First front brake change in 16 years at 80kmiles
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Joined: Feb 2003
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'03 S55 (79K miles)
First front brake change in 16 years at 80kmiles
80k miles and 16 years is a long time to go on the original pads and rotors. They were definitely due. Worn down to a few mm. Crumbling edges. But the sensor was still not worn through yet. Some additional observations:
1) the brake wear sensor is only on the passenger side caliper. There was no sensor on the driver’s side.
2) it’s extremely easy to do a pads-only brake job. Remove wheel, knock 2 pins out to remove the springy retaining clips, pull out pads, put in new pads, reinstall clips and bang in the two pins. Put wheel on.
3) 4 pads per wheel for the ‘03 S55. The OE pads were made by Jurid and they also had the Brembo logo printed on the back of the shoes. They are a symmetrical design that allows any pad to go in either wheel, and no distinction between inner, outer, upper or lower spot. Just remember to reinstall the wear sensor in the top inner pad.
4) You need to remove the calipers to change the rotors. 2 big bolts (22mm?) which had blue locktite on the threads. I forgot to look for the OE rotor manufacturer. I replaced the pads with Jurid and the rotors with Zimmerman. I was able to reuse the rotor retaining screws. I had to use a BFH to shock knock the OE rotors off the hubs due to rust. This badly dented the rotors but I had already planned to throw them away.
5) You should be able to push in the 8 pistons (4 inner, 4 outer) by hand before reinstalling new pads. Mine were not seized. It’s a bit like a whack-a-mole game since you can’t hold them all in at the same time. Pushing one in creates pressure that makes another pop up. Helps to have a 5” strip of wood or steel bar to push all 4 down together one one side. None of the retail shops near me carry piston spreaders for the large brembo calipers. (I checked 4 places).
6) Dot4 brake fluid.
7) The plastic accordion dust covers for both ABC struts tore away at the top collar when the wheels were hanging down after jacking up the car. They are still nicely clamped at the bottoms though. I guess water and dirt could potentially get into the covers at the tops and collect at the bottom, potentially causing premature wear of the shaft seals. Something to check on in future inspections.
1) the brake wear sensor is only on the passenger side caliper. There was no sensor on the driver’s side.
2) it’s extremely easy to do a pads-only brake job. Remove wheel, knock 2 pins out to remove the springy retaining clips, pull out pads, put in new pads, reinstall clips and bang in the two pins. Put wheel on.
3) 4 pads per wheel for the ‘03 S55. The OE pads were made by Jurid and they also had the Brembo logo printed on the back of the shoes. They are a symmetrical design that allows any pad to go in either wheel, and no distinction between inner, outer, upper or lower spot. Just remember to reinstall the wear sensor in the top inner pad.
4) You need to remove the calipers to change the rotors. 2 big bolts (22mm?) which had blue locktite on the threads. I forgot to look for the OE rotor manufacturer. I replaced the pads with Jurid and the rotors with Zimmerman. I was able to reuse the rotor retaining screws. I had to use a BFH to shock knock the OE rotors off the hubs due to rust. This badly dented the rotors but I had already planned to throw them away.
5) You should be able to push in the 8 pistons (4 inner, 4 outer) by hand before reinstalling new pads. Mine were not seized. It’s a bit like a whack-a-mole game since you can’t hold them all in at the same time. Pushing one in creates pressure that makes another pop up. Helps to have a 5” strip of wood or steel bar to push all 4 down together one one side. None of the retail shops near me carry piston spreaders for the large brembo calipers. (I checked 4 places).
6) Dot4 brake fluid.
7) The plastic accordion dust covers for both ABC struts tore away at the top collar when the wheels were hanging down after jacking up the car. They are still nicely clamped at the bottoms though. I guess water and dirt could potentially get into the covers at the tops and collect at the bottom, potentially causing premature wear of the shaft seals. Something to check on in future inspections.
