Here ya go...

http://www.focushacks.com/mod/Raplacing_front_disc_brake_rotors_and_pads

 

Great link. C clamp is great. I actually bought a purpose built piston pusher for about 10$ looks like a break pad shape.


Disk brakes are so easy. Huge money saver even if you had to buy all the tools upfront.

 

Add a ft. lbs. torque wrench and a C-Clamp to that list, its important to get your torque setting correct because Bubba tight should only be used in an emergency if you don't have your torque wrench with you!!!! [doorpeek]

Off the top of my head the torque setting and socket sizes for your project (please verify before using my specs) is:

Brake caliper anchor plate bolts: 92 ft. pounds... 15mm socket
Caliper guide bolts: 21 ft pounds... 12mm socket
Wheel lug nuts: 100 ft pounds... 19MM socket

This step is very important!!!...

After you have reassembled, only use your brakes lightly before this step.. get your vehicle out on a road where you can get some speed up (at least 65mph) and there's hardly anyone around you or especially behind ya so you can perform the break bedding procedure!!!!!!

Get your vehicle up to 65 mph then apply the brakes gently so your slowing down gradually till you get to 5 mph, completely let off the brakes.

Regain speed to 65 mph again and apply the brakes a little more firmly so your rate of deceleration has increased till you have reached 5 mph and completely let off the brakes again.....

Regain speed to 65 mph again apply the brakes but very firmly almost like your coming to a panicked stop and as soon as you reach 5 mph let off the brakes again!!!!!

Repeat the last step again for good measure....

Then this is the second most important part!!! don't use your brakes till they cool down completely!!!!!, if you can safely chill out on the roadside to do this go for it!!!, or just safely use your parking brakes to stop returning home that's OK too.

Again You don't under any circumstances want to have any significant pressure on the pads or rotor after the deposition of brake pad material has been completed !!! otherwise let it cool down completely!!!!. [paranoid]

After it has cooled down and you can touch the brake rotor without screaming in agony throwing the rest of your beer on flaming hot fingers afterwards in an attempt to stop the burn then its safe to drive in your usual manner!!. [histerical]

You "shouldn't'" have any brake pulsation in the near future because your rotors had the brake deposits evenly distributed on them!!! [drinking]

 

Add a ft. lbs. torque wrench and a C-Clamp to that list, its important to get your torque setting correct because Bubba tight should only be used in an emergency if you don't have your torque wrench with you!!!! [doorpeek]

Off the top of my head the torque setting and socket sizes for your project (please verify before using my specs) is:

Brake caliper anchor plate bolts: 92 ft. pounds... 15mm socket
Caliper guide bolts: 21 ft pounds... 12mm socket
Wheel lug nuts: 100 ft pounds... 19MM socket

This step is very important!!!...

After you have reassembled, only use your brakes lightly before this step.. get your vehicle out on a road where you can get some speed up (at least 65mph) and there's hardly anyone around you or especially behind ya so you can perform the break bedding procedure!!!!!!

Get your vehicle up to 65 mph then apply the brakes gently so your slowing down gradually till you get to 5 mph, completely let off the brakes.

Regain speed to 65 mph again and apply the brakes a little more firmly so your rate of deceleration has increased till you have reached 5 mph and completely let off the brakes again.....

Regain speed to 65 mph again apply the brakes but very firmly almost like your coming to a panicked stop and as soon as you reach 5 mph let off the brakes again!!!!!

Repeat the last step again for good measure....

Then this is the second most important part!!! don't use your brakes till they cool down completely!!!!!, if you can safely chill out on the roadside to do this go for it!!!, or just safely use your parking brakes to stop returning home that's OK too.

Again You don't under any circumstances want to have any significant pressure on the pads or rotor after the deposition of brake pad material has been completed !!! otherwise let it cool down completely!!!!. [paranoid]

After it has cooled down and you can touch the brake rotor without screaming in agony throwing the rest of your beer on flaming hot fingers afterwards in an attempt to stop the burn then its safe to drive in your usual manor!!. [histerical]

You "shouldn't'" have any brake pulsation in the near future because your rotors had the brake deposits evenly distributed on them!!! [drinking]

[ffrocks]

thanks so much for all the help guys!

 

Moved to "Brakes, Suspension & Chassis" for more looks & future reference.

 

The change went really well, thanks guys!!!

No more brake vibration

Still have to take it out for a good, hard drive to seat the pads

 

Did you clean & grease the caliper slider bolts?

 

^This. I would highly recommend using grease on all the moving parts (and even the back of the pads where the caliper makes contact) to reduce noises and possibility of the caliper seizing up in the future.

 

Hi All, changed front and rear rotors and pads and pumped the brakes. however took for a spin around the neighborhood and the brakes go to the floor it does stop. On the rear I did retard the piston all the way back on both sides that it was sitting flush, then I reinstalled the new pads and reinstalled the caliper and reinstalled the spring clip. Yes I did rechecked to make sure I did installed it correctly. Since the caliper piston was retarded back, does it take awhile to readjust back to the brakes? It is a 2012 Focus SEL. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Don't see anything leaking and the brake fluid is at the max line.

 

Hi All, changed front and rear rotors and pads and pumped the brakes. however took for a spin around the neighborhood and the brakes go to the floor it does stop. On the rear I did retard the piston all the way back on both sides that it was sitting flush, then I reinstalled the new pads and reinstalled the caliper and reinstalled the spring clip. Yes I did rechecked to make sure I did installed it correctly. Since the caliper piston was retarded back, does it take awhile to readjust back to the brakes? It is a 2012 Focus SEL. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Don't see anything leaking and the brake fluid is at the max line.

Yes. It takes a while for those to come back up. Turn the car on and just keep pushing on the brake pedal.

 

Ok, well took it out a ride to Lowe's today and windows down, it sounds like metal rubbing against each other as if the brake shield maybe rubbing against the rotor or caliper cannot tell where it's coming from but still pedal goes to the floor. I'll put on jacks tomorrow and double check the rear to see where the pistons are and if necessary adjust back to meet the brake pads on both sides and cechk the brake shields to make sure they are not touching... Any other advice?

 

Those noise could just be the pads making contact with the rotors while everything if fresh and full extended. Did your pads come with any break in directions? How is your brake fluid level?

 

Ok took it on a 200 miles round trip on highway and got off at some rest areas slowed down from 65 to dead stop and then accelerated back to highway, did some braking to slow from 70 to 60 then back to 70 took exit and came to stop but these pads are hard to beak in. Got off at exit and tried some hard stops from 50 but all I still hear is metal to metal the coating on the rotors are off on all 4. So it is annoying so I'll be putting on ceramics this weekend rather than this semi-metallic and hopefully that will solve my problems that would soon turn to

 

Ok, swapped out the pads for ceramic and still have metal to metal sounds, looking at the rotors when I had it up seems the front of the rotors are making contact with the pads but it does not look like the back of the rotors are making contact on all 4. Pedal is still to the floor. Any suggestions?

 

Maybe I missed a mention of this, but perhaps you got some air in the brake lines when you backed out the rear pads for the parking brake adjustments and that's why your pedal is going to the floor. Try a complete flushing of your brake fluid which should be done every two years anyway.

 

Brake Pad and Rotor Changed Noises



Hi Ti/12, thanks for the post, well it was a combination of things. The metal to metal was the front driver's side brake shield that was slightly against the rotor and yes air was in the lines so had them bleed the brakes and all is well in the world again. Guess I didn't completely spin the rotor or I would have heard it when it up on the stands.. Never thought that air would be introduced into the line. Learned something new

 

What size socket?

 

See this video should help you