How To: Brake job on a LX SRT8

[EXTREME]

First your gonna want to raise the car up and secure them on suitable jack stand..... OR you can just put your car on the lift. I know everyone has a lift.

Tools needed

Impact Wrench/Breaker Bar
21mm socket
Torque Wrench
Small Punch
Hammer
Large Pliers
3M Super 77 Multipurpose Adhesive (not required)

Using the Breaker bar or Air Impact wrench and the 21mm socket (or different for the aftermarket wheel/lug guys), remove the wheels and set aside.

1) This step is optional, some people may disagree. But in my years of service work i found that a lot of squealing comes from vibration/movement between the pad and piston. SO if you adhere the pads to the pistons, problem solved. Before you start the brake job lay out the pads on the box they came in or on some cardboard and spray them with 3M Super 77 Multipurpose adhesive. Do this before the brake job so they can get tacky by the time you need them.



2) Once you have the wheels off this is what you will start out with:



3) Take the punch and hammer and punch out the slide pins





4) Now, some people have bought or rented a pad spreader from stores and vendors. I think it's a waste of money. Use the large pliers and open them up like below. Take both hands and open the pliers which in turn will spread the pads a good bit. More than enough to get the old pads out.



5) I didn't get a picture, but; Remove the pads now. They will just slide out, you may have to give them a little shake or jiggle.

6) Once they are out, take the pliers you used earlier and open them up and insert into one side of the caliper between the pistons and the rotor making sure each end of the pliers is against each piston. Pry against the rotor slowly to compress the pistons; then do the other side. See below



7) Take the slide pins and clean them up with a rag and take some of the grease supplied with most pads and put a light coat on them slide pins. This helps the pads slide back and forth easier!



8) Insert new pads



9) Once the pads are in, put the slide pins in and tap into place. I find it easy to turn the punch around and use light taps with the hammer to tap them into place!!



Viola... that corner is done and it should resemble this! Granted the pins aren't all the way in, but you get the idea, lol



Since you're already under there go ahead and clean up that nasty ass caliber, strut, inner fender, disk, ect... It looks so much better clean, ha



The rear is the same thing!!

Use punch and hammer to punch out and remove slide pins



- Refer to the step 4 above on how to spread the pads using the large pliers!

Remove the pads



- Refer to step 6 above to push in the pistons using the large pliers

- Refer to step 7 on cleaning and greasing slide pins

- Refer to step 8 on installing the new pads

- Insert slide pins and tap into place with hammer and punch

Now you are done with the Rear.



Repeat these steps for the other side and you're done!




This should do it for changing the pads on an SRT8!

[shagmag07]

Great write up

[PaCharger]

beans to you...pretty easy job for anyone. No sense in paying for working on a car you love...doesnt require many tools and is well worth the satisfaction of a completed job.

Be sure to check out the many threads to bedding the brakes correctly...and then be happy

[carchitect]

Question about the 3M adhesive spray adhesive... I have no idea how long you've been using that method (Jr. uses some sort of anti-squeal spray on grease, and from what he said it was hi-temp and it worked pretty well). Having gone through several cans of that particular adhesive myself one of the only things that I really remember about the labeling is that it pretty much says "FLAMMABLE" everywhere. I'm doubtful that this stuff has the ability to resist high temps. I know that is very true about in aerosol form, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't change too much when its tacked up.

What can you say about your long term experience with this method? Sounds like a great way to solve a common problem, I'm just worried about how it may react to the heat encountered in daily driving.

[shagmag07]

i have one question...did u reuse ur locking nut, the one that holds the rotor on the stud...or did u go buy another one...what is the part number if u bought another one...thanks

[Junior]

Bravo!

I never thought of using the Super 77 - like manris said, I wonder about long-term. Could be fine, but the other stuff (CRC) is thicker and more dampening, so to speak. But if the Super 77 works, then that'll be a great way to go.

[Hemi31]

Make sure to check the calipers are not leaking.SRT8 calipers are notorious for corroded pistons in the caliper.

[carchitect]

Bravo!

I never thought of using the Super 77 - like manris said, I wonder about long-term. Could be fine, but the other stuff (CRC) is thicker and more dampening, so to speak. But if the Super 77 works, then that'll be a great way to go.

CRC... I was trying to remember what that stuff was called

Make sure to check the calipers are not leaking.SRT8 calipers are notorious for corroded pistons in the caliper.

Isn't that only with the front caliper? I remember reading that rear brembo calipers were a bit higher quality than the fronts

[MattRobertson]

Do we have a Brembo pad switch in the KB yet? Junior did you do one already?

[EXTREME]

Question about the 3M adhesive spray adhesive... I have no idea how long you've been using that method (Jr. uses some sort of anti-squeal spray on grease, and from what he said it was hi-temp and it worked pretty well). Having gone through several cans of that particular adhesive myself one of the only things that I really remember about the labeling is that it pretty much says "FLAMMABLE" everywhere. I'm doubtful that this stuff has the ability to resist high temps. I know that is very true about in aerosol form, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't change too much when its tacked up.

What can you say about your long term experience with this method? Sounds like a great way to solve a common problem, I'm just worried about how it may react to the heat encountered in daily driving.

I was a technician for 4 years and have done more brake jobs than a hooker has hand jobs! I've never had a problem with this 3M adhesive. I've used this method on every car i've ever done a BJ on .. lol .. cobras, camaros, srts, a lightning, and just about every common commuter car. I've never had a problem with the glue liquifing and getting on the discs, or catching fire. Most cars that came back for new brakes (mostly the horsepower guys) that had multiple track runs (mostly 1/4 mile) and the bads were still adhered to the pistons.

Bravo!

I never thought of using the Super 77 - like manris said, I wonder about long-term. Could be fine, but the other stuff (CRC) is thicker and more dampening, so to speak. But if the Super 77 works, then that'll be a great way to go.

I've never used CRC. I learned a lot from an OG mechanic and that's what he used so it just rubbed off on me.

[Junior]

Do we have a Brembo pad switch in the KB yet? Junior did you do one already?

Nosir, I always meant to, and never did it. I think this is the only one out there.

[EXTREME]

i have one question...did u reuse ur locking nut, the one that holds the rotor on the stud...or did u go buy another one...what is the part number if u bought another one...thanks

I'm not 100% sure which nut ur talking about. But, if you are referring to the retaining clip (usually 2 of them) that holds the disc to the hub. You don't have to remove them or the disc to do a brake job on an SRT, i'm unsure about a 5.7 or below, though. If you do remove those clips you don't have to put them back on though, i've personally never done it and don't know of anyone that has. They are there to hold the discs on at the plant while on the assembly line!

[pmpn8ez]

seems easy enough....doing pads and rotors tomorrow.....nice write up man!!

[Popeye's Hemi]

i have one question...did u reuse ur locking nut, the one that holds the rotor on the stud...or did u go buy another one...what is the part number if u bought another one...thanks

Most people will tell you to get rid of those small retainers as they can cause balancing issues and noise. Mostly they are used during assembly at the plant to keep them on the car during assembly. That is way you only see two per wheel. Just toss em.

[AsphaltDragon]

seems easy enough....doing pads and rotors tomorrow.....nice write up man!!

Is it mandatory to do the rotors when doing the pads on a SRT? The local dealer told me that.... sounds false to me. Although the car is a 2006 with alot of wear and I want to do it anyway.

Any tips on changing out the rotor?

Where should get my new rotor and pad?

Thanks in advance for helping the newbie MSRT owner out!!