How do you get rear brake pads in?

[Tedster]

On the 01 Protege, do the rear brake pads have those stupid metal clips on the calipers that you have to fit the pads into like on the front? How do you get the pads in? Its so tight it seems like. I need to do my rears soon....
Thanks.

 

[Tedster]

No one, no one?

 

[evilmonkeyMSP]

the wha?

 

[MaxPower]

See diagram here:

http://web.archive.org/web/20061223062340/http://protege5.ugly.net/

 

[Tedster]

Ya thanks but that doesnt really show the actual pad and caliper and all those pieces...

 

[MaxPower]

?

04-11-22 shows you the entire rear caliper.

 

[njaremka]

the rear does your those metal clips, but i left mine out. i dont seem to have any issues from that.

 

[Tedster]

So doesnt those clips hold the pad in? It doenst rub and isnt loose without them? Yea cuz on the front i tried to replace the pads and it wouldnt go in with those clips so I had to take them out.

 

[Tedster]

So I bought some ceramic brake pads today from Napa for the rears... are ceramics good? Or there something better?? I want something good.

 

[AEbused]

it all depends on how you drive. pads are made to work in a certain temp. range. if you are just doing street driving then you should stick with street pads. if you will be doing spirited driving/autocross/HPDE then go with something in the middle.

 

[Tedster]

Cool. So what are street pads labeled as? OEM? Ceramic?

 

[Tedster]

HELP. Ok so I got the pads in on one of the rear wheels... the old ones were pretty worn, especially one of them, almost to metal. So I had to push the piston in quite a bit... but now for some reason, that wheel isnt turning freely at all when i try to spin it without the e-brake applied, its way too tight I think. I drove a bit and it started smelling bad like brakes burning. And my brake pedal is softer than before. And also my e-brake is very loose when I pull it up.... What did i do? Do i just need to adjust the e-brake? How? Please help, I cant drive like this.
Thanks.

 

[murraymazda]

So I bought some ceramic brake pads today from Napa for the rears... are ceramics good? Or there something better?? I want something good.

whats wrong with the mazda pads? rear pads for a protege in the mazda value line are cost effective.

 

[solidtrance]

There is an allen bolt on the back of the caliper that mechanically retracts the piston when you turn it. It is the only way to get piston to retract. Hope this helps. I have the service manual at home. Let me know if you need me to look for a picture.

 

[Tedster]

Well I already retracted the piston, the pads fit fine over the rotor... no problem there... just that they are too tight now on the rotor and the wheel doesnt spin freely. Is it something to do with the parking brake?

 

[Tedster]

And yea Solid, can you see if you find any pics on the allen bolt. So to retract it dont you push it in possibly with a disc brake toolkit or one of those square cube tools? I didnt know there was a bolt in the back... hm.

 

[solidtrance]

http://http://web.archive.org/web/20050119115112/protege5.ugly.net/04-11.PDF

Here is the chapter on the brake system. Are your rears drum or disk (forgot to ask earlier)?

 

[Tedster]

Well shoot i wish i woulda known about the allen wrench thing in the back... i used pliers to turn the actual piston and it was a pain. So I guess I just need to adjust that and hopefully that will let the pads from being so tight on the rotor...?
Also, is the parking brake adjusted at the wheels at all or just inside the car on the center console?
Thanks.

 

[solidtrance]

the parking break should adjust automatically IIRC it's been a while since I worked on my old Protege.

 

[Tedster]

So i finally took it in to Firestone to do the brakes and they feel better, but one of them still smells like burning after i drive it, which means its still dragging... ugh. Does it stop after a while after the pads wear down a bit?