wrx brake tutorial wanted

Anyone swapping their Impreza brakes in the general TC area in the next few months? I'd love to come watch and get a feel for the procedure as I will eventually probably have to do my own as well. in particular if you're doing the lines, fluid, and rotors I need to learn all of these at some point, but even if you're just swapping pads that's cool too. Willing to bring drinks or food within reason
We could even do a mini-meet if some folks from the brake group-buy are interested, though I'll leave that up to whoever hosts.

P.S. I can probably find plenty of reading material on this, I'm looking for a little first-hand knowledge.

Thanks for reading!

 

Swapping or fixing? If it fits, you can DIY really... hehe (do-it-yourself)

 

I probably won't do my own for several months yet (car's still very new and I haven't done many events.) I'm more interested in just watching someone do a brake swap who has done it before so I can get a feel for it. With the group buy wrapping up I figured this would be the time to ask, not a big deal though if no-one's interested. Maybe I'll ask for help when I'm ready to do my own late summer or even next year.
What got me thinking about this is my mom's car is having brake issues, feels like a warped rotor, and I'd offer to help her out if I knew anything, but I'd probably just end up costing her more than a mechanic. Non-Subaru though, so it might not translate.

 

If her car has disks all around, it's quite simple. If drums, add a few different steps to it. If her car wobbles/vibrates when she is braking and off the gas, then it's a sign that her rotors are warped and need to be turned/replaced. If her brakes grind like gravel wedged in between the rotor and pads, replace both the rotor and pads.

In a nutshell, the procedure to replace rotors is labor intensive but easy.
1. Put the car in gear and don't engage the e-brake
2. Lift and support the car
3. Take off the wheel
4. Take off the caliper by unbolting two (14mm?) bolts behind the caliper and let it rest on a small box something (don't let it dangle)[this is as far as you go with brake pad replacement]
5. Take off the caliper bracket by unbolting two (17mm?) bolts behind the bracket
6. WD40 and hammer away at the rotor until it comes loose (it gets very rusty)
7. Replace with new, or call around to turn rotors
8. Reinstall in reverse order

 

I will be swaping mine out and doing SS lines after this weekend. Not sure exactly when but some what soon. I still need to look up the bleed order. I have never had a car with anti-lock. Anything tricky about the antilock set up or is it straight forward? I have heard of people having problems with the older ones.

 

Mom's car is a 2001 Saab 9-3, rotors all around. It is definitely a wobble, my guess is that it is one of the rear rotors causing it, but I haven't had the wheels off to check.
As for turning rotors - does this mean refurbishing them somehow? How much does this run? I'd like to price that out vs. a new rotor, but I can get a quote on the Saab part. Also, if you replace one do you have to replace the pair (i.e. if the right rear is bad do you replace the left rear as well just to keep them even or does that matter on rotors?)
Grimm - if you're interested I'd bring food/drink and watch you work :I Not sure what my schedule will be, but message me if you want whenever and I'll see if I can make it.
kickin_81 - thanks for the walkthrough, pretty much what I expected but I didn't know the exact number of bolts... makes sense.

 

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by AWD 101


Grimm - if you're interested I'd bring food/drink and watch you work :I Not sure what my schedule will be, but message me if you want whenever and I'll see if I can make it.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Russ - Cool I think I can do it then. I think the one that we couldn't do was actualy a mercedies where the antilocks are intergrated into the traction control too. I am also thinking on trying to just grind the lip of the break cover off in a way that it will have some function but not interfer with the larger brakes...

AWD 101 - I have some SS lines coming in too, so after they make it in I will do it all one weekend with the help of a freind that has shop area. I will give you a pm when I plan on doing it.

 

i have been reading on i-club about brake stuff recently. it is really striaght forward. old stuff off new stuff on. just so you remember where hte bolts go it should be no prob.

if any of you are swapping your WRX brakes for somethign else, i might be interested in the take offs.