Need help with pad (akebono) swap
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 125
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From: Marlton
'02 325 xi; '02 C32; '90 ZX; '08 CBR 6RR, '86 V45 Magna
Need help with pad (akebono) swap
Started with the brake pad swap tonight (despite bad omens - I broke my glasses about 15 mins prior and then as I was at the garage work bench fooling with an unrelated project, I smashed the living $h1t out of my finger nail). I should've stopped there but no. Pressed on with first pad change on an MB that being my 32. I had a pair of akebono euro front and rear to swap out.
Got started (please let me know if I missed or screwed something up) by knocking off drivers side front wheel with a make shift sledge as I was seized to the rotor/hub assembly. I scrubbed surfaces with wire brush and dabbed anti seize to prevent this from happening when it comes time to change a flat on the side of the highway (yes, I have the optional full size spare - actually two, both equipped with Blizaks). Anyway, get to caliper, knock out two pins and remove clip. Use a mini pry bar to push pistons in all the way on both sides (no problem brakes reservoir opened).
I get to akebono pads with instructions to remove film from noise insulator. I assumed the noise insulator was the fabric coated backing plate on the pad. Yet, no film. I looked at all the pads, front and rear to see if I was missing some detail. Anyway, I conclude that instructions are most likely general so I continue on. I remove and clean old metal shims from pads I pulled. I lubro mollied the front and back contact points of the shim and clipped it to new pad. Went for install and no mater how many times I tried the passage of second bottom pin through shim, pad and noise insulator was impssible. I felt as though the inside pad wouldnt seat right. Anyway it was closing in on 1am and still on wheel 1. I put old pads in and called it a day.
So what's the problem? The pads are correct, I triple checked part number and obviously other than thickness old and newn were identical.
Thoughts, questions , comments....
Got started (please let me know if I missed or screwed something up) by knocking off drivers side front wheel with a make shift sledge as I was seized to the rotor/hub assembly. I scrubbed surfaces with wire brush and dabbed anti seize to prevent this from happening when it comes time to change a flat on the side of the highway (yes, I have the optional full size spare - actually two, both equipped with Blizaks). Anyway, get to caliper, knock out two pins and remove clip. Use a mini pry bar to push pistons in all the way on both sides (no problem brakes reservoir opened).
I get to akebono pads with instructions to remove film from noise insulator. I assumed the noise insulator was the fabric coated backing plate on the pad. Yet, no film. I looked at all the pads, front and rear to see if I was missing some detail. Anyway, I conclude that instructions are most likely general so I continue on. I remove and clean old metal shims from pads I pulled. I lubro mollied the front and back contact points of the shim and clipped it to new pad. Went for install and no mater how many times I tried the passage of second bottom pin through shim, pad and noise insulator was impssible. I felt as though the inside pad wouldnt seat right. Anyway it was closing in on 1am and still on wheel 1. I put old pads in and called it a day.
So what's the problem? The pads are correct, I triple checked part number and obviously other than thickness old and newn were identical.
Thoughts, questions , comments....
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 3,152
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From: murfreesboro,tn
2003 porsche 996 turbo
i have had to insist the pin go thru with a hammer and drift . the paint on the new pads pin hole may be thick enough to keep the pin from sliding in easily. drive it thru then back it out a few times and you should be ok
