General Suspension: Front Brake Job
07-13-2007, 10:54 AM
#26
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When taking off the calipers to paint and then after bleeding did anybody else need to get a new master? I did, followed everything correctly, still had no brakes, was in the shop for a wk finally getting a master
07-13-2007, 08:12 PM
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Do those have the coating on them so they dont rust and look like ****... Like Brembo and stuff has.. i think its like a zinc coating or something. could be wrong..
Last edited by kissmySS; 07-13-2007 at 08:12 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
10-20-2007, 12:16 AM
#30
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yall guys need to stop ******* with **** if yall dont know how to do it. especialy this. think about this if you mess them up and your going down the road and you cant stop your car and there a family infront of you and you hurt them. do you really think that you could live with that
10-20-2007, 02:25 PM
#31
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to the person above me... This was my first brake job.. Ive never done one before.. and because I read this information I was able to fix my own brakes and now I can do it no problems.. Everyone has to learn... you dont just know how to do it..
Anyways... just wanted to say.. Halfcent is my hero
Anyways... just wanted to say.. Halfcent is my hero
05-11-2008, 10:27 AM
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yall guys need to stop ******* with **** if yall dont know how to do it. especialy this. think about this if you mess them up and your going down the road and you cant stop your car and there a family infront of you and you hurt them. do you really think that you could live with that
05-11-2008, 03:36 PM
#35
That little clip on the back of the inner pad is the wear indicator, it sticks down slightly past the backing plate of the pad and will start to contact the rotor, making an awful squeal, when the pads are worn out.
i always break them off of my pads, as I don't want them to damage my rotors, they are much harder than the pad material and can groove a rotor pretty quickly, I paid about $150 a piece for my rotors, not gonna risk that. I check the brakes every time I rotate the tires anyway.
i always break them off of my pads, as I don't want them to damage my rotors, they are much harder than the pad material and can groove a rotor pretty quickly, I paid about $150 a piece for my rotors, not gonna risk that. I check the brakes every time I rotate the tires anyway.
Last edited by ItalianJoe1; 05-11-2008 at 03:36 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
05-11-2008, 10:42 PM
#36
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Actually, that is not a squealer tab. If you look at it in the various pictures, it points out and away from the rotor. It has no way of contacting the rotor. I do believe it is a visual wear indicator, but I don't know how much of it can be left showing before it reaches tolerance. I just look at the actual pad thickness through the inspection slot on the caliper.
05-12-2008, 01:07 AM
#37
Actually, that is not a squealer tab. If you look at it in the various pictures, it points out and away from the rotor. It has no way of contacting the rotor. I do believe it is a visual wear indicator, but I don't know how much of it can be left showing before it reaches tolerance. I just look at the actual pad thickness through the inspection slot on the caliper.
05-12-2008, 10:22 PM
#38
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Actually, that is not a squealer tab. If you look at it in the various pictures, it points out and away from the rotor. It has no way of contacting the rotor. I do believe it is a visual wear indicator, but I don't know how much of it can be left showing before it reaches tolerance. I just look at the actual pad thickness through the inspection slot on the caliper.
05-19-2008, 01:01 PM
#41
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Guys, listen. I have not doubt it is some kind of a wear indicator. All I'm telling you is that it does not have any way of contacting the surface of the rotor in order to produce a squeal. No point to arguing about it.
05-19-2008, 07:22 PM
#42
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Please take a pic of this. i have been working on cars for many years and from what you described it is a wear indicator
06-09-2008, 01:07 PM
#43
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Just did my brakes over the weekend, so I figured I'd add a couple comments.
Kudos to GM for using standard hex bolts to attach the calipers. No more Torx or Allen bolts! I hated using those cheap Lisle T55 sockets on my Fiero (had to eventually buy them from Snap-On), so being able to use the regular sockets on the Cobalt with no worry over breaking the socket or stripping the bolts was a pleasure.
My rotors were worn with a little lip along the outer edge on both sides, so I had to compress the calipers slightly to allow me to get the calipers off over the old rotors. I've never had this problem before; most cars seem to have pads which wear the rotors right out to the edge, but not the Cobalt. This was also the first car I've had where I had to use a maul to get the rotors off. They didn't look to be rusted on, but were sure stuck for some reason. Every other FWD car I've touched had the rotors practically fall off as soon as the calipers were off.
Being ABS, I cracked open the bleeder valve when I compressed the caliper piston, rather than doing it the old-fashioned way by just backing the fluid up all the way to the master cylinder. I attacked a short length of clear hose to the bleeder so as to not make a mess (and so I could see the fluid coming out). This procedure worked perfectly. When I was done I opened the brake fluid reservoir just to make sure it wasn't under extreme pressure, and it wasn't. My pedal was good after the brake job, but if its low or spongy afterwards you might have to bleed the brakes (air may have gotten in when the bleeders were open).
By the way, I usually compress the piston just using my bare hands. Just use care that its compressed evenly and not crooked (can they even go in crooked?). I find thats easier than fooling with a C-clamp, since sometimes the hose fitting is in the way of where the C-clamp would attach.
07-12-2008, 03:33 PM
#44
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i have a question, on the slotted and drilled rotors about how many times can they be turned before you have to buy new ones if they can be turned at all planning on buying some and just wanted to know how to maintain them thanks
07-14-2008, 08:29 AM
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I just started mine yesterday. Painted up the calipers. Gonna reinstall everything tonight. I think I'll do a how-to on the rear disks. Only difference is the 18 MM caliper mounting bolts, and the e-brake connection.
07-14-2008, 08:47 AM
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My rotors were worn with a little lip along the outer edge on both sides, so I had to compress the calipers slightly to allow me to get the calipers off over the old rotors. I've never had this problem before; most cars seem to have pads which wear the rotors right out to the edge, but not the Cobalt. This was also the first car I've had where I had to use a maul to get the rotors off. They didn't look to be rusted on, but were sure stuck for some reason. Every other FWD car I've touched had the rotors practically fall off as soon as the calipers were off.
