Honda front brake job - caliper and rotor replacement

ManClub is back with another Monkey Fighting episode. This time our fearless host changes front brake pads and rotors on a 2007 Honda Element. He also covers rotor removal/replacement and lubrication of the sliding pins and other brake components.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Man
• Club
• ManClub
• Austin
• Texas
• Todd
• Hittner
• Honda
• DIY
• Brake
• Brakes
• calipers
• rotors
• pads
• replacement
• removal
• swap
• sliding
• pins
• lube
• lubricate
• lubrication
• Accord
• Element
• Civic
• Fit
• Ridgeline
• Pilot

[ManClubAustin]

It might cause the pads to drag. Hopefully you can find them in the trash!

[PBballer23list]

"Smoking is strictly forbidden!) Why don't you like to smoke?

[ManClubAustin]

@PBballer23list

It's a sign to be placed around flammable materials - I don't want to blow up ManClub!

[AnthTrinh]

When do you need new rotors?

[ManClubAustin]

@AnthTrinh

Any time you do a brake job, you have a choice to either replace rotors or have them resurfaced. Resurfacing costs about half as much as new rotors, but you will be w/o your vehicle for the duration of the resurface job.

[d46512]

Take a look at how EricTheCarGuy retracts the caliper pistons. Does not force dirty fluid up into the master cylinder.  Also, no chance of overflow.

[ManClubAustin]

@d46512

Yeah, EricTheCarGuy is a wealth of knowledge. Great DIY videos!

I flushed the entire system as soon as this job was done. So no worries about the cruddy, muddy fluid.

[jwpowell158]

Those wire V-Springs... what if I throw the old ones away, and my cheap new pads didn't come with replacements? Will that cause the pads to drag the rotor?

[ISTAYG0LD]

i thought that was Santa on his sleigh

[jtnoodle]

@d46512 @d46512 By contrast, my 2002 Ford Explorer, the rotors are separate from the lug studs. Rotor slides over the studs therefore the lugnuts hold the wheel/rotor assembly in place. IMO, this is a much better design. My F250 uses a LARGE castle nut which threads onto the spindle, holding the rotor on. Again, far better design IMO.

Anyway, most of my 20 years experience has been with older American cars and trucks. This is actually the first foreign car brake job I've ever done.

[d46512]

@jtnoodle No those cheesy screws aren't intended to hold it on. Once the wheel is back on, the lug nuts hold the disc/rotor in place. Why did you leave off one screw? Hard to remove them?