2007 Mazda CX-9 rear rotors and brake pads

Z

z2llsnoopy

Member
:
2007 Mazda CX-9 Sport
I know there is already a guide on how to replace the front rotors and brake pads, however, I was trying to find a guide for the rear. After paying the dealer about $400 to replace the front rotors and brake pads, I decided to do the rear ones myself. This is my first DIY project ever, so I apologize if I sound a bit ignorant in this matter. I know that removing the rear rotors is slightly different than the front rotors due to the parking brake. So, any help I can get is appreciated. Also, I was thinking about getting the rotors and ceramic brake pads from Advance auto, is that really a terrible idea? Thanks in advance.
 
Last edited:
me 2... plus it would be nice to have some direction as to a brand of type of pad / rotor that people find have worked the best.
 
I have not seen a guide with pictures, but it is easy to do.

1. Remove wheel.

2. Remove caliper and hang it from the shock using a coat hangar.

3. Remove rubber plug on rotor base and rotate the hole up to 12 o'clock. You will see a cog. That retracts/extends your parking brake. I think you rotate it down about 2-3 rotations. I used a very small bladed screwdriver.

4. Remove the set screw holding the rotor on the hub. If it does not want to come out, use a large plastic mallet filled with shot. Bang the hell out of it and see if the screw comes out. If not drill and tap it out. (screw is not necessary). Now remove the rotor real easy. If you have rotated the cog enough, the rotor will come off easy. If it is hung, rotate the cog a bit more.

5. Clean new rotor of packing greese with brake cleaner and install. Replace screw if you have it, if not no biggie. Rotate the cog until it is barely snug, then back it off a quarter of a turn

6. Using clean rubber gloves, remove old pads from caliper. Use a tool to push the caliper piston in. I use a metal plate and a big C-clamp. It does not hurt if you take the top of your brake fluid resevoir also.

7. Place pads in caliper, lube up the pins/bolt for the caliper with greese and attach the caliper.

8. Replace wheel and brake resevior cap and viola it is done.
 
Lindyrect

I have a question for you. Are you sure that you can just push the piston in the caliper like the fronts. Usually the back calipers are pushed in while rotated with a brake tool that is attached to a ratchet. Any info you could give me would be very helpful as i am going to do my back brakes soon. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
 
The rear calipers function just like the front calipers. I am sure that there is some handy dandy racheting brake tool for this job, but all I did was place a small metal plate over the piston, to keep from damaging the piston seal, and used a C-clamp. I suppose in a pinch you could used the old brake shoe instead of a metal plate. Turning the C-clamp screw forces the piston back to level, allowing you to put the new pads in the caliper and fit it over the rotor. The only trick part of the rear rotors is backing off the parking brakes and setting them back to the correct setting. Trust me, if the parking brakes are not set right you will know. If they are too tight, when the vehicle is placed into drive the rotor will not turn, or if you deploy the parking brake and it does not hold the rotor they are too loose. Here is an example of using a C-clamp and metal piece to force the piston in.

DSC09428.jpg
 
Last edited:
thanks for the picture, a great help. I found a guide here on another thread that shows how to set the parking break back after installing the router. I am going to make attempt to change the rotors and pads for my cx-9 this weekend. I will post here few pics after I am done.
 
I'm gonna do mine soon as well. Why do they gotta make it all complicated? My old passat handbrake simply manually yanked on the actual brake caliper arm to move the piston....nice and simple. Was no different than changing the front brakes.

z2llsnoopy, put up somepix, thanks!
 
Hi where is the guide that you are talking about? i would like that info too. By the way what part of queens are you from. I am at the corona/elmhurst border by the queens center mall.
 
Rear caliper question

kornholio said:
Lindyrect

I have a question for you. Are you sure that you can just push the piston in the caliper like the fronts. Usually the back calipers are pushed in while rotated with a brake tool that is attached to a ratchet. Any info you could give me would be very helpful as i am going to do my back brakes soon. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
Click to expand...

Because the CX-9 uses a completely set of shoes for the parking brake, the disc brake piston does not have to be rotated when it is pushed back into the caliper. The service brake is a typical disc brake system and the parking brake system is similar to an old style Bendix shoe brake. The calipers on these vehicles function similarly on the front and the back.

Some other parking brake configurations mechanically (rather than hydraulically, as happens when the brake pedal is pushed) activate the disc brake calipers with a cable when the parking brake is applied. It is these types of systems that require the piston to be rotated when pushing it back into the caliper. But since that is not what Mazda used on these vehicles, there is no need to rotate the piston.
 
MChefalo said:
Because the CX-9 uses a completely set of shoes for the parking brake, the disc brake piston does not have to be rotated when it is pushed back into the caliper. The service brake is a typical disc brake system and the parking brake system is similar to an old style Bendix shoe brake. The calipers on these vehicles function similarly on the front and the back.

Some other parking brake configurations mechanically (rather than hydraulically, as happens when the brake pedal is pushed) activate the disc brake calipers with a cable when the parking brake is applied. It is these types of systems that require the piston to be rotated when pushing it back into the caliper. But since that is not what Mazda used on these vehicles, there is no need to rotate the piston.
Click to expand...

I think we are talking two different things MChefalo.

The original poster wanted to change rear disks and pads. In order to get the rear rotor off, you have to rotate the tension wheel (seen through a hole in the rotor when lined up) that places the parking brake shoes in contact with the inside of the rotor. If you don't and pull the rotor, you will risk ripping the parking brake shoes off. When re-fitting the rotors, the wheel must then be rotated to put the parking brake pads in contact with the rotor ever so slightly.

Now, since the OP wants to place new pads on, the caliper pistons must be depressed inward or else when new pads are put on, the caliper will not fit on the new rotors since the piston was in the last place it remembered with the older consumed pads.
 
Lindy i believe that he was answering my question about pushing the caliper piston straight in as opposed to rotating while pushing. Mchefalo, thanks for the answer. I just wanted to make sure.
 
I know this is a few months old but I can not figure it out. I have removed the rubber plug and rotated it to 12 o'clock. I don't see anything to rotate to release the ebrake. What am I missing?????
 
There is a plastic looking cog wheel. You can either rotate it up or down to retract or seat the e-brake shoes.
 
Please log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
Water slushing sound when braking (2016 CX-9)
Replies
7
Views
2K
theblooms
theblooms
A
    • Like
Smart brake malfunction/front radar sensory system malfunction (2019 CX-9)
Replies
0
Views
3K
abidjawad
A
K
Length of first gen CX-9?
Replies
0
Views
326
kornholio
K

Latest posts

Back