How-To: Mazdaspeed6 Replace Pads and Rotors

[MATT DAMOND]

How-To: Mazdaspeed6 Replace Pads and Rotors

To begin, I decided to completely upgrade my brake system, considering that my car will do some track time this summer. If you are planning on doing all that I did, make sure that you have plenty of time, brake jobs can be very time consuming. If this is your first brake job, all I have to say is good luck and I hope that you find this how-to helpful. I’m ASE certified in brakes, and I’ve done a lot of brake jobs on many types of cars. If you are having any troubles or have some questions, shoot me a pm, I’d be glad to help.

Difficulty for just pad and rotor replacement = 5
Cost total = $400+

New parts! Thanks go to Mark at SU

Tools needed for just pad and rotor replacement + why?:

Jack + jack stands – lift car

21mm socket wrench/or impact gun – remove wheels

7mm hex head wrench – front caliper guide pins

17mm socket wrench – front caliper bracket

Needle nose pliers – front caliper retaining clip, depress rear caliper
pistons(the method I used)

C-clamp – depress front caliper pistons

14mm socket wrench – rear caliper guide pins, bracket, e-brake bracket

10mm brake wrench – rear caliper bleeder

9mm brake wrench – front caliper bleeder

Impact wrench with screwdriver bits – remove rotor screws. Note: If you can’t get these out use a power drill + various size bits to drill out the rotor screws.

Recommended supplies needed for just pad and rotor replacement + why?:

Brake-clean – to clean all friction mating surfaces

Caliper guide pin lube – self explanatory

Brake fluid DOT3 or DOT4 – you will want to bleed the brakes

A friend – to help bleed the brakes(these are hard to find. If no friends exist, buy a brake bleeder thingy)

A bolt – to push rotor off hub(I don’t know the type, but one of the brake line bracket bolts will work)

Rubber hammer – to free rotor from hub

Gloves – this is a very dirty job

Let’s get started! Pad and rotor replacement:
1. Jack up the car, find a good spot for the jack stands(I used the inner car frame), remove the wheels. Note: If you do not know how to support a car safely in the air, stop now and go to a mechanic.


2. Locate and remove the 2 hexbolt guide pins on the rear of the front calipers, you will have to remove the dust caps to access these.

3. Remove the metal spring clip thing.

4. Remove the caliper. Once it is off the hub, you can depress the piston; use the old pad for a flat clamping surface.

5. Remove the pads.
6. Clean the guide pin sleeves in the caliper with brake-clean and paper towels.

7. Locate and remove the 2 caliper bracket bolts, and remove the bracket.

8. Now here comes the fun part. In order to remove the rotor, these screws need to come out. Get the Impact ready. If they do not come out easily, get the drill ready to drill out the screw heads. You really don’t have to replace these screws, the wheel hold the rotor on just fine. With the screws off, remove the rotor. If it won’t come off itself, use a bold in the threaded rotor hole, and screw it in until the rotor brakes free.

9. With the rotor off, inspect and clean the rotor-hub-mating-surface of rust build-up.
10. Install new rotor
11. Install the caliper bracket, making sure the bolts are tight.
12. Place the outer pad on the bracket, and the inner pad into the caliper piston. Note with Hawk HPS pads I had to bend inward on the tabs to get the pad into the piston.(this is an example with the old pads)

13. Now place the caliper onto the bracket and line up the guide pin holes.
14. Clean the guide pins with brake-clean and paper towels.
15. Lube up the guide pins and insert them into the caliper sleeves. Once you have them pressed in, thread the pins into the bracket, and tighten them in. Do not over tighten! Put the dust caps back on.(this is an example with a socket)

16. Install the metal spring clip thing, front brakes are done!

17. Locate and remove this bolt that holds on the e-brake mechanism. Slide the e-brake
mechanism out of its bracket, and set it aside.


18. Remove the 2 caliper guide pin bolts, and remove the caliper.

19. Remove the pads, a flathead screwdriver can help with prying them from the retaining clips.
20. Locate and remove the caliper bracket bolts, and set the bracket aside
21. Remove the 2 rubber guide pin boots, clean the pins and lube them. Then insert them back into the caliper bracket.

22. Remove/Install rotor same as steps 8, 9, 10.
23. Install the caliper bracket, tighten the bolts.
24. Place the new pads in the retaining clips on the caliper bracket.
25. Depress the caliper piston. In order to do this, you have to turn the piston. I used some pliers on the notches in the piston. Turn slowly, so that the piston dust boot does not bind up, gently with your fingers turn the boot back and forth to keep it from binding/ripping. Get it in enough so that it barely fits over the new pads/rotor, then loosen it ¼ turn. Make sure that the notches are vertical/horizontal with the orientation of the caliper, so that it will go on the little stub on the pad.
26. Bolt the caliper on. Do not over tighten!
27. Slide the e-brake mechanism into its bracket. Install the bolt that holds on the e-brake mechanism.
28. Bleed the brakes, make sure everything is on right, and then use brake-clean to clean all friction mating surfaces.


29. Burnish in the pads. Hawk’s instructions are on the box. If you are using different pads do about four 50-30mph firm brake applications.
30. Celebrate, you are done!

Note: if you avoid the cleaning and lubrication of the guide pins as stated in steps 6, 14, 15, 21, you may be susceptible to un-even pad wear. If you avoid steps 28, 29 you could experience noisy brakes and glazed rotors.
Sorry for no how-to on painting the brakes, there are plenty of them out there.

additional info space:

[6-Speed-6]

That is awesome man, great write-up. I have to do this in the next couple of months myself.

[serium]

very nice... im assuming probably the same concept for the speed3. Great write up!

[SLS MS3]

Another good writeup

[I<3Groceries]

Thanks for taking the time to do a write-up. This is a great help to the community.

[spdfrk]

[cm-jp1]

I really dont want to take the time to do this. But i also dont want to spend 300 dolalrs for mazda to do it...Hmmmmm .decisions. decisions.

[RUMBLEFISH]

I have a question for you. Iwill be doing my front pads in the next few weeks. I have no shimmy in the front so do I still need to cut the rotors or could I just scuff them up good with the die grinder to get off any edges that appear and hit them with a da sander then install the pads? I keep cars for a long time and dont want to buy rotors 3 years from now. Or maybe Im just fooling myself but want to ask you because you know a hell of a lot better then me.

Thanks

[MATT DAMOND]

Originally Posted by RUMBLEFISH I have a question for you. Iwill be doing my front pads in the next few weeks. I have no shimmy in the front so do I still need to cut the rotors or could I just scuff them up good with the die grinder to get off any edges that appear and hit them with a da sander then install the pads? I keep cars for a long time and dont want to buy rotors 3 years from now. Or maybe Im just fooling myself but want to ask you because you know a hell of a lot better then me. Thanks

Make sure you measure the thickness of the rotors, to see if they're in specs. But yeah, using little sanding pads+die grinder, put a swirl finish on the rotors, clean off all the left over metal dust with brakelean, and you should be fine.

[cohjus55]

Originally Posted by MATT DAMOND Make sure you measure the thickness of the rotors, to see if they're in specs. But yeah, using little sanding pads+die grinder, put a swirl finish on the rotors, clean off all the left over metal dust with brakelean, and you should be fine.

Cut or replace, Doing it by hand can cause some pulse in the pedal if you take a little to much off. In my personal experience's in customer cars as well as my own. Pads also make some funny noises and create alot of dust for a very long time if you just pad slap. Lots of life is also taken out of the pad if the rotors are grooved pretty good as they try to wear match. Most part stores can cut rotors for you at like 10 bux a pop.

[s.gaspar]

great write up i'll be using this once i do my speed6 upgrade, thanks

[SgtP]

awesome write up!

[sleeperstang1994]

lol at the avatar that shows the mater auto tech. congrats anyway. im pretty sure there are plenty of mater techs on here though. me included

[rodrigo]

nice job matt, if i may add. maybe i skipped it but first thing u should always do is remove the cap from the master cylinder...once u compress the calipers the fluid will rise and if u are full already one of two things will happen.

a) u wont be able to overcome the pressure needed to compress the calipers since the cap will hold
b) u will bust a line,cap or w/e

fluid unlike gases doesnt compress so dont forget to take the cap off.

[mouse0330]

heres another DIY for me, seems easy for a first timer like myself..lol

thanks Matt

[MATT DAMOND]

Originally Posted by Lenny127 nice job matt, if i may add. maybe i skipped it but first thing u should always do is remove the cap from the master cylinder...once u compress the calipers the fluid will rise and if u are full already one of two things will happen. a) u wont be able to overcome the pressure needed to compress the calipers since the cap will hold b) u will bust a line,cap or w/e fluid unlike gases doesnt compress so dont forget to take the cap off.

Thanks Lenny, there's always little things I forget to add.

Another thing to add, is that if you have the M/C cap removed and you still cannot de-press the caliper piston, open the bleeder valve on the caliper a little bit, then push the piston in. If this is the case, there is likely some buildup of crud inside the caliper/lines, and I would recommend bleeding the system, in order to flush it all out.

Originally Posted by mouse0330 heres another DIY for me, seems easy for a first timer like myself..lol thanks Matt

Glad I could help.

[marc15skate]

Great job!!!!

[atenza_freak]

i will use this now thank you

[BADFISH6]

Nice write up. What kind of rotors are those?

[SCPAms6]

good write up, thank you!

[memin]

I will be replacing my front rotors soon, what type of rotor did you get?

[chisss]

Thank you for the instructions!

[kalonov]

Can you give some info on those rotors? Brand, $$$, link?

Thanks

[jmgute]

I have the same question as above ^^

I am trying to source front calipers and at the moment having a damn hard time find loaded calipers like the ones you have. Any help on this?

[tbot]

Ok, so first off, great write up! My questions tho are:

1: with the abs, when you compress the calipers, don't you have to release the bleeder valve so the fluid goes out there instead of back thru the system? I remember something about not doing that with ABS systems can cause problems?

2: Like others have mentioned, what rotors are those, and are those the Hawk HPS or HP+ pads?

Again, great write up and thanks!

[tunersteve]

Nice write-up Matt! I will most likely be doing a swap up to new rotors and pads (thinking StopTech slotted from Mark @ SU and Hawk HPS pads) this summer. Any experience in changing out the brake lines with SS ones? Do you suggest it, even if they're DOT certified?

I've done brakes a few times, but I'm sure there are a few things I can learn to make it easier.

[meeker13]

Very nice write up...im bout do for brakes!

[MATT DAMOND]

For all you folks that asked, those are Centric/Stop Tech plain surface rotors. I bought them from Mark at SU, so shoot him a call. I cannot remember the price, but it was a good deal for the package of all 4.

The pads are HPS's, all around, but I did switch the fronts to HP+'s after the how-to.

Originally Posted by tbot Ok, so first off, great write up! My questions tho are: 1: with the abs, when you compress the calipers, don't you have to release the bleeder valve so the fluid goes out there instead of back thru the system? I remember something about not doing that with ABS systems can cause problems? 2: Like others have mentioned, what rotors are those, and are those the Hawk HPS or HP+ pads? Again, great write up and thanks!

I bleed my brakes with a Motive pump bleeder. Bleeding the brakes on an ABS equipped vehicle, is the same procedure as a non-ABS car. Make sure to take the cap off of the master cylinder when you're depressing the calipers, to not pressurize the system, and make depressing the pistons easier. If you have a lot of fluid in the M/C, scoop some out, as to not cause an overflow of fluid.

Originally Posted by tunersteve Nice write-up Matt! I will most likely be doing a swap up to new rotors and pads (thinking StopTech slotted from Mark @ SU and Hawk HPS pads) this summer. Any experience in changing out the brake lines with SS ones? Do you suggest it, even if they're DOT certified? I've done brakes a few times, but I'm sure there are a few things I can learn to make it easier.

Here Steve: How-To: Mazdaspeed6 Install Stainless Steel Lines

I love the SS lines, they firmed up the pedal a tiny bit, and I'm sure they helped when I tracked the car.

[Arinzeuno]

d

[jaywo33]

NICE!! i was wondering why i striped the heads and broke 3 Philip head tips...

[event]

I pulled the exploded views w/ torque specs from the shop manual for anyone that may need/want them.

[Fatguy729]

Thank you... Too late LOL. But I was looking for something like this a month ago and couldn't find anything. I ended up having a mechanic friend replace my pads and turn my rotors for $65.

[Tibu]

Thanks for the exploded views. They will come in real handy very soon.

[event]

Finished the pads and rotors today. 21ft-lbs is not a lot so it is very easy to over-tighten the caliper guide pins like that last people that did the brakes on this car did. Ended up stripping one of them and had to run out and get some new pins. Other than having to drill out the rear rotor set screws, it went smoothly thanks to this guide.

On another note, anyone know how long it takes for Hawk HPS pads to fully break in? I bedded them properly but they still don't have a lot of bite until you really press down on them.

[volodya84]

subbed, as will be doing this in the next few weeks.

[dougefresh_]

Great write up Matt!

[speedms6]

did the brakes this weekend, thanks for the write up, went smoothly except for the rotor screws, first one was a mess, but with a torch and pb and a special tool, got it down to a science, hawks dont have as much initial bite, but im already getting used to that, but when you do step on them they stop in a hurry

[Nosaj]

Good write up. I did my rears just this weekend. I found this thread when I couldnt get the screws out of the rotors. iI beat the crap out of them with an impact screwdriver (the kind you hit with a hammer). They would not move at all! I ended up drilling them out.

Now I know they really dont need those screws in there but I dont like it that they arent there. The rotors are shifted just a hair without the screws.

So even though I know how to bed in brake pads, like an idiot I didnt worry about doing the first couple break in stops. And... now I have noisy rear brakes! So the question is do I need to have the rotors turned a bit to remove any glaze or should I just scuff them and the pads up a little and then break them in properly?

[Swinger13]

sorry to bump a really old thread @MATT DAMOND; but the two screws you need to remove on the rotor to pull off. Did those strip on you? The ones holding my rotors on are super soft and are stripping really easily. Any insight you can provide is useful.

[DamagedGoods]

Originally Posted by Swinger13 sorry to bump a really old thread @MATT DAMOND; but the two screws you need to remove on the rotor to pull off. Did those strip on you? The ones holding my rotors on are super soft and are stripping really easily. Any insight you can provide is useful.

Rotor screws are a PITA on any car that has them equipped, lol. If you can get your hands on an impact driver (Can tire) it'll save you a lot of frustration and time.




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