DIY Brakes?

Hmm, I had a similar dilemma when I lived in a townhome without a garage. Ended up renting a 20x40 powered storage unit nearby that fixed that problem (and gave the wife some storage space in the back). Although this doesn't help you right now.

Maybe do the work on a nice day in the local auto parts store parking lot??

Anyway, bedding the brakes in is a way to break them in. This is a bit of a long read, but details everything, scroll down to "prevention" for the actual process: http://www.stoptech.com/technical-support/technical-white-papers/-warped-brake-disc-and-other-myths



In a nutshell you're creating enough heat quickly to apply a transfer layer of pad material onto the rotor surface as well as burn off paint and resin from the manufacturing process. Once it is allowed to cool properly the two mating surfaces will bite nicely and you'll be getting the best performance from your new products. Some folks will argue this is overkill for commuter-based street pads and rotors. However, even just simply driving around town does a similar process, but not as effectively. The first time you have to make an emergency stop will get that transfer layer on and unevenly. Chances are you'll feel it as vibration or judder some time later.

The hardest part is finding a stretch of road where you can do the deceleration maneuvers consecutively without stopping.
 
Thanks for this post!

I have started to do a lot of my own maintenance including oil changes, filters, spark plugs, and transmission fluid drain and fills. I also tore into the interior to replace my faulty AT shifter switch, a $50 part that with labor probably would have cost $200+ to have a shop do it.

Brakes seemed like the next thing to learn. :)

Anyway, I live in a condo complex with a very small detached garage. Assuming you can jack from the front of the car, I just don't have room to work on both sides of the vehicle. There's no way I'd have enough room on both sides to even get both tires off. In fact passengers have to get out of the car before I pull in. Condo won't let me do the work outside the garage, so out of luck there. Thought it might be better to find another place to do the work, not sure where though. I also don't own a jack as I've been using ramps for ease of use in my tiny garage. Obviously ramps no good for brakes though.

I have most of those tools, again, minus the jack/jackstands, and the C-clamp.

EDIT: What do you mean by "bedding the brakes"? Not sure what that means.

I think you saved enough from DIY projects that you can just take your car to a reputable shop for brake work. Bedding the brakes is basically "breaking it in" like breaking in a new engine. The actual instructions various depending on the manufacturer and pad. Typically you want to avoid speeds in excess of x for x amount of miles. You drive up to x mph and slow down for x amount of times in a series. I want to say that O'Reilly's will resurface your rotor at $30 each or so. We have up to 2mm of actual metal thickness shaved off before the rotor is out of spec. I highly advise to have a fairly smooth rotor surface (new rotor or resurfaced one) when installing new pads. If the rotor is grooved to the touch then you're not getting max friction to stop and you'll wear out the new pads irregularly.
 
Good day, I recently replaced my front brakes for the first time and it went well... a couple of lessons learned to share:

1) Measure brake pads yourself! I bought pads and rotors, took it to the cottage and started the replacement before realizing I still had 4mm and 7mm on the pads. They did not need replacing as indicated by the dealer at my last service!! ARGH. But I was already set-up and had a mechanic friend supervising so I continued with the replacement.

2) Part Source in Canada will lend you for free the disc spreader tool. They laughed at me when I asked to purchase a C-clamp and I explained why, they suggested I borrow the spreader which was so easy.

3) Proper lubrication - in the right spots for the brakes is important!

4) If you were just replacing pads it would be the simplest job in the world. Rotors are easy enough too, but don't come off as easily as the pads and I found 4 year old rotors needed a little encouragement to come off.

I would definitely do this again.
 
You should evacuate the wheel to get a decent take a gander at your brake cushions to perceive the amount of the cushion is remaining, ensure you take a gander at the inward brake cushion as well as they at some point can wear quicker than the external brake cushion...
 
Does anyone have the torque specs for the caliper bolts and caliper bracket bolts handy? Front and Rear for a 2016 GT?
 
Does anyone have the torque specs for the caliper bolts and caliper bracket bolts handy? Front and Rear for a 2016 GT?
These're from 2015 Mazda CX-5 Service Manual, the front is the same as 2016 CX-5:

Front Brake
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Front Disc Brake.jpg

Rear Brake
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Rear Disc Brake.jpg

Since 2016 CX-5 has EPB, here're torque specs from 2018 CX-5 which should be the same as 2016's:

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Rear Brake Pads.jpg
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Rear Brake Disc.jpg
 
I think you saved enough from DIY projects that you can just take your car to a reputable shop for brake work. Bedding the brakes is basically "breaking it in" like breaking in a new engine. The actual instructions various depending on the manufacturer and pad. Typically you want to avoid speeds in excess of x for x amount of miles. You drive up to x mph and slow down for x amount of times in a series. I want to say that O'Reilly's will resurface your rotor at $30 each or so. We have up to 2mm of actual metal thickness shaved off before the rotor is out of spec. I highly advise to have a fairly smooth rotor surface (new rotor or resurfaced one) when installing new pads. If the rotor is grooved to the touch then you're not getting max friction to stop and you'll wear out the new pads irregularly.

I abusively bedded some ceramic pads into grooved 110k mile old rotors once. Until they bedded, it was slow stop city. They did after a trip through some hills though, and worked great until i sold the car at around 150k miles. That said, i bet i took 20k+ off their life span. Definitely not the best method.
 
Thanks for all the posts everybody.

Anyway, starting to price out some parts, but definitely feel that my fronts need replacement as my front end is pulsating a bit when I brake and feels a bit well...wobbly is probably not the word, but just...off. I think I'll just buy some new rotors while I am at it as they just aren't feeling right, and I don't have other transportation to take them to be resurfaced. So might as well just put some new ones on.
 
Thanks for all the posts everybody.

Anyway, starting to price out some parts, but definitely feel that my fronts need replacement as my front end is pulsating a bit when I brake and feels a bit well...wobbly is probably not the word, but just...off. I think I'll just buy some new rotors while I am at it as they just aren't feeling right, and I don't have other transportation to take them to be resurfaced. So might as well just put some new ones on.
Resurface your old rotors should solve your front brake issues you described. Machine shop will inspect your old rotors making sure they're not wrapped and have enough thickness to resurface. In your situation getting new rotors is the way to go. I hate to see people simply just replace disc pads without doing anything to old rotors.
 
Resurface your old rotors should solve your front brake issues you described. Machine shop will inspect your old rotors making sure they're not wrapped and have enough thickness to resurface. In your situation getting new rotors is the way to go. I hate to see people simply just replace disc pads without doing anything to old rotors.
I just had mine turned a month or so ago with the same issue @45k miles. Cost me a grand total of $40 and the brakes are now glass-smooth using the original pads, which were at 50%.
 
I just had mine turned a month or so ago with the same issue @45k miles. Cost me a grand total of $40 and the brakes are now glass-smooth using the original pads, which were at 50%.

Yeah, just not sure how I'd take them to get resurfaced since this is my only car.
 
Front brakes on the CX5 are not challenging. One thing that threw me though was that the front brakes do not use any type of brake pad "spring" (wishbone or spreader) to pull the brake pad back away from the rotor. Just pads and anti rattle clips...done!
 
I know this is an old thread, but I just wanted to chime in for someone who needs to turn/replace rotors and have only one car. Years ago I bought a second set of rotors for my Integra, since they were cheap enough. I only bought the new rotors that one time. Every time after that, I would have whatever rotors were OFF the car resurfaced, before even starting the brake job. Then I would swap on the freshly resurfaced rotors, take the old ones off, and get those resurfaced later, ready for the next brake job down the road.

I guess some people don't keep cars long enough to need more than one brake job, but I've had that car nearly 300,000 miles so I've done a few brake jobs on it. Having spare rotors absolutely saved me time and money over the years.
 
Did you buy another set of OEM rotors? Or aftermarket? I need to replace my rear brakes and have been debating if I should get the rotors resurfaced or just buy new aftermarket ones.
 
I'm in the same boat as you, and I just went with a complete set of aftermarket brake kit (r1concept) from Ebay(w/tax $170).
 
Can you do this by the road side in front of your house or in a parking lot near by? ;)

Front brake is easier than the rear. A disk brake pad spreader would help for your job but not a necessary brake tool. Make sure to turn / resurface the rotors by a shop or auto parts store if they have enough thickness by specs and you want reuse them. Or get some aftermarket rotors which usually are cheaper than OEM. Most Euro vehicles such as my VW and BMW have very soft rotors and they becomes too thin you simply can*t reuse them. And their new OEM rotors usually are very expensive too.

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Holy crap. I have this in my tool box. Yesterday I was going through my tool box and today I see this thread. I know I bought it once, it's still brand new, but couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was for. I've been using 2 foot carpenter clamps. Oh god. I feel like such an idiot. It must have been in that tool box for 10 years or more and many many brake jobs ago.
 
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