Brake pads, rotors and fluid which?

[ahmad89]

I need to replace my brake pads, rotors and fluid, please help me out on which kind to get and where can i get them for all 3 and are they easy to change yourself?
P.S. Can anyone help me out with pics or a video on how to replace the brake pads and rotors? I have an 89 Accord DX

[ahmad89]

Please help im going to change all these in a couple of days and need to the right things to get.
EDIT: i read the slotted rotors thread and read that dot 4 is good? i thought dot 4 or 3 were bad? and are duralast brake pads and rotors good?

[ahmad89]

36 views and no one posted!? come on help me out please.

[86AccordLxi]

You probably don't need anything more than stock, so I'd imagine autozone brand will be fine. If you want, spend more money and get some better pads (ebc, hawk, etc). If you're just replacing rotors and pads, you don't really have to change fluid, though it's probably a good idea.

Try searching, too. That should yield some decent results.

Alex

[2oodoor]

I do not recommend DOT 4 for your stock set up

When that is used, it is best to be starting with a complete high performance upgrade with all new parts because the two different fluids do not mix well.

DOT 3 is fine

You do not need drilled rotors either, that is for sport driving in mountainous areas and speeds such as over 90 mph. Also for Police or taxi cab use.

General instructions for ANY kind of vehicle with Disc brakes will be a good reference for you, Honda did not re-invent the wheel... err disc brake...with 3rd gen Accords.

[DBMaster]

DOT 3 and DOT 4 are fine to mix. They are both glycol based fluids. DOT 5 (silicone) is the one you can't mix. I have used the Valvoline Synthetic fluid for YEARS and have never rebuilt anything on my brake system.

[MessyHonda]

I do not recommend DOT 4 for your stock set up
When that is used, it is best to be starting with a complete high performance upgrade with all new parts because the two different fluids do not mix well.
DOT 3 is fine
You do not need drilled rotors either, that is for sport driving in mountainous areas and speeds such as over 90 mph. Also for Police or taxi cab use.
General instructions for ANY kind of vehicle with Disc brakes will be a good reference for you, Honda did not re-invent the wheel... err disc brake...with 3rd gen Accords.


when i swaped my breaks and lines i put in some dot 4 fluid. the SS lines make the diference...on my dx the breaks feel mushy and on the lx-i they grab fine...i just need to figure out the rear calipers i think one is seased up

[ahmad89]

ok to clarify im just replacing pads and rotors and need to know what fluid to use so dot 3 is good for my stock setup. Now to save me 30mins. of driving i need to know how to replace my rotors and pads. I have the stock drums in the rear how do i change those? Pics would be really great step by step pics so i can see where the screws and bolts are the manual is confusing to look at and only shows the drums not anything around it. I read the manual for replacing the front and rear and im confused on where the bolts are and what order to take them out and also one more thing how do i change my fluid?
P.S. sorry im being so pushy or impatient with the replies but i need to know asap so i can convince my dad to let me do it, plus i want do it myself so i can learn. I love to do things myself i feel almost proud of myself if it goes right.

[2oodoor]

DOT 3 and DOT 4 are fine to mix. They are both glycol based fluids. DOT 5 (silicone) is the one you can't mix. I have used the Valvoline Synthetic fluid for YEARS and have never rebuilt anything on my brake system.
That is what I was thinking about , I dont know why I said DOT 4 :uh:

As for mixing silicone, some may have been lucky and had no revealed issues with it. Just when I am trying to give a safe spread of advise to someone I prefer to go by guidelines that lessen the chance of problems that could come back to me.

[ahmad89]

That is what I was thinking about , I dont know why I said DOT 4 :uh:
As for mixing silicone, some may have been lucky and had no revealed issues with it. Just when I am trying to give a safe spread of advise to someone I prefer to go by guidelines that lessen the chance of problems that could come back to me.
So dont use dot 4 use dot 3?

[MessyHonda]

if you are going to flush the system might as well get dot 4. thats if you know how to blead the system properly or have the right tools

[ahmad89]

if you are going to flush the system might as well get dot 4. thats if you know how to blead the system properly or have the right tools
Could you tell me how to drain the system? i read in the manual how to remove the air from the system and where would i dispose of it?

[2ndGenGuy]

You can't drain it, just use a turkey baster to suck the fluid out of the reservoir, fill it with new fluid then bleed the new fluid through.

[86AccordLxi]

Why are you changing fluid? Did you boil it? Or do you just assume that you need to? Like I said before, a rotor/pad swap does not require any opening of the brake system. Given your inexperience, I wouldn't mess with changing fluid--just get your pads and rotors swapped.

Alex

[ahmad89]

ok thx for the advice i'll just top off the fluid but what i really need to know to save me the 30min trip like i said before is how to change the pads and front rotors. Step by step instruction and tools required would be greatly apreciated.

[86AccordLxi]

Why does searching or reading the manual you have require a 30min trip?

You'll need a c-clamp to push the piston back into the caliper. Also, if your brakes haven't been replaced before there'll be two philips screws that are basically frozen into the caliper. You might need an impact driver to get those out. Make sure you have something like pb blaster on hand.

Alex

[ahmad89]

well my dad wants me to take it to this guy we know and hes by where i work and thats on the east side of town which is 30min away depending on traffic. I just need step by step instructions on how to change the pads and rotors, i read the manual and searched the threads they werent much help but i found out a little bit. If you got pics step by step that would be greatly apreciated. Now can someone please type up a quick step by step guide i can follow to do this?

[86AccordLxi]

Buy a manual.

Seriously.

And if someone else is doing the work, why do you need step by step instructions? Brakes are pretty much all the same on every car. Drums shoes are harder to replace than brake pads, though.

Now, go buy a manual.

Alex

[ahmad89]

Buy a manual.

Seriously.

And if someone else is doing the work, why do you need step by step instructions? Brakes are pretty much all the same on every car. Drums shoes are harder to replace than brake pads, though.

Now, go buy a manual.

Alex
look calm down i already have a manual you obviously havnt been reading my posts closely, i just read the manual twice and searched through the entire brake replacement section and i feel stupid asking you guys for instructions, its just two bolts! Im sorry for the aggravation i may have caused you.

[ghettogeddy]

Why does searching or reading the manual you have require a 30min trip?

You'll need a c-clamp to push the piston back into the caliper. Also, if your brakes haven't been replaced before there'll be two philips screws that are basically frozen into the caliper. You might need an impact driver to get those out. Make sure you have something like pb blaster on hand.

Alex
i dont remember there being philips screws on the caliper on the rotor yes but not the caliper lol and i normally bleed my brakes when changing the pads

[86AccordLxi]

Yeah, dur, I meant the rotor.

Either way, you keep asking questions and there's only 4 bolts that hold brakes together-- two for holding the caliper together, and 2 to hold the caliper to the spindle.

All you have to do is slow down and look at the pretty diagrams.

Alex

[ghettogeddy]

lol ya brakes are really easy to do and shit there pritty much the same on all cars

[2ndGenGuy]

Google is your friend :D

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/howto/articles/43787/article.html
http://www.partsource.ca/doityourself/TIPS_brakes.asp
http://www.howtodothings.com/automotive/a3506-how-to-change-brake-pads.html
http://www.thepartsbin.com/change-brake-pads.html
http://www.cockeyed.com/lessons/brakeshoes/brakeshoes01.shtml

Follow ANY of these guides, use a little common sense and you should be good to go. If you can get the pads out, it will be OBVIOUS how to do the rotors...

[2oodoor]

:dunno: :dunno: :dunno: :dunno: : :banghead: :banghead: :koolaid:

good luck ahmad89
obviousley YOU.. have not been reading the posts very well. Any manual, INLUDING ANY CAR WITH DISC BRAKES, will provide you with pictures, although not in color, of the basic things you need to get the job done.

I have to admire your diligence to do this work your self despite not having a clue what you're getting in to. It appears you want to fix it with your keyboard and monitor, well that is just not realistic is it.

we all should probably cut back on the caffiene

[ahmad89]

lol im not on caffiene and i dont wanna fix my car with a keyboard and monitor, it would really help to get a better visual in color and live pics so i can see the area around and stuff, but i figured it out and i feel really stupid and im really sorry for impatient. When i get the pads and convince my dad to let me do it this weekend, i'll let yall know how its going.
Now, are the rotors hard to change? i couldnt find it in the manual, when i get home i'll check here first if yall can help me out with that then i'll just google and look more into the manual.
Thank you for your cooperation.

[ahmad89]

Google is your friend :D

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/howto/articles/43787/article.html
http://www.partsource.ca/doityourself/TIPS_brakes.asp
http://www.howtodothings.com/automotive/a3506-how-to-change-brake-pads.html
http://www.thepartsbin.com/change-brake-pads.html
http://www.cockeyed.com/lessons/brakeshoes/brakeshoes01.shtml

Follow ANY of these guides, use a little common sense and you should be good to go. If you can get the pads out, it will be OBVIOUS how to do the rotors...
Thank you very much for the info man i was going to go to that howtodothings site but i didnt have a chance last night i was busy.

[86AccordLxi]

If the philips screws are still in the rotors (rusted in..... ) they'll be a little time consuming. Just make sure you don't round out the heads, or at least try your best not to. An impact driver makes those come out easier.

Alex

[ahmad89]

If the philips screws are still in the rotors (rusted in..... ) they'll be a little time consuming. Just make sure you don't round out the heads, or at least try your best not to. An impact driver makes those come out easier.

Alex
Thx i'll start looking for an impact driver when i get home.

[mkymonkey]

ok im going to help the kid guys...


1. jack your car up and put it on jack stands.

2. take your wheels off and set them under the car, just in case the car falls...they wont fall on your legs, they'll fall on the wheels.

3. start with the passenger side. turn your steering wheel all the way to the left. this will make it easier on you to take the bolts off the caliper.

4. get a (i believe) 12mm socket and wrench and start removing the bolts, the order of which does not matter. once you have removed the bolts, the caliper should slide right on out and the pads will either stay on the disc or stay on the caliper. Pretty much all you have to do is remember which goes on which side.

5. You will need to push the piston back with either a c-clamp or channel locks (seems easier for me to do it with channel locks). Now some people say that taking the cap off the reservoir makes pushing the piston in a lot easier....for me it doesnt matter, but you could try it if youre having a hard time, because it DOES take a bit of strength. Push the piston all the way back to allow the new THICK pads to go on easier

6. The pads you buy should come with the little bracket thing (sorry i dont know the tech term for it) that goes behind the pad itself. also they should come with some brake lube if not get some when you buy the pads, its like 50c a packet. apply a little lube to the back of the pad and put the bracket on top. do this for both pads and slide them into place on the caliper, they might need a bit of tapping to get them in there.

7. to put them back on just slide the whole assembly back onto the disc and tighten the bolts.

8. turn your wheel all the way to the right and do the same for the driver's side

9. dont forget to bleed your breaks, there's a step by step around here so im not going to write one (search cuz i remember reading it).

10. put your wheels back on, jack your car up take the stands out and drop the car back down. make sure youre easy on the brakes for at least 4 days of regular commuting to break them in propertly. oh and wash your hands :D

[MessyHonda]

ok im going to help the kid guys...


1. jack your car up and put it on jack stands.

2. take your wheels off and set them under the car, just in case the car falls...they wont fall on your legs, they'll fall on the wheels.

3. start with the passenger side. turn your steering wheel all the way to the left. this will make it easier on you to take the bolts off the caliper.

4. get a (i believe) 12mm socket and wrench and start removing the bolts, the order of which does not matter. once you have removed the bolts, the caliper should slide right on out and the pads will either stay on the disc or stay on the caliper. Pretty much all you have to do is remember which goes on which side.

5. You will need to push the piston back with either a c-clamp or channel locks (seems easier for me to do it with channel locks). Now some people say that taking the cap off the reservoir makes pushing the piston in a lot easier....for me it doesnt matter, but you could try it if youre having a hard time, because it DOES take a bit of strength. Push the piston all the way back to allow the new THICK pads to go on easier

6. The pads you buy should come with the little bracket thing (sorry i dont know the tech term for it) that goes behind the pad itself. also they should come with some brake lube if not get some when you buy the pads, its like 50c a packet. apply a little lube to the back of the pad and put the bracket on top. do this for both pads and slide them into place on the caliper, they might need a bit of tapping to get them in there.

7. to put them back on just slide the whole assembly back onto the disc and tighten the bolts.

8. turn your wheel all the way to the right and do the same for the driver's side

9. dont forget to bleed your breaks, there's a step by step around here so im not going to write one (search cuz i remember reading it).

10. put your wheels back on, jack your car up take the stands out and drop the car back down. make sure youre easy on the brakes for at least 4 days of regular commuting to break them in propertly. oh and wash your hands :D


that is for the lx-i maing.....but they are kinda the same.

[2oodoor]

wienermobile dude

[mkymonkey]

like it matters, almost all honda calipers are the same

[ahmad89]

lol thx monkey but i got it, read the manual like 3 time and its only 2 bolts but my problem is my jack wont raise the car high enough to put my stands on. Im trying to figure out some way to get it high enough.

[mkymonkey]

are you using the jack that came with the car? damn, i hope your legs arent under the car when it falls.

[Estimated Prophet]

Yeah I wouldn't recommend using the spare tire jack, that is made to lift one corner up while the rest of the weight is on the other three tires. Rent a decent jack from Advance or Autozone if you have to.

[ahmad89]

lol no im using a 2 ton jack that my bro bought awhile back and i just went to check to see how high it would go and i put the stand next to it to see if it would jack it up high enough and it jacks up plenty. So i have a jack and two stands all i need to do now is get the pads and rotors.

[ahmad89]

Now to drain or bleed the fluid from what i read in the manual theres a screw on each wheel and i need someone to pump and then keep a steady pressure on the brakes then i loosen the screw to let bubbles out but how do i drain the fluid so i can put new fluid instead of topping off 16 year old fluid. Please list what i need to for the job and how to do it. Thank you again.

[DBMaster]

This string sure is getting messy! I bought a brake bleeder kit a long time ago, but you can use some clear vinyl hose from Home Depot if you want. It just needs to fit snugly on the end of the bleeder screw. The kits have rubber fittings which are nice because the front bleeder screws are bigger than the back ones on the disc/drum setups.

Honda recommends changing the fluid every 30K miles because it absorbs water and gets really dirty. Keep it clean and your calipers and cylinders should last the life of the car.

1. Feel free to mix DOT 3 and DOT 4 fluid. DOT 4 will stay a little cleaner over time because its boiling point is higher and it is slightly less hydroscopic than DOT 3.

2. When bleeding the brakes go in this order RR, LR, RF, LF. If you don't have a brake bleeder pump ($25 at a parts store), have someone sit in the driver's seat. Crack open the bleeder screw and tell them "down," meaning to push the pedal to the floor - slowly. Tighten the screw and then tell them "up," meaning let the pedal come back up. Repeat until the fluid running through the clear hose is clean. It shouldn't take much more than a pint of fluid to do the job. My favorite is the Valvoline Synthetic DOT 4. I have been using it on the car for 14 years.

[86AccordLxi]

Aren't you supposed to pump the pedal, build pressure, then crack the bleeder?

Alex

[ahmad89]

well my dad wants me to get someone else to do it but when he feels comfortable with me doing the brakes i will. Thank you all for your help and advice i really apreciate it.

[2ndGenGuy]

Aren't you supposed to pump the pedal, build pressure, then crack the bleeder?

Alex

^^^ Ding ding ding! Correct! You should even close the valve before the brake pedal hits the floor so that there's no chance of lifting the pedal and sucking crap back in.

[ahmad89]

well looks like me and my bro are doing it this friday.

[86AccordLxi]

^^^ Ding ding ding! Correct! You should even close the valve before the brake pedal hits the floor so that there's no chance of lifting the pedal and sucking crap back in.


Yeah, exactly. Just make sure the person pumping doesn't lift at all until the person closing the bleeder valve says it's ok.

Alex

[russiankid]

Yeah, exactly. Just make sure the person pumping doesn't lift at all until the person closing the bleeder valve says it's ok.
Alex
That is exactly what my brother and i did the other day. Took about an hour and the brake pedal is not mushy anymore.

[DBMaster]

Aren't you supposed to pump the pedal, build pressure, then crack the bleeder?

I have read that numerous times, but I have never had to pump the pedal to build pressure. Maybe you only need to do that if you are starting with air in your lines, such as when you replace the M/C or rebuild a caliper. A $25 manual vacuum pump kit allows this to be a one-man operation, but I have found it to go faster utilizing my daughter to push the brake pedal!

[ahmad89]

My bro and I are going to do the brakes tomorrow, were gonna buy the parts and a torque wrench too i think and im gonna start looking for the impact driver today cause yesterday i was too busy to look for one. I will copy and paste your instructions and send it to my bro's laptop so we can follow it. Thank you all very much, very helpful and awsome people!

[86AccordLxi]

I have read that numerous times, but I have never had to pump the pedal to build pressure. Maybe you only need to do that if you are starting with air in your lines, such as when you replace the M/C or rebuild a caliper. A $25 manual vacuum pump kit allows this to be a one-man operation, but I have found it to go faster utilizing my daughter to push the brake pedal!

Ah, ok. Yeah, every time I've replaced calipers or anything that's the way to do it. You can actually get away with replacing an m/c without bleeding the brakes-- at least I've done it twice :D with no loss in pedal at all. Just gotta bench bleed the master.

Alex

[ahmad89]

Also i just remembered that im also going to check for oil leaking on the filter and change the oil friday. I dont know why but im kinda excited lol.

[Estimated Prophet]

It's not unusual to feel excited, let it out.

[ahmad89]

It's not unusual to feel excited, let it out.
lol ok WOOHOOOOO!!!!
Oh will i need an impact driver?

[2oodoor]

Also i just remembered that im also going to check for oil leaking on the filter and change the oil friday. I dont know why but im kinda excited lol.
I can tell you what the most likely thing that is, the oil filter base gasket (which is an odd shaped o-ring thingy) That is a major pain to get to if your working on the ground too. Very common on several diff Honda engines.


That bleeding sequence may vary on some different vehicles, but the theroy is to bleed the longest brake line first then next longest and so on.

[ahmad89]

i will wipe it clean first and if it takes awhile for the oil to leak then i will check after i do the brakes or drive it around and then i will check again for the leaks. Do i need an impact driver?

[Oldblueaccord]

I need to replace my brake pads, rotors and fluid, please help me out on which kind to get and where can i get them for all 3 and are they easy to change yourself?
P.S. Can anyone help me out with pics or a video on how to replace the brake pads and rotors? I have an 89 Accord DX

I use the Castrol LMA fluid. I changed it out of the master cylinder with a turkey baster twice a year. Its cheap and pretty easy to find. Its at Pep boys here in town. Raybestos makes pretty good pads for the money that you can get locally.

I stole this chart off pf Stop tech site. I dont know how correct the prices are but they seem about right.


Brake Fluid Dry Boiling Point Wet Boiling Point Suggested List Price
AP SUPER 600 590°F 410°F $18.00/16.9oz. .
CASTROL SRF 590°F 518°F $69.99/33.8oz.
NEO SUPER DOT 610 610°F 421°F $15.00/12oz.
MOTUL RACING 600 593°F 420°F $15.00/16.9oz.
MOTUL DOT 5.1 509°F 365°F $6.50/16.9oz.
ATE SUPER BLUE 536°F 392°F $11.99/33.8oz
VALVOLINE SYNPOWER 503°F 343°F $4.97/16.9oz.
ATE SL 500°F 329°F $7.95/16.9oz.
CASTROL LMA 450°F 311°F $3.50/16.9oz.
AP 551 528°F 288°F $12.50/16.9oz.


wp

[ahmad89]

The higher the boiling point the better right or too high you wont get as much pressure or something?

[Oldblueaccord]

Well yes higher boiling point is better. Problem being is that when they take on moisture the boiling point goes down and on some of them it goes down alot. More then the cheap wal mart brand fluid. So there are some hidden trade offs.

As far as the litte screws you might not need an impact driver at all to get them out. Big thing is try not to strip them then you have to drill the heads off. I have a cheap phillips screw driver I picked up over the years where the metal shaft goes all the way thru the handle. On the end of the handle is a 9/16 nut so you can put a wrench on it or hit it with a hammer. Pretty handy. its the vibration that knocks the screws loose.

You can take one wheel off and try the screws before you do anything to know whats it gonna be like,

wp