time for new brake pads - happy with TRW

[mikel]

hi guys,

I don't want to start a brake pad review discussion - I've been reading the many pages of the Brake Pads User Ratings Guide - great info!

I replaced my front rotors ages ago and installed TRW/Lucas pads at the same time - and was/am very happy with the performance of the TRW pads on the front.

At the time the rears had plenty of pad left so I didn't change the rears

Time for a front and rear pad change now. 

The car is mostly street driven with very occasional track use - I found the TRWs entirely capable for my needs.

I would be happy to install TRW pads all round, but I can't seem to find TRW pads for the rear of my R33 GTST.

TRW Part Number for front pads : GDB1269

I assume TRW make a rear pad, as I just watched a youtube vid of a rear brake pad change on an R33 4 door using TRW pads.

If anyone can assist with the part number for TRW brake pads for the rears on an R33 GTST, that would be greatly appreciated?

cheers,

Mike

 

Edited July 7, 2017 by mikel

[hardsteppa]

They are a good cheap pad, agreed, and they do make a rear pad yes. Don't know the number but keep checking, they exist.

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

If you have issues trying to locate the rear pad they are the same as your Impreza WRX from 2001 to 2007.

[mikel]

On 7/20/2017 at 8:46 AM, Dose Pipe Sutututu said:

If you have issues trying to locate the rear pad they are the same as your Impreza WRX from 2001 to 2007.

thanks for that

 

cheers

Mike

[mikel]

trying out Remsa pads, which are supposedly similar to TRW (I think the same company?) - good price $125 for a set (front and rear)

Changed the front pads this morning, but I have some new rear rotors on the way thanks to Johnny ( @Dose Pipe Sutututu ), so will change the rear pads at the same time.

Hats off to the Sumitomo/Nissan designers - the front entry design of the caliper is fantastic.

The fronts were incredibly easy to change - hopefully the rears will be as easy...

On Youtube videos I've watched, no-one seems to bother cracking the bleeder fitting to push the pistons back - I don't know why - the pistons go back much easier with less force with the bleeder cracked and a clear hose on the nipple into a waste bottle - I bleed the brakes afterwards anyway...

Also some YouTube videos show the caliper being removed - this is not necessary with the front entry design of the calipers! (unless your changing rotors also)

cheers

Mike

 

[inmaniac]

4 hours ago, mikel said:

On Youtube videos I've watched, no-one seems to bother cracking the bleeder fitting to push the pistons back - I don't know why - the pistons go back much easier with less force with the bleeder cracked and a clear hose on the nipple into a waste bottle - I bleed the brakes afterwards anyway..

 

I've done my brakes a couple of times. To answer "I don't know why" people don't crack the bleeder, it's because 1. I'm lazy and didn't have some hose to bleed without a mess and 2. I wasn't gonna bleed the brakes if I didn't have to and 3. My brake fluid was a little low, so I just pushed in the pistons and voila! 

[Hadouken]

Just pull the cap off the resivoir then push piston back.

[mikel]

18 hours ago, Hadouken said:

Just pull the cap off the resivoir then push piston back.

nice call, thanks - I'll do that for the rears - got my new rotors today and will fit up pads and rotors this week

[GTSBoy]

The time to bleed the brakes is EVERY TIME you work on them.

[mikel]

22 hours ago, inmaniac said:

I've done my brakes a couple of times. To answer "I don't know why" people don't crack the bleeder, it's because 1. I'm lazy and didn't have some hose to bleed without a mess and 2. I wasn't gonna bleed the brakes if I didn't have to and 3. My brake fluid was a little low, so I just pushed in the pistons and voila! 

fair enough - I change my pads so seldom, it's always way beyond the recommended life of the fluid, so I always put fresh fluid in and pump it through whenever I change pads.

 

Mike

[mikel]

was just surfing the DBA site - they recommend fluid is changed every 2 years - my fluid was much older than that 

And it came out pretty yucky doing the front pads.

Unfortunately brake fluid absorbs moisture/water over time, which drastically reduces its boiling point, so hot brakes boils the fluid and brakes fade.

Put brand new pads in with old fluid and the fluid will boil on the track for sure - less likely on the street, but a spirited drive through the hills could mean major fade coming back down that last hill 

Fortunately IME, brakes don't fade instantly, you start to feel a spongy pedal and it's time to back off and let things cool down.

cheers

mike

 

 

[mikel]

put the new rear rotors and pads on the car today

@bbenny  your thread:

was very helpful - especially the tips for the 2 M8 x 1.25 thread bolts to get the old rotors off, and the adjustment of the hand brake.

I went to the local hardware first to source the M8 bolts, but they couldn't confirm the thread was 1.25 - they had M8 bolts, but only the bolt length was quoted.

Fortunately there's a bolt shop not too far away open on a Saturday - when I asked them they said 1.25 thread is standard on M8 bolts - but I'm glad I checked.

The whole job went remarkably smoothly...

On 8/13/2017 at 11:32 PM, Hadouken said:

Just pull the cap off the resivoir then push piston back.

this worked fine - cheers @Hadouken - didn't need to crack the bleeder until bleed time at the end.

I recall a few decades ago changing the front rotors/pads on an XA Falcon, the Skyline is soooo much easier.

I seem to recall not being able to change the Falcon pads without removing the caliper - maybe it's possible - but you couldn't pop the pads out of the back side of the caliper...and replacing the front rotors on the Falcon meant mucking with wheel bearings! (the front rotor on an XA falcon contains the bearings).

It does bring a question to mind - when should you replace wheel bearings on Skylines?

cheers

Mike

 

[GTSBoy]

5 hours ago, mikel said:

It does bring a question to mind - when should you replace wheel bearings on Skylines?

cheers

Mike

 

 

Almost never.  They are really good bearings (both by design and quality) from the factory.  Especially at the rear, they can be completely shagged and you'd hardly notice.  To the extent that I spend a bit of time lately wondering if mine are stuffed and whether I should replace them!