![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.n4rfc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/howtoC4brakes-compareS.jpg\" "\\"howtoC4brakes-compareS\\"")
<\/a>Rotors are plated and available in either black or silver. Your typical Auto Parts Store rotors are raw cast iron.<\/p><\/div>\n
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<\/a>I was somewhat concerned that these were cheap Chinese castings, but they compared favorably in thickness to the OEM rotor.<\/p><\/div>\n
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<\/a>The top pad came off the Vette, not sure if they were factory original.\u00a0 The Premium brake pads have the “silencer” plates on the back of the pad. High quality pads have these plates to reduce brake squeal by preventing the steel backing plate of the pads from rubbing against the caliper and pistons.<\/p><\/div>\n
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Well, let’s get dirty and change the brakes.\u00a0 I started with the rears, for no particular reason.\u00a0 Of course, you need to get the car on a jack or jack stand.\u00a0 All appropriate safety precautions should be taken.\u00a0\u00a0 I suggest that when jacking only one corner of the car that you pop the hatch if you have a coupe, and the door on the side of the car you are jacking just to prevent stresses on these parts.<\/p>\n
Because I was replacing both pads and rotors, I elected to take the caliper and caliber mounting bracket off as one piece.\u00a0 If you were replacing only the pads, you can take the two bolts off the back of the bracket that holds the caliper assembly to the bracket. \u00a0\u00a0 Remove the two bolts that hold the caliper mounting bracket to the suspension.\u00a0 Lift the caliber and bracket off, and remove the old rotor.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Two major parts of the rear brakes, the caliper and the caliper mounting bracket.\u00a0 The rotor has been removed in the picture.<\/p><\/div>\n
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Now, remove only the outboard pad.\u00a0 Push it in towards the inboard pad.\u00a0 Once it clears the notches in the caliper mounting bracket it will fall right out.\u00a0 Make note of how the small anti rattle springs on the top of the pad fit against the caliper.\u00a0 You will want to get the new pads back in with their springs in this same position.<\/p>\n
Remove the cap from the brake master cylinder and remove some of the fluid from the reservoir, this will prevent it from over flowing when we push back the piston in the caliper.\u00a0 You can use and old turkey baster or a vacuum pump with a catch bottle to get the excess fluid out of the reservoir.\u00a0 (If you get the turkey baster from the kitchen don’t take it back when you are done, unless you actually like a hint of brake fluid flavor with your oven roasted turkey.\u00a0 If questioned later, deny any knowledge of its disappearance.)\u00a0 When you are done, place the cap loosely back on the master cylinder to prevent the fluid from squirting out of the top and on to your car.<\/p>\n
Now, put a large C clamp on the caliper as shown and SLOWLY push the piston back into the caliper.\u00a0 Then, remove the inboard pad.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Place a large C clamp across the caliper and slowly push back the brake piston. Leave the rear pad in place to push against without damaging the piston.<\/p><\/div>\n
At this point everything was going fine for me.\u00a0 It got a bit testy when I tried to get the pads back into the caliper.\u00a0 The anti rattle springs are pretty stout.\u00a0 Add to that the fact that the “ears” on the pads fit into slots on the Caliper Mounting Bracket, not into the caliper make the process of getting the pads in more difficult.\u00a0\u00a0 After struggling with the pads I found that I could put the pad in tilted with the top of the pad tilted toward the other pad.\u00a0 (See photo below)\u00a0 Part of the problem was that with the pads out of the caliper there was very little holding the bracket and the caliper together.\u00a0 If you are not careful the two parts will just fall apart.\u00a0 Also, on the rear you have to wrestle with the parking brake cable which is quite stiff.\u00a0 Getting the pads back in can try your patience.<\/p>\n
Starting with the inboard pad, tilt the top of the pad (with the anti rattle spring) toward the outside of the caliper and put it up in place, aligning the “ears” into the notches in the bracket.\u00a0 Then, take your fingers and push the pad back against the piston making sure the anti rattle spring is in place.\u00a0 Once you get it to that point the pad and it’s spring will help hold the assembly together.\u00a0 Do the same with the outboard pad.\u00a0 The picture below shows the pad inserted and ready to be pushed back into it’s final position.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Replacing the pads can get tricky. I found that tilting the pad and putting the bottom in place first worked best.<\/p><\/div>\n
I also found that loosely mounting the caliper bracket to the suspension mount helped hold the caliper and bracket so you don’t have to fight with that parking brake cable while you install the pads.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Here is another view of how to insert the pads into the rear calipers.<\/p><\/div>\n
Now that is done, you can take the temporary bolts out, and put the rotor on.\u00a0 Use two lug nuts to hold the rotor against the axle flange and put the caliper and bracket back on.\u00a0 Put the mounting bolts back in and torque them to spec.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>Almost done. Use two lug nuts to hold the rotor in place while you position the caliper back into place and tighten the mounting bolts.<\/p><\/div>\n
Now, recheck everything.\u00a0 Put the wheel back on and torque your wheel lugs.\u00a0 Take the car off the jack and let’s move on to the fronts!<\/p>\n
The fronts are a bit easier to do than the rears, but they have a slightly different setup.\u00a0 The front calipers are dual piston and the pads are held in place by two round spring clips.\u00a0\u00a0 Remove the caliper bracket bolts\u00a0 and lift off the caliper.\u00a0 Then remove rotor.\u00a0\u00a0 With a flat blade screwdriver pry out the outboard pad.\u00a0\u00a0 Using your C clamp again, push the piston back.\u00a0 Watch that fluid reservoir to make sure it doesn’t overflow and ruin anything.<\/p>\n