Madison Motorsports
So you want to rebuild your brakes? - Printable Version

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So you want to rebuild your brakes? - Dave - 07-05-2004

As many of you know, I've recently purchased a 240SX to be built as a reliable daily driver that can be put out on track regularly and perform well. In my opinion, brakes are very important to this scenario and I have thus decided to rebuild them.
Rebuilding fronts:
When you buy your rebuild kit, you will recieve something like below, containing a new gasket and dust boot.
[Image: wNDYyMTUwNnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg]
Using air compressor, blow air through back of the caliper and the piston should shoot right out of the caliper.
The next step is to install the new parts and clean up the piston. For the piston, wiping off with a cloth should remove a lot of the crap and using an emory board will help remove any other tarnish on there.
The dust boot should be able to simply rip out and to get the seal out you can use a dental pick, or anything that will let you get into the groove and pry it out. Fingernails work, but be patient.
Here's a pic of how it looks after the piston has been pressed out and cleaned up some.
[Image: wNDYyMTUzNnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg]
As you can see, this piston is pitted and not in particularly good shape. I seem to have a parts car and just stole a good piston from that, but you may not be able to do this. In that case, I don't know what to tell you.
Now you need to put in the new boot and gasket.
[Image: wNDYyMTUxNnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg]
Lubricate both with brake fluid before putting them in. The gasket will be very easy to put in, but the dust boot is a royal PITA. There are grooves on the boot to fit into the caliper and another groove to go around the piston. You have to try to get it on both. The best way I found to do it was to put the boot on the very end of the piston, then push the piston into the caliper, hoping that it pushed the boot into the groove on the inside.
[Image: wNDYyMTUyNnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg]
I'm not sure that I was successful in getting it into both grooves, but I guess we'll see. Simply puch the piston all the way into the caliper and the rebuild is complete.
I have been informed that many cars have a ring that snaps onto the inside of the boot to hold it into place on the caliper to ensure a good seal.

Rebuilding rears:
1)Purchase rebuild kit and find Factory Service Manual.
2)Remove caliper and prepare for rebuild.
3)Begin studying FSM and quickly realize that it is entirely too complicated and that you have no idea what you are doing. E-brakes make stuff way too complex.
4)Decide you'll just leave them like it is and keep the spare rear calipers that you happen to have laying around. Keep rebuild kit "just in case".
5)Reinstall old calipers and hope for the best. Who needs rear brakes anyways? Tongue [/img]

- Evan - 07-05-2004

hrm, doesnt look too bad. I bought a rear caliper rebuild kit for the miata (for $35 :mad: ) when a rear caliper was leaking, but I decided to just buy a reman. Next time I may just give the rebuild a shot

- Feersty - 07-05-2004

I wish I knew something about brakes, we need a workshop or something.

- visionism0 - 07-05-2004

you told us about rebuilding front and rear brakes.. but what about the master cylinder the m.c. is part of the brakes too.. don't leave her out Sad ?

- CaptainHenreh - 07-05-2004

The reason dave didn't have a write up on how to rebuild an MC is because I didn't tell him how to do it. :-p

j/k...sort of.

MC rebuild how-to will be posted when and if someone gets around to rebuilding one. If I can figure out how to tap the Mk IV's old MC for a rear line (I don't have ABS on the 240) then we'll have a rebuild how-to for that.

And if someone wants to give me 50 bucks, (or buy my wheels) there'll be a how-to on rebuilding a turbocharger.

And! Coming soon! How to rebuild a KA24DE...for turbo! WEEEEEE!!!!!!

- Mike - 07-06-2004

Good stuff, I might as well buy the rebuild kits for the calipers waiting to go on... Is there any way to get the piston out without air?

I may need a favor Evan Tongue

- KPWSerpiente - 07-06-2004

Looking very sweet Dave.

-T

- CaptainHenreh - 08-27-2004

MichaelJComputer Wrote:Good stuff, I might as well buy the rebuild kits for the calipers waiting to go on... Is there any way to get the piston out without air?

I may need a favor Evan Tongue

If you don't mind getting brake fluid everywhere, you can push them out with your pedal pressure. I don't reccomend this.

A better option is to push them out with your brake pedal enough to get the dust boot off, and then gently pry (I hate that word) the piston out of the caliper. I had to do that with my brakes, as with 4 piston calipers air will only push 1 piston out before, well, all the air escapes out of that piston hole.

Also, word to the wise, to remove the inner piston seal, use a pencil or something soft and plastic. A pencil works really well because you can sharpen it, but neither the graphite nor the wood is hard enough to score the inside of the caliper. Resist the temptation to use anything metal, like a paperclip or something.

- Mike - 08-27-2004

the piston just fell out on the caliper i removed yesterday...

- .RJ - 03-18-2009

Just saw these on youtube - this is basically, how to rebuild brakes. it is so stupid easy.

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- Mike - 03-18-2009

damn, at $50 a pop, i've already paid for air and then some. f.