Changing your own brake pads & discs

[nilagin]

don't mess with brakes, take it to a decent local dealer.

Brakes are an easy job to do. It maybe a bit daunting if you've never done it before. My eldest son was doing his brakes, he showed his younger brother who was 15 at the time what to do and he did one corner. Eldest son checked his work after and it was spot on.

 

[dejongj]

Brakes and Disks can be really easy to do....But they can also be a right pain....

My BMW's I've found incredibly easy, and on my Murano/Navarra done them myself as well....But don't forget some cars can be a paid. The back ones on an Audi A4 Convertible I had was nearly impossible to get the retaining hex bold out at the back of the brake assembly...A right paid and a lot of dismantling, not to mention that after all those years the bolts were very tight....

And from a safety perspective you should really have some axle stands and chucks etc...A normal little wheel replacement jack is not safe if you are laying underneath it and have to apply a lot of force on it for parts to come off...

All in all, it may be best to go to an independent....With my Audi I ended up doing that, and the specialist was quite happy to put my brake parts on it, all four corners discs/pads he charged me £50.....That was actually well worth it....

 

[sx_turbo]

I used copper grease on my EBC pads which had anti squeal backings and never had any squeal in 3.5yrs and 45k miles they were on the car.

a lot of the time there is no issue, but the use of copper grease does actually promote brake squeal, so it is best practice not to use it.

 

[nilagin]

a lot of the time there is no issue, but the use of copper grease does actually promote brake squeal, so it is best practice not to use it.

Yet it's sold as a means to stop brake squeal.

 

[sx_turbo]

Yet it's sold as a means to stop brake squeal.

since brake companys have had to introduce anti squeel shims and backings, the brake company's themselves say not to use it. the lubrication manufactures promote it as anti squeel because years ago it did, but now tollerances have got tighter and demands etc have all changed.

we had issues with a customer recently where he was getting a lot of noise issues, he was adamant it was the delphi brakes because he has been "doing this job for 30 years", of course in 30 years absolutely nothing has changed, anyhoo, delphi went down there to these "problem" cars and they told him not to use copper grease or any other grease for that atter and see how he got on. as yet there have been no more come backs.

working practices and technology change, people find it much harder to change there ways/thinking etc