I need to swap out my RS-19's/29's (too loud for the street) with the OE pads. My tuner is booked all week so I'm wondering how competent a shop needs to be to swap the pads? In other words, can i take it to a local Pep Boys, Autozone, etc... to have them do it? I'd like to do it myself but dont have the 3-4 hours needed to figure it out my first time around. TIA

 

It is a really simple job. I do my own and once the wheel is off it is about 5 minutes per caliper for a quick pad swap. The biggest problem is usually with the wear sensors but if you track the car they have probably been removed anyway.

 

Ya, if I still have the wear sensors I dont think they work. My last of pads practically went to the backing plate and no wear indicator ever came on.

 

You can do all 4 corners in under an hour. And that's with having a beer (or two) and shootin' the **** with your neighbor.

 

Thats given you already know how to do it no?

 

Nope, I can do them now in 1/2 hour. My very first pad swap was something like 1.5 hrs. It is so simple it is laughable.

Budget 1 hour but realistically 2 if you take your time.

BTW, I would NEVER trust Pep Boys, etc, to do the brakes on these cars.

 

Sounds good. Thanks, I'll give it a shot.

 

If you get held up at any point just post back needing help. Somebody should be online to help out. FYI....it's much easier in front if you rotate the wheel to get to the top of the caliper easier.

 

I always have hard time pulling out that stupid pin that push down the plate that push down the pads. Apart from that, it's pretty straight forward job.

 

I run sans spring plate

 

Ya I'm having trouble with that now...

 

A quick trick is to move the spring plate all the onto the inner half of the rotor so the "tabs" slide off the outer half of the rotor. Then you can move the pin most of the way and then reverse the process moving the spring plate to the other side.

 

Is the concensus still that the caliper bolts need to be replaced each time the caliper is removed? Just wanted to confirm. Porsche's reco is that the bolts are one time use only.

 

I never have since the change is more frequent with a track car. I did it every other time. Besides you only need to take off the caliper for a rotor change.

 

Make sure the spring plate (back of calipers) is back properly. When I changed out the pads a couple weeks ago, one corner of the spring plate slipped and the right front made a awful sound.

Rear pads are 5 minute job per corner. Fronts a little more.