Are there any special instructions for replacing front rotors on my C4? I have searched the site and did not find any mention of instructions for actual rotor replacement.

 

It's nothing special. Undo the two bolts that holds the caliper, lift it of and the pads. Then undo the philips screw that holds the rotor and take it of. Make sure that the surface of the hub is clean and smooth before you put the new rotor back. Put some cupper paste on if you have.

 

Seafore,

The only things I'd add is before you remove the caliper, pull off the metal spring clip on the strut at the brake rubber line/metal line juncture. This will give you the flexibility to move the caliper out of the way of the rotor. Make sure you have some way to support it the caliper once you pull it out of the way. When you reinstall the caliper, torque the two caliper bolts to 63 ft lbs. And when you reinstall the spring clip, be sure it seats as evenly as possible on each side of the brake fitting.

 

Seafore,

I just did this a couple of week ago. Some extra hints:

The rotor will probably not just pop off. If this is the case you need to take an 8mm bolt and screw it into one of the threaded blind holes on the rotor. You will notice that besides the holes for the two screws there are two other holes, if you screw in the 8mm bolt you will apply pressure to the rotor and it will pop right off.

Go to www.p-car.com and read the DIY article on replacing pads. There is an excellent tip there about cutting a slot in the bracket the holds the break line, it makes your life so much easier. I used a "cut-off" wheel on a dremel to do mine. Piece of cake.

Getting brake pads back into the caliper can be a challenge. You find a few posts about this on the board. It has to do with corrosion getting underneath the housing the sits in the caliper. You'll see it when you get the old pads off. If you have problems fitting in the new pads, just use a dremel or simliar grinding tool to reduce the length of the pad. I used a dremel with a 'cut-off' wheel and it went pretty quick. Basically you are just removing a little extra width off the metal backing of the pad. Do not think that you can easily remove the housing, the two bolts the hold it to the caliper need to be heated to remove the lock-tite holding them in...


Once you get the new ones on, be sure to properly break your new pads in. A progressive series of stops at higher and higher speeds is what you need to do (I think). Again, do a search and you will find the info.

If you are going to replace the rear rotors you will need a 10mm hex socket that is 6 inches long! I had to order mine over the internet, nobody had one local.

And of course, any problems ask the forum, I've gotten loads of excellent advise here and hope to be able to return it in time.

Jeff

 

Seafore, New rotors usually have rust protector on them, a coating - be sure to wipe the machined brake surfaces clean before assembly - a littlel petrol on a rag is ideal but unsafe so be carefull or go for a proprietory non oily cleaning spirit. Also check the board for pad instillation re the anti squeal pads that go behind the pads and the use of anti squeal "grease" behind the pads - also pleant of info on the board if you do a seach. AND wear a simple face mask and do not use compressed air to blow clean the parts - brake dust is nasty stuff and can have long term health effects.

Michael Gibney

 

A few taps from behind with a rubber mallet around the rotor edges is another way to persuade it.

Not necessary for changing a rotor out. Further, while it makes life easier for work where you might otherwise have to separate the metal and rubber brake lines (requiring a brake bleed when done), it also takes away part of the support for the lines. For that reason, I don't recommend it. The only time I've had to separate the rubber and metal brake lines is when replacing the rubber hoses (should replace them roughly every 10 years), and removing the strut, both which thankfully don't happen too often.

 

Thanks for all of the comments, this discussion board is awesome. Adrian's new book is also very helpful. I'm learning to be a good DIY, and it's quite nice to have help when needed.