I just picked up some Centric High Carbon rotors and EBC Yellowstuff pads to replace the old and warped stock brembos up front. I just wanna ask, as this is the first time i'll be servicing the brakes on my E9, are there any tips I should know? Anything I should be aware of? I picked up a pad spreader tool at the same time just to make things easier. What brake fluid do you guys recommend.

Thanks guys

 

Copper anti-seize is your friend. So is a small steel bristle brush to remove all the pad dust from the pins, shims, etc. This writeup was helpful for my first time on the Evo brakes as I wouldn't have known to put anti-seize everywhere the FSM tells you to.

Brake Pad How To

 

Awesome! I didn't even find that how to on the forum. Thanks for the help terror

 

Pretty simple stuff. I always use red Loctite on the caliper bolts, and torque them to spec. If Loctite has been used on the bolts previously, you have to make sure to run a thread restorer through the caliper bolt hole, and clean all the old Loctite off of the bolt. Torqueing to spec is important, you don't want to over do it on the aluminum threads in the caliper..

 

^Red loctite on those bolts interesting, I've never done that prior. So are you torching the caliper prior to removing the bolts? OTOH wouldn't the heat from the brakes degrade the red loctite? I think it needs to be heated up to ~350 or somewhere around there...not saying what you're doing is bad or wrong, just curious your mindset other than not wanting those bolts to back off...

 

I race offroad, **** comes loose. So I'm paranoid, and apply a lot of my prep practices for the off road car to the Evo. Loctite on bolts with nuts (I use metal/metal lock nuts also), and Loctite and safety wire on captured bolts where applicable on all suspension components. I don't use safety wire on the Evo too much, its a bit over kill. I did drill the heads of the caliper bolts both the front, and rear, for safety wire. Also on th eoffroad car, bolt shanks get anti-seize, I don't do this on the Evo though, its too messy, and rust isn't an issue in Vegas.


Red Loctite doesn't degrade, that part of the caliper doesn't get that hot, and its good to 500*F. And they come out fine without heat.

I've worked at race teams where guys have told me until they're blue in the face that a bolt torqued to spec won't come loose. One more than a few occasions, the part of the car they prepped, something comes loose in the first 100 miles of just testing, and I get to say I told you so...lol

 

Do you guys know what the torque specs are for the front brakes off the top of your head?

 

Oh I can see how you need to have all your sh*t together before headed out to the dirt for racing. Racing in general is extremely hard on components and with the added heat and vibrations and bumps in your case I can see things working their way out. Now obviously a caliper bolt backing out is a big nono.

I make sure mine are torqued to spec (kinda a PITA getting a TQ wrench in there) but mine havent backed out yet, knock on wood. Come to think of it I think I actually have anti seize on there Might need to rethink that strategy...Being a New England car I go crazy with the anti seize; I have nightmares about rust, literally, no im not kidding

But interesting, thanks for your .02

80 +/- 7ft/lbs