How To: MP3/P5/MSP Front & rear Pad/Rotor Change (No 56K)

[SiL3nTKiLL]

def will. its soaking in WD40 right now lol.

i just feel like such an idiot
ive done this on my tC b4, but it was alot different and i wasnt hungover lol
if in fact i am turning the wrong way, i could prolly figure out someway to get some leverage on the top one

 

[SeminoleMan]

Great how-to. Did my first brake job on my 4 year old P5 and it was a piece of cake. Like a couple have mentioned, just remove the 8MM hex and swing the caliper up. No need to unmount the entire caliper assembly.

 

[misbehave]

How do I know if my brake rotors needed replacing or not?
How do you tell?

 

[amsgator]

How do I know if my brake rotors needed replacing or not?
How do you tell?

when slowing down if it feels like your brakes are "pumping" (warped i believe) i think you can feel them too to see if they need resurfacing or replacing

 

[evilmonkeyMSP]

its also gauged by the thickness of the rotor. Have you ever had them turned before?

 

[chuyler1]

I never bother turning them...that is a sure way to have them warp. I just replace the pads and take it easy for the first few hundred miles until the pads break-in to the grooves in the rotors. I will use 2 sets of pads per set of rotors. Pads last about 30-50K (non-aggressive driving) so my rotors last 60-100K.

As mentioned before, when rotors heat up too much they warp. If you are on a smooth highway, hit the brakes moderately hard. If the car and steering wheel begin to shudder that usually means they are warped. You can also feel it in slow stops but you must be sure that the road is flat and you aren't feeling ruts or other imperfections in the road surface.

 

[Woody54]

great write up, i did mine today. nothing was even all that difficult. one question though. How do i get the caliper off to paint it? do i just take it off once i have it dangling or does that piece come apart further?

 

[evilmonkeyMSP]

if you take it completely off you will have to bleed your brake lines.... you can paint them while they are on....

 

[Woody54]

if you take it completely off you will have to bleed your brake lines.... you can paint them while they are on....

so i should just cover up the rotors and tape over the pads then while the caliper is still on? that just seems a little awkward to me (although i really don't want to have to bleed the breaks)

 

[evilmonkeyMSP]

then thats the only way to do it lol...

 

[Pmpkinhead]

so i should just cover up the rotors and tape over the pads then while the caliper is still on? that just seems a little awkward to me (although i really don't want to have to bleed the breaks)

Pull the pads and pad guides out. You have to grease them anyway when you put it back together. (grease EVERYTHING except the face of the pad). Do not paint the area where the pad guides sit. There isn't a lot of room and the pads may bind after installation. Buy some brake grease B4 you start. If you grease the area where the guides sit, the paint won't stick there! just wipe it off when everything is dry.

367 (mp3yellow

 

[TXMazdaSpeeder]

I'm glad to see this has helped so many people. My MP3 R.I.P.

 

[clicknext]

The brake fluid reservoir cap needs to be open before you retract the piston, right?? Or else you might screw something up like blow a seal and cause a leak? Noticed this was missing from the steps, was that intentional or is it unnecessary?

 

[amsgator]

yes. there cant be any pressure when u retract the piston. removing the cap prevents it from pressurizing when more fluid is added

 

[Tasty]

This is a great thread, but I fail to see the section that tells you how to remove the actual rotor. This seems to only address PADS.

 

[meGrimlock]

take the bolt in the trunk that holds the scissor jack in place. put that in the tiny hole of the rotor and turn clockwise. you may need to use something with leverage. you will hear a "ping" noise when the rotor loosens up from the hub.

 

[Lewis7789]

Great How-To on replacing the pads. I installed some new Hawk pads on my P5 today and they are working great. Thanks!

 

[TXMazdaSpeeder]

tasty, when you remove the caliper bolts and pull off the caliper the rotors just slide off.

 

[chapsme]

5 lug rotor for 2001 Protege ES

Hey guys, great thread... I am replacing the brakes for the first time on my ES, and I am having a hard time finding a 5 lug rotor... nothing fancy, just a regular 5 lug rotor. I bought some from auto zone, but when I opened, I realized they were 4 lug... (doh) Anyone got a part number or something for this, so I can tell these people what to look for? Advanced Auto would need to ship them in... trying to find something in Stock... thanks in advance.

 

[~JoJo~]

does this work the same for speed3? I am about to do mine but wanted to make sure it doesn't turn into a weekend project if more tools or supplies are needed.