the near future, they're about 50 bucks for a decent one. wish I lived closer, my vacuum bleeder has not been used in 2 years. why am I stuck in the armpit of alabama?:(

Lucid Moments
01-07-2004, 05:56 PM
I just got a e-mail back from Sherwin and the parts aren't going out until tomorrow, or maybe Friday so I won't be able to do it this weekend. Maybe next weekend if I'm lucky.

Thanks for all the advise guys.

Lucid Moments
02-16-2004, 04:27 PM
Finally got the brakes done. After my fiasco with the header I decided I didn't want to risk doing the brakes myself, even with Chunky's help so I took it to Lockwood Raceworks here in Gainesville. Once again they did it right, and for not too much. ($125)

It feels awesome. The brakes grab so much better, and it feels like you can modulate them so much easier it is great. I haven't pushed them too hard yet, I want to give them a few days to bed in, but hopefully next weekend I will head up into the mountains and give it a try. I'll let ya'll know.

chunky
02-16-2004, 04:31 PM
Originally posted by mlkelley68
Finally got the brakes done. After my fiasco with the header I decided I didn't want to risk doing the brakes myself, even with Chunky's help so I took it to Lockwood Raceworks here in Gainesville. Once again they did it right, and for not too much. ($125)

It feels awesome. The brakes grab so much better, and it feels like you can modulate them so much easier it is great. I haven't pushed them too hard yet, I want to give them a few days to bed in, but hopefully next weekend I will head up into the mountains and give it a try. I'll let ya'll know.


so when you gonna sell me those stock rear rotors? how about this weekend? :D

also, did sherwin give you specific bed in instructions?

typically it involves gradually warming brakes up, then doing several hard stops, then letting the pad cool OVERNIGHT for final tempering. proper bed in ensures maximum pad life & fade resistance.

Lucid Moments
02-16-2004, 05:16 PM
Originally posted by chunky
so when you gonna sell me those stock rear rotors? how about this weekend? :D

also, did sherwin give you specific bed in instructions?

typically it involves gradually warming brakes up, then doing several hard stops, then letting the pad cool OVERNIGHT for final tempering. proper bed in ensures maximum pad life & fade resistance.

You going to be at Fudruckers on Thurs? If so I'll bring the stock rears there. Otherwise I'm sure we can work something out.

Sherwin did not give me any specific bed in instructions so I just rode around for a while hitting the brakes fairly often to get them warm, then shortly before I got home made several stops intentionally hard from 50 - 60 mph, then parked it.

chunky
02-17-2004, 06:05 PM
Originally posted by mlkelley68
You going to be at Fudruckers on Thurs? If so I'll bring the stock rears there. Otherwise I'm sure we can work something out.

Sherwin did not give me any specific bed in instructions so I just rode around for a while hitting the brakes fairly often to get them warm, then shortly before I got home made several stops intentionally hard from 50 - 60 mph, then parked it.

I'll be there.

Sounds like you did an okay job at bedding them in. Bed in is key to pad life.