Spiffyjiff

ok, i just finished but i think i did it slightly wrong. i installed pagid yellow RS19. the fronts were way tight (as i've read on here that they would be) so i did NOT reinstall the dampers. the rear pads had more room so i left the dampers in. my issues/problems:

after i finished the 4th wheel (of course) i noticed that there is another thin metal plate that i could pry off the back of each of the old OEM pads. does this thin plate need to go back on??? or is it only used in conjunction with the dampers?

also, 1 or 2 of the pads were so tight i had to tap them in with a mallet. is this bad? again, not much force but def couldnt do it by hand.

i'm kinda worried i screwed up...

RonCT

Well, I'd not be hammering pads in with a mallet. You can fry your system if the front wheels can spin freely (I had a similar situation with my 1st set of Yellows on my 07 - no issues yet with my 09). Don't worry about the thin backing plate on the OEM pads - I didn't even realize you could get them to come off - my pads just slid right out as one piece, not two. The front dampeners have that plastic plate attached - that's not what you are talking about, is it?

mdrums

sounds like he is talking about the anti squeal plate on the back of the stock pads.

No DO NOT put it back in with your Pagid pads....they will not eve fit correctly...to thick...with the backing plate. The rears have buttons. Remove them too.

jj99c2

I put pagids in my 2006 C2S and you definitely have to remove the dampers for them to work. If you don't they are way too tight. If you had to use a mallet are you sure you removed the dampers? You do not need the thin metal plates.

I would drive around the block a few times and then jack up the car and make sure the wheels spin freely. If you are getting a lot of friction that will turn into heat when you drive and cause problems.

The pagids are fantastic on the track but will really squeal on the street. I swap them with the stock pads between track and street.

Spiffyjiff

yep i was talking about that "other" thin plate that is stuck to all original OEM pads but can be pried off, etc. ok, check - did not and will not put that on the pagids. i will take the button damps off the rears tonight which should then give me a little more clearance/just enough to fit the pads without mallet or force, at least back there. the front sets however were def tight even without the damps (but only one pad on each caliper i noticed, the other fit no problem).

jj99c2, could you please define "spin freely"? even on old pads, worn or not, when i would jack car and spin rotor, i can always feel some resistance as well as hear that the pads were (slightly?) against the rotors. i just thought this was normal, esp since i dont see a mechanism - like the spring on a mountain bike rotor - to draw the pad away from rotor when brakes are not being applied.

and thanks all. i realize i'm an idiot about this stuff, but i'm learning as i go.

RonCT

Oh you'll know what "spin freely" is when you try it. I've had pads so tight you had to wrestle the wheel to get it to turn. Just driving down the street threw sparks (jk).

jj99c2

By spin freely I meant you can sping the wheel by hand. You will definitely feel resistance as the pads will be rubbing slightly. If you have the dampers in you really can hardly even move the wheel by hand.

Spiffyjiff

update - took damps off the rear corners, now all 4 pads fit fine. then i rechecked the fronts and all fit easily except for the left inner which needs, shall we say, "coaxing" a bit to seat properly; but i can seat it by hand without too much trouble - def not with a mallet, etc - and the wheel spins freely so i'd say i'm good.

thanks for the input and cant wait to heat these suckers up on the track!

mdrums

Make sure you properly bed the in befoe you hammer them at the track

Spiffyjiff

which brings up another issue...

I know how to bed in BUT might not get a chance to (ie clear, dry backroads etc) before I do couple short drives around town. this won't totally screw the process will it? I can't imagine the performance on something as durable and tough as these brake pads will be affected irreversibly just because I cdnt bed them in right out of the box.

Spiffyjiff

which brings up another issue...

I know how to bed in BUT might not get a chance to (ie clear, dry backroads etc) before I do couple short drives around town. this won't totally screw the process will it? I can't imagine the performance on something as durable and tough as these brake pads will be affected irreversibly just because I cdnt bed them in right out of the box.

TrackDays247.com

Run Pagids - or any track pad - NAKED with none of the OEM crap whatsoever.

Had 2 customers try this anyway against my advice and the REAR pads & calipers were burned to a kuh-risp.

You can bed them in at the track - 1st and 2nd lap of first session out.