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- 2008 Mazda5 GT
This mod replaces the existing Mazda5 FRONT calipers, pads, disc brake hardware kit, and rotors with Mazdaspeed3 parts. Mz5 rear disc brakes are larger than the MS3 and Mz3 so no need to change those. MS3 calipers are stamped with both FoMoCo and Ate.
In this conversion, I also changed the OE rubber brake hose to stainless steel lines and changed the standard bleeder valves (need helping hand or foot to bleed the system) to speed bleeders (one person job). You will need to replace the brake fluid during the swap but the brake lines and speed bleeders are completely optional and are not performance improvement items. SS lines help keep pedal pressure consistent (rubber flex under pressure) and the speed bleeders were added b/c I dont always have a helping hand to bleed brakes.
I wrote the sequence in what I would recommend to take (if doing same parts). Hindsight is always clearer. Of course, you can disassemble and assemble it any way you like. There is no wrong way but there is a harder and easier way.
Lets get started with the tear down!
For future reference on MS3 vs Mz5 front brake components:
Caliper bodies - different
Caliper brackets - different
Caliper slider pins - SAME
Caliper piston size - SAME I.D. Did not take O.D. or depth measurements -doh!
Caliper rebuild kit - SAME -according to RockAuto, which would leave one to belive the piston O.D is the same.
Bracket through knuckle bolts SAME
Brake pads - different
Brake pad mounting hardware (retainer clip, slider pin boots, caps) different b/c of the retainer clip
Bleeder valves - different
Rotors - different
Dust Shield different
Remove wheels:
1) Park car and pull hand brake. Now is the time to LOOSEN (not remove) the lug nuts; as in just break them loose. A suggested way to loosen lug nuts is to use the OE tire iron, put it on the lug nut and have the handle bar parallel (or close to it) to the surface, and give it a good stomp with your foot, wearing shoes with a hard sole. Breaker bar works just as well but our legs are much stronger than our arms and can break things lose a lot easierjust dont do this to tighten
2) Jack up the car on the jacking point under the front cross member. You can squeeze in a hydraulic jack. It helps to insert the jacks handle bar sideways or upside down as this gets you a tad more space to pump the jack. As the jack piston gets higher, youll have more space to pump keep at it. I also recommend using a rubber cover on the jacks cup to avoid metal to metal rubbing on the cross member. Not worried about surface scuff, more concern with rust down the line.
3) When both of the front wheels are high enough off the ground (you can spin both freely) and can see at least gap (higher the better) from tire to surface, put jacks at the front pinch welds meant for OE scissor jacks.
4) Remove both front wheels and let the fun begin.
Drain brake fluid:
1) Open the hood and open the cover to the brake fluid reservoir but leave the cap on top to prevent debris from blowing in.
2) Working with one front caliper, slip on a close end or flare nut wrench over the 9MM bleeder valve. Insert a 3/8 ID (need to check size) drain tube over the nipple of the bleeder valve and insert the other end into a catch pan or bottle. Open the valve a good full turn or two and fluid will start to flow. Can do both sides at the same time if you wish and you can pump the brake pedal to expedite the process. Air is going to get into the system but well pressure bleed at all corners at the end.
3) The Mazda5 uses one central brake fluid reservoir on the master cylinder that also supplies fluid to the clutch (manual owners). If you open the system, I would recommend bleeding at all four calipers (farthest from the reservoir first and work towards the closest) AND the clutch slave at b/c it is a shared system. IMO, manual owners should change their fluid more often as the day to day braking breaks down the clutch fluid.
4) At this point the brake fluid reservoir is empty and the lines to the two front calipers should also be dry. Note fluid is still in the lines for the rear two calipers and clutch line (in case you want to work on those too).
Remove Mz5 rubber brake hose:
1) There is a tool for every job and for working on brake lines, I HIGHLY recommend you use flare nut wrenches, which is similar to a closed end box wrench but with a cut out for you to slip over a hose like an O2 sockets with a cut out for wires. You dont HAVE to use one and may get away with using an opened end wrench but theres a good chance it will slip and potentially round out the nut on the brake line which would really make it a big PITA to get off. These are small nuts but can be pretty tight after a period of time and the grade of metal is not very hard either. A breaker bar extension will ensure it breaks off the first time. Dont want to fight it as that may lead to rounding the head as well. When dealing with tight nuts, I like to give it a slight tightening before I attempt to break it loose.
2) Start by working on the brake hose to caliper joint. Slip on the 10MM flare nut wrench and loosen and remove the hose. I find doing this point first helps to ensure whatever fluid that is left will drain out as this is the lowest point and avoids potentially getting any fluid on the body or suspension components.
3) Use a flat head screw driver and pop out the retainer clip that secures the brake hose to the shock body bracket. Notice the clip has a U shape at the end. Slip the flat head into the U and use something for leverage to pop it out. You do not need to use pliers. Once this is off, you can slide the hose out of the mount.
4) Working at the brake hose to hard brake line joint, start by using a flare nut wrench to loosen/remove the 10MM nut. This should be done while the clip is in place holding the line steady. If you pop the clip out fist, it will be a lot more difficult to break loose the joint b/c you have nothing steady holding it down.
5) Finally, use a flat head screw driver to pop out the retainer clip that secures the brake hose to the chassis.
6) You can now completely remove the rubber brake hose. You need to reuse these two clips.
7) Note: I highly recommend removing the brake hose before the caliper b/c if you take off the caliper first, you will not have a steady surface to remove the hose and this avoids having the hang the caliper while you remove the other end of the hose.
Remove Mz5 caliper
1) The MS3 caliper body is mounted to the caliper bracket by the two slider pins. The caliper bracket is then mounted by two 17MM bolts to the steering knuckle. Mazda5 owners can reuse these bolts. The thread/pitch of these two bolts pass thought the knuckle and mounts into the caliper bracket.
2) Remove the two 17MM caliper bracket to knuckle bolts a breaker bar will make this easy.
3) Pull the calipers off. If they are a little tight to move, use a C-clamp and push in the pad/piston to get some clearance/separation from the rotor surface. Warning, this will squirt residual brake fluid out of the caliper via the bleeder valve (close it to avoid) and brake hose joint! Since the brake hose is already removed and there is residual brake fluid left in the caliper bodies. You can now easily put the calipers aside.
Remove Mz5 rotor
1) Theres a 99% chance your rotors are rusted onto the hub. How badly it is rusted will depend on where the car has lived up to this point. Mine came from the NE, in a heavily salted area, so I think I am on the worst end of things. Folks down south and out west will have a LOT less trouble with this. There are various ways to remove a stubborn rotor but I choose the mini BFH (Big Fing Hammer) method. I went with a 4 lb mini sledge b/c I can reuse it after this job, granted the bigger the BFH the easier and less effort this will take. I dont have much use for a +10lb sledge hammer afterwards YMMV. If you go this route, the impact will leave deep grooves on the rotor surface and will more than likely destroy the rotors beyond the resurface-able limit unless they come off easily for you.
2) Eat your Wheaties and start whacking at the rotor front facing. Take a nice golf stance and go to town. Hitting the backside is less effective b/c your body cannot exert the same amount of power lying on your back/side while trying to swing a hammer over your head/chest. Also, if hitting from the back, there is only a small exposed area (where the caliper mounts) open to you to hit. The rest of the back side is covered by the brake dust shield. The front end suspension/steering/brake components endure hundreds of pounds of force so youre not going to break anything from whacking the ROTOR as hard as you can (maybe if you are the worlds strongest man or using some ridiculously heavy sledge). Be more careful you do not accidently hit anything else! Focus the impact on one dedicated spot to break it loose.
3) Once you notice it is loose, you will still need it hit it front facing but start hitting it at the opposite side of the rotor, then all around.
4) Towards the end, you will need to hit it from behind to get it off. You only have a small opening at the back so youll need to rotate the rotor as you hit it. If you keep hitting it from the front end, it will cause the rotors to tilt too much and rub at the threads of the lub bolts. Keep an eye on how the rotor is tilting and rubbing on the lug bolts.
5) Post back on and let us know how hard it was/wasnt for you.
The Mz5 brake dust shield dilemma
1) The Mz5 front brake dust shields are too small for the larger MS3 rotors. You can choose 1) mod and reuse it, 2) remove it altogether, or 3) get MS3 replacement shields but Im not 100% sure the will fit but I can safely assume 99.9% they will.
2) Option 1 Mod and reuse it If you want to reuse the Mz5 dust shield, you will need to bend the bottom potion of the dust shield out of the way. The bottom has an outward facing lip, which I assume is to collect dust and directly air flow.?. I bent them by clamping two old brake pads to flatten the lip. This will give you a nice flat and straight bend. Note that you will lose the lower lip and whatever benefit it provides. Bending the lip straight down will clear the extra diameter of the MS3 rotor BUT the inner edge of the lip is now pointing lower and will get in the way of the MS3 calipers! You would need to bend the inner edge (corner towards the cabin) backwards and out of the way as well. This shield is not very solid and after ~4 years, it bends easily (relatively speaking in terms of a piece of metal). If you dont do it right, you can easily deform/destroy it. You could also just cut out the bottom portion, this might make life easier. I opted to bend the lip down and cut out the little corner piece.
3) Option 2 Remove it this piece comes off pretty easily. It is one piece that is held on by 3 bolts. You dont need a dust shield but it is suppose to help prevent brake dust build up on the rim and help to cool it by directing air flow so youll lose these benefits. They are there for a reason, good enough reason is another debate.
4) Option 3 Replace it this would be the ideal way to go if you dont mind spending for MS3 dust shields. Again, Im not 100% sure the will fit but I can safely assume 99.9% they will. You can easily cross check the part numbers for MS3 hub vs Mz5 hub. If you do, let us know.
Clean the wheel hub
1) At this point all of the old hardware is removed and you should only have a rusty wheel hub to deal with before reassembling the new setup.
2) IMHO, it is very important to do a good job at cleaning the wheel hub surface (and rotor and back/inner side of your rim). The hub mates to the rotor, which mates to rim. Any irregularities and material build-up on the flat surface areas on any of these parts will translate to vibrations.
3) There are many ways and products to clean rust. I went with chemical cleaning (set it and forget it but time consuming) b/c I wanted to avoid overzealous work (I just know I will grind too much at one location vs another).
4) I used Rustoleum Rust Remover available at WalMart for ~$6. Applies as a thick liquid/semi gel like that you brush on (old toothbrush with a flexible head works out great to reach around the stud bolts), wait 10 mins, wipe/clean off, reapply. Read the instructions. After about 5 applications (gosh, over an hour!), it got the results I wanted without the need to sand hurray for science but sucks for time lost, granted you can multi task while you wait. There is still some oxidation to the metal surface but if you run your finger through it, you can hardly feel it. A high grit sandpaper will help to smooth it al lout. Doesnt have to look pretty, just have to feel right. If you take your time and willing to sand it down, Im sure you can get it sparking like new. This is good enough for me since it will get rusted-up quick. More power to you if you do.
5) All clear and ready for the fun part!
Assembly will be easier since you get a feel of how things work and came apart. Putting stuff together is also the fun part since you get to see the reward of it materialize
Putting on the new rotor
1) Before you mount your new rotors, take some time to give it a good spray down and let dry with brake cleaner both sides. New rotors come packaged with a coating of oil to preserve the metal surface. You do not want this oil to exist between the rotor and pads. This oil will interfere with your bedding the pads as well to be discussed later.
2) Apply a nice thin coating of anti-seize to the back size of the rotor that mounts to the hub.
3) Put the new rotor on. Use two lug nuts to hold the rotors in place to make life easier when you have to put the caliper on.
Putting on the Calipers
1) Clean, prep, and reassemble your new MS3 caliper with pads and a new brake pad hardware kit. IMO, if the calipers came from a car with >60K miles, you should rebuild the caliper first. Mine came off a wreck car with <30K so I decided not to rebuild (internal O-rings). Regardless of mileage, if the calipers are used you should replace the external rubber components (channels for slider pins, caps, and brake retainer spring/clip) with a new braked pad hardware kit (I used a Centric rebuild kit). These 3 major parts affect how the floating caliper moves and dictate if you will have sticky calipers or not: rubber channels, retainer spring/clip, and grease on the slide pin. While you are at it, take a few mins to understand how the caliper works.
2) Make sure you give the slider pins a nice rub down to a nice polish to ensure all the previous gunk is off. I recommend some type of metal alloy polish; I used Eagle one alloy wheel polish. Brings the shine out on metals and great for clearing foggy convertible vinyl windows, head lamp covers, and removing burn stains off pots and pans! Stuff works like rubbing compound but for metal and with a polishing agent. Great stuff.
3) Assembly the caliper by inserting the brake pads into their respective positions (you cant mix this up), insert and mount the bracket to the caliper via slider pins (7MM), add grease, and putting on the retainer spring/clip. It should now be one complete piece.
4) Screw on the bleeder valve. I replace the standard one with a Napa speed bleeder (675-1570). Do not over tighten. Forewarning: The Napa bleeder valves come packed with a thick coating of anti-seize. It is so thick and dried, it jams the threads. You have to clean off the gunk on the threads this took some time. It may be easier to just get Speed Bleeders (the brand) that cost a little more never used that brand b/c they cost more for no good reason.
5) Slide the fully assembled MS3 caliper over the rotor and mount the two caliper bracket bolts. If you intend to change pads by breaking loose the caliper bracket bolt, apply some anti-seize on these two bolts. If not, apply some thread lock if you intend on using the caliper slider pin to change pads.
6) Enjoy your eye candy.
Assemble brake line
1) I replaced the rubber brake hose with a stainless steel line. If you are going to do this upgrade, mind as well pony up for the SS lines.
2) Start by tightening the SS line to the brake hard lines under the chassis. You can fanangle the hard brake line into the SS line easier to work with that way and yes it has some flex. Once tighten, slip on the retainer clip and tap it in to secure the line. Make sure it is tight though I can never get aftermarket SS to securely mount with OE clips. I used zip ties to keep them from potentially popping out but will be adding shims to keep the clips in place. Be sure you dont zip tie any portion of the braded SS line.
3) Moving on to the middle section of the brake line, slip on the mounting hardware to the shock body bracket and tighten the other retainer clip same as above.
4) NOTE: Brakes lines have flex to accommodate steering and it looks like it may rub the shock at the top part of the mount bracket. You can take different precautions to avoid this but I decided to reuse what I had. The old brake lines have these thick covers/protectors on the line to prevent rubbing at this very point. I CAREFULLY cut them out with a blade and placed it over the roughly same section of the SS line and zip tied it down. You could also do it many other ways (put those covers on the bracket or cut off top half of the bracket).
5) Finally, tighten the brake line into caliper. IMO, on both ends of the SS lines, once you have the threads aligned and given a good 2 turns, apply some thread lock and tighten the rest.
6) You are done. Take a nice pic and post it.
Out with the old and in with the new. The final step is to prep/prime the braking system for use. These procedures are pretty universal but must be done properly.
Bleeding the system:
1) In short (using standard OE bleeder valves), close all bleeder values except the one you want to work on. Ensuring the brake fluid reservoir never gets below the minimum line or overfilled, pour in new fluid until you see fluid coming out of the one bleeder valve that is open close the bleeder. Repeat this for all bleeders (dont forget the clutch slave bleeder!). This process ensure fluid is in the lines and calipers/clutch. Finally close all bleeders, top off brake fluid, and close cap. Let start pumping.
2) Start with person A pumping the brake pedal ~3 times and holding it down after the 3rd. Person B opens the bleeder valve furthest away from the fluid reservoir to let out pressure build-up, which pushes the air out first, followed by fluid. You will need to insert a small drain hose (3/8 ID?) over the bleeder nipple and the stick the other end into a bottom, ensuring the end is submerged in new fluid to prevent air draw back. When the bleeder valve is opened, the person A holding brake pedal down will feel it depress completely in ~2-3 secs. Person B must close the bleeder valve before Person A lets go of the pedals or else it will suck in air. This whole time, make sure the brake fluid reservoir does not get below the low line and the cover is closed. Repeat this a few times. Do in the following order. Rear right, RL, FR, FL, clutch slave (same process but pumping the clutch pedal) farthest from the brake fluid reservoir first and work towards it.
3) There are other ways to bleed a system and tools for this. Since this is a generic process, Ill leave it to Google for more detail. IMO, do not depend on gravity bleeding. It is only good to ensure fluid is in the lines and may not force air out of the system.
4) Speed bleeders have a built-in check valve so you can eliminate person B. Open it 1/4 -1/2 turn of the bleeder valve, pump until you are happy, and close valve when done. The check valve prevents air from coming back into the system.
Put wheels back on:
1) Check to make sure all nuts and bolts are tightened but do not over tighten!
2) Put wheels on and tighten lugs to 90%. You dont want to torque it while on jacks. Get the lug nuts aligned and tighten.
3) Since the car is already lifted on jack stands, it is easy to slide your hydraulic jack to cross member to lift-up the car, remove the jack stands, and lower it back down.
4) Tighten lug nuts to spec. Done!
Bed-in new pads and rotors:
1) In short, this requires 1) an open road 2) a series of medium to hard stop, enough to build up heat on the rotor and pads but not so much that you start smelling burnt metal. Do not come to a complete stop until you are done and have done a cool down lap -sorta speak, and 3) do this at various speed intervals. Goal is to heat up the surface area on the pad and rotor to just hot enough so they mate.
2) There are many variations of this based on different pad/rotor makers and aggressiveness of the pad you are using. The process to bed-in street pads is not the same for race pad. They have different heat tolerances before fading occurs. Google to find one that suites your pad selection.
http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=85
Overall this mod is not hard at all. The time consuming part is preparing and cleaning but these can be done in the comforts of home. The hard and tedious part is getting the rotor off, cleaning up the hub, and taking the time to rebuild the caliper if you choose to. IMO, if you need to change rotors and pads, mind as well upgrade! MS3 calipers w/ bracket are becoming more plentiful and can be found for $200ish +s/h. Dont be afraid and anything can be repaired or replaced. Please do not attempt if you do not have common sense. Feel free to ask any questions or let me know if something is incorrect or can be better.
Sorry for being so wordy. I wrote them in sections and didn't realize when you put them together, it gets quite long. Pics to come once I get them sorted out.
In this conversion, I also changed the OE rubber brake hose to stainless steel lines and changed the standard bleeder valves (need helping hand or foot to bleed the system) to speed bleeders (one person job). You will need to replace the brake fluid during the swap but the brake lines and speed bleeders are completely optional and are not performance improvement items. SS lines help keep pedal pressure consistent (rubber flex under pressure) and the speed bleeders were added b/c I dont always have a helping hand to bleed brakes.
I wrote the sequence in what I would recommend to take (if doing same parts). Hindsight is always clearer. Of course, you can disassemble and assemble it any way you like. There is no wrong way but there is a harder and easier way.
Lets get started with the tear down!
For future reference on MS3 vs Mz5 front brake components:
Caliper bodies - different
Caliper brackets - different
Caliper slider pins - SAME
Caliper piston size - SAME I.D. Did not take O.D. or depth measurements -doh!
Caliper rebuild kit - SAME -according to RockAuto, which would leave one to belive the piston O.D is the same.
Bracket through knuckle bolts SAME
Brake pads - different
Brake pad mounting hardware (retainer clip, slider pin boots, caps) different b/c of the retainer clip
Bleeder valves - different
Rotors - different
Dust Shield different
Remove wheels:
1) Park car and pull hand brake. Now is the time to LOOSEN (not remove) the lug nuts; as in just break them loose. A suggested way to loosen lug nuts is to use the OE tire iron, put it on the lug nut and have the handle bar parallel (or close to it) to the surface, and give it a good stomp with your foot, wearing shoes with a hard sole. Breaker bar works just as well but our legs are much stronger than our arms and can break things lose a lot easierjust dont do this to tighten
2) Jack up the car on the jacking point under the front cross member. You can squeeze in a hydraulic jack. It helps to insert the jacks handle bar sideways or upside down as this gets you a tad more space to pump the jack. As the jack piston gets higher, youll have more space to pump keep at it. I also recommend using a rubber cover on the jacks cup to avoid metal to metal rubbing on the cross member. Not worried about surface scuff, more concern with rust down the line.
3) When both of the front wheels are high enough off the ground (you can spin both freely) and can see at least gap (higher the better) from tire to surface, put jacks at the front pinch welds meant for OE scissor jacks.
4) Remove both front wheels and let the fun begin.
Drain brake fluid:
1) Open the hood and open the cover to the brake fluid reservoir but leave the cap on top to prevent debris from blowing in.
2) Working with one front caliper, slip on a close end or flare nut wrench over the 9MM bleeder valve. Insert a 3/8 ID (need to check size) drain tube over the nipple of the bleeder valve and insert the other end into a catch pan or bottle. Open the valve a good full turn or two and fluid will start to flow. Can do both sides at the same time if you wish and you can pump the brake pedal to expedite the process. Air is going to get into the system but well pressure bleed at all corners at the end.
3) The Mazda5 uses one central brake fluid reservoir on the master cylinder that also supplies fluid to the clutch (manual owners). If you open the system, I would recommend bleeding at all four calipers (farthest from the reservoir first and work towards the closest) AND the clutch slave at b/c it is a shared system. IMO, manual owners should change their fluid more often as the day to day braking breaks down the clutch fluid.
4) At this point the brake fluid reservoir is empty and the lines to the two front calipers should also be dry. Note fluid is still in the lines for the rear two calipers and clutch line (in case you want to work on those too).
Remove Mz5 rubber brake hose:
1) There is a tool for every job and for working on brake lines, I HIGHLY recommend you use flare nut wrenches, which is similar to a closed end box wrench but with a cut out for you to slip over a hose like an O2 sockets with a cut out for wires. You dont HAVE to use one and may get away with using an opened end wrench but theres a good chance it will slip and potentially round out the nut on the brake line which would really make it a big PITA to get off. These are small nuts but can be pretty tight after a period of time and the grade of metal is not very hard either. A breaker bar extension will ensure it breaks off the first time. Dont want to fight it as that may lead to rounding the head as well. When dealing with tight nuts, I like to give it a slight tightening before I attempt to break it loose.
2) Start by working on the brake hose to caliper joint. Slip on the 10MM flare nut wrench and loosen and remove the hose. I find doing this point first helps to ensure whatever fluid that is left will drain out as this is the lowest point and avoids potentially getting any fluid on the body or suspension components.
3) Use a flat head screw driver and pop out the retainer clip that secures the brake hose to the shock body bracket. Notice the clip has a U shape at the end. Slip the flat head into the U and use something for leverage to pop it out. You do not need to use pliers. Once this is off, you can slide the hose out of the mount.
4) Working at the brake hose to hard brake line joint, start by using a flare nut wrench to loosen/remove the 10MM nut. This should be done while the clip is in place holding the line steady. If you pop the clip out fist, it will be a lot more difficult to break loose the joint b/c you have nothing steady holding it down.
5) Finally, use a flat head screw driver to pop out the retainer clip that secures the brake hose to the chassis.
6) You can now completely remove the rubber brake hose. You need to reuse these two clips.
7) Note: I highly recommend removing the brake hose before the caliper b/c if you take off the caliper first, you will not have a steady surface to remove the hose and this avoids having the hang the caliper while you remove the other end of the hose.
Remove Mz5 caliper
1) The MS3 caliper body is mounted to the caliper bracket by the two slider pins. The caliper bracket is then mounted by two 17MM bolts to the steering knuckle. Mazda5 owners can reuse these bolts. The thread/pitch of these two bolts pass thought the knuckle and mounts into the caliper bracket.
2) Remove the two 17MM caliper bracket to knuckle bolts a breaker bar will make this easy.
3) Pull the calipers off. If they are a little tight to move, use a C-clamp and push in the pad/piston to get some clearance/separation from the rotor surface. Warning, this will squirt residual brake fluid out of the caliper via the bleeder valve (close it to avoid) and brake hose joint! Since the brake hose is already removed and there is residual brake fluid left in the caliper bodies. You can now easily put the calipers aside.
Remove Mz5 rotor
1) Theres a 99% chance your rotors are rusted onto the hub. How badly it is rusted will depend on where the car has lived up to this point. Mine came from the NE, in a heavily salted area, so I think I am on the worst end of things. Folks down south and out west will have a LOT less trouble with this. There are various ways to remove a stubborn rotor but I choose the mini BFH (Big Fing Hammer) method. I went with a 4 lb mini sledge b/c I can reuse it after this job, granted the bigger the BFH the easier and less effort this will take. I dont have much use for a +10lb sledge hammer afterwards YMMV. If you go this route, the impact will leave deep grooves on the rotor surface and will more than likely destroy the rotors beyond the resurface-able limit unless they come off easily for you.
2) Eat your Wheaties and start whacking at the rotor front facing. Take a nice golf stance and go to town. Hitting the backside is less effective b/c your body cannot exert the same amount of power lying on your back/side while trying to swing a hammer over your head/chest. Also, if hitting from the back, there is only a small exposed area (where the caliper mounts) open to you to hit. The rest of the back side is covered by the brake dust shield. The front end suspension/steering/brake components endure hundreds of pounds of force so youre not going to break anything from whacking the ROTOR as hard as you can (maybe if you are the worlds strongest man or using some ridiculously heavy sledge). Be more careful you do not accidently hit anything else! Focus the impact on one dedicated spot to break it loose.
3) Once you notice it is loose, you will still need it hit it front facing but start hitting it at the opposite side of the rotor, then all around.
4) Towards the end, you will need to hit it from behind to get it off. You only have a small opening at the back so youll need to rotate the rotor as you hit it. If you keep hitting it from the front end, it will cause the rotors to tilt too much and rub at the threads of the lub bolts. Keep an eye on how the rotor is tilting and rubbing on the lug bolts.
5) Post back on and let us know how hard it was/wasnt for you.
The Mz5 brake dust shield dilemma
1) The Mz5 front brake dust shields are too small for the larger MS3 rotors. You can choose 1) mod and reuse it, 2) remove it altogether, or 3) get MS3 replacement shields but Im not 100% sure the will fit but I can safely assume 99.9% they will.
2) Option 1 Mod and reuse it If you want to reuse the Mz5 dust shield, you will need to bend the bottom potion of the dust shield out of the way. The bottom has an outward facing lip, which I assume is to collect dust and directly air flow.?. I bent them by clamping two old brake pads to flatten the lip. This will give you a nice flat and straight bend. Note that you will lose the lower lip and whatever benefit it provides. Bending the lip straight down will clear the extra diameter of the MS3 rotor BUT the inner edge of the lip is now pointing lower and will get in the way of the MS3 calipers! You would need to bend the inner edge (corner towards the cabin) backwards and out of the way as well. This shield is not very solid and after ~4 years, it bends easily (relatively speaking in terms of a piece of metal). If you dont do it right, you can easily deform/destroy it. You could also just cut out the bottom portion, this might make life easier. I opted to bend the lip down and cut out the little corner piece.
3) Option 2 Remove it this piece comes off pretty easily. It is one piece that is held on by 3 bolts. You dont need a dust shield but it is suppose to help prevent brake dust build up on the rim and help to cool it by directing air flow so youll lose these benefits. They are there for a reason, good enough reason is another debate.
4) Option 3 Replace it this would be the ideal way to go if you dont mind spending for MS3 dust shields. Again, Im not 100% sure the will fit but I can safely assume 99.9% they will. You can easily cross check the part numbers for MS3 hub vs Mz5 hub. If you do, let us know.
Clean the wheel hub
1) At this point all of the old hardware is removed and you should only have a rusty wheel hub to deal with before reassembling the new setup.
2) IMHO, it is very important to do a good job at cleaning the wheel hub surface (and rotor and back/inner side of your rim). The hub mates to the rotor, which mates to rim. Any irregularities and material build-up on the flat surface areas on any of these parts will translate to vibrations.
3) There are many ways and products to clean rust. I went with chemical cleaning (set it and forget it but time consuming) b/c I wanted to avoid overzealous work (I just know I will grind too much at one location vs another).
4) I used Rustoleum Rust Remover available at WalMart for ~$6. Applies as a thick liquid/semi gel like that you brush on (old toothbrush with a flexible head works out great to reach around the stud bolts), wait 10 mins, wipe/clean off, reapply. Read the instructions. After about 5 applications (gosh, over an hour!), it got the results I wanted without the need to sand hurray for science but sucks for time lost, granted you can multi task while you wait. There is still some oxidation to the metal surface but if you run your finger through it, you can hardly feel it. A high grit sandpaper will help to smooth it al lout. Doesnt have to look pretty, just have to feel right. If you take your time and willing to sand it down, Im sure you can get it sparking like new. This is good enough for me since it will get rusted-up quick. More power to you if you do.
5) All clear and ready for the fun part!
Assembly will be easier since you get a feel of how things work and came apart. Putting stuff together is also the fun part since you get to see the reward of it materialize
Putting on the new rotor
1) Before you mount your new rotors, take some time to give it a good spray down and let dry with brake cleaner both sides. New rotors come packaged with a coating of oil to preserve the metal surface. You do not want this oil to exist between the rotor and pads. This oil will interfere with your bedding the pads as well to be discussed later.
2) Apply a nice thin coating of anti-seize to the back size of the rotor that mounts to the hub.
3) Put the new rotor on. Use two lug nuts to hold the rotors in place to make life easier when you have to put the caliper on.
Putting on the Calipers
1) Clean, prep, and reassemble your new MS3 caliper with pads and a new brake pad hardware kit. IMO, if the calipers came from a car with >60K miles, you should rebuild the caliper first. Mine came off a wreck car with <30K so I decided not to rebuild (internal O-rings). Regardless of mileage, if the calipers are used you should replace the external rubber components (channels for slider pins, caps, and brake retainer spring/clip) with a new braked pad hardware kit (I used a Centric rebuild kit). These 3 major parts affect how the floating caliper moves and dictate if you will have sticky calipers or not: rubber channels, retainer spring/clip, and grease on the slide pin. While you are at it, take a few mins to understand how the caliper works.
2) Make sure you give the slider pins a nice rub down to a nice polish to ensure all the previous gunk is off. I recommend some type of metal alloy polish; I used Eagle one alloy wheel polish. Brings the shine out on metals and great for clearing foggy convertible vinyl windows, head lamp covers, and removing burn stains off pots and pans! Stuff works like rubbing compound but for metal and with a polishing agent. Great stuff.
3) Assembly the caliper by inserting the brake pads into their respective positions (you cant mix this up), insert and mount the bracket to the caliper via slider pins (7MM), add grease, and putting on the retainer spring/clip. It should now be one complete piece.
4) Screw on the bleeder valve. I replace the standard one with a Napa speed bleeder (675-1570). Do not over tighten. Forewarning: The Napa bleeder valves come packed with a thick coating of anti-seize. It is so thick and dried, it jams the threads. You have to clean off the gunk on the threads this took some time. It may be easier to just get Speed Bleeders (the brand) that cost a little more never used that brand b/c they cost more for no good reason.
5) Slide the fully assembled MS3 caliper over the rotor and mount the two caliper bracket bolts. If you intend to change pads by breaking loose the caliper bracket bolt, apply some anti-seize on these two bolts. If not, apply some thread lock if you intend on using the caliper slider pin to change pads.
6) Enjoy your eye candy.
Assemble brake line
1) I replaced the rubber brake hose with a stainless steel line. If you are going to do this upgrade, mind as well pony up for the SS lines.
2) Start by tightening the SS line to the brake hard lines under the chassis. You can fanangle the hard brake line into the SS line easier to work with that way and yes it has some flex. Once tighten, slip on the retainer clip and tap it in to secure the line. Make sure it is tight though I can never get aftermarket SS to securely mount with OE clips. I used zip ties to keep them from potentially popping out but will be adding shims to keep the clips in place. Be sure you dont zip tie any portion of the braded SS line.
3) Moving on to the middle section of the brake line, slip on the mounting hardware to the shock body bracket and tighten the other retainer clip same as above.
4) NOTE: Brakes lines have flex to accommodate steering and it looks like it may rub the shock at the top part of the mount bracket. You can take different precautions to avoid this but I decided to reuse what I had. The old brake lines have these thick covers/protectors on the line to prevent rubbing at this very point. I CAREFULLY cut them out with a blade and placed it over the roughly same section of the SS line and zip tied it down. You could also do it many other ways (put those covers on the bracket or cut off top half of the bracket).
5) Finally, tighten the brake line into caliper. IMO, on both ends of the SS lines, once you have the threads aligned and given a good 2 turns, apply some thread lock and tighten the rest.
6) You are done. Take a nice pic and post it.
Out with the old and in with the new. The final step is to prep/prime the braking system for use. These procedures are pretty universal but must be done properly.
Bleeding the system:
1) In short (using standard OE bleeder valves), close all bleeder values except the one you want to work on. Ensuring the brake fluid reservoir never gets below the minimum line or overfilled, pour in new fluid until you see fluid coming out of the one bleeder valve that is open close the bleeder. Repeat this for all bleeders (dont forget the clutch slave bleeder!). This process ensure fluid is in the lines and calipers/clutch. Finally close all bleeders, top off brake fluid, and close cap. Let start pumping.
2) Start with person A pumping the brake pedal ~3 times and holding it down after the 3rd. Person B opens the bleeder valve furthest away from the fluid reservoir to let out pressure build-up, which pushes the air out first, followed by fluid. You will need to insert a small drain hose (3/8 ID?) over the bleeder nipple and the stick the other end into a bottom, ensuring the end is submerged in new fluid to prevent air draw back. When the bleeder valve is opened, the person A holding brake pedal down will feel it depress completely in ~2-3 secs. Person B must close the bleeder valve before Person A lets go of the pedals or else it will suck in air. This whole time, make sure the brake fluid reservoir does not get below the low line and the cover is closed. Repeat this a few times. Do in the following order. Rear right, RL, FR, FL, clutch slave (same process but pumping the clutch pedal) farthest from the brake fluid reservoir first and work towards it.
3) There are other ways to bleed a system and tools for this. Since this is a generic process, Ill leave it to Google for more detail. IMO, do not depend on gravity bleeding. It is only good to ensure fluid is in the lines and may not force air out of the system.
4) Speed bleeders have a built-in check valve so you can eliminate person B. Open it 1/4 -1/2 turn of the bleeder valve, pump until you are happy, and close valve when done. The check valve prevents air from coming back into the system.
Put wheels back on:
1) Check to make sure all nuts and bolts are tightened but do not over tighten!
2) Put wheels on and tighten lugs to 90%. You dont want to torque it while on jacks. Get the lug nuts aligned and tighten.
3) Since the car is already lifted on jack stands, it is easy to slide your hydraulic jack to cross member to lift-up the car, remove the jack stands, and lower it back down.
4) Tighten lug nuts to spec. Done!
Bed-in new pads and rotors:
1) In short, this requires 1) an open road 2) a series of medium to hard stop, enough to build up heat on the rotor and pads but not so much that you start smelling burnt metal. Do not come to a complete stop until you are done and have done a cool down lap -sorta speak, and 3) do this at various speed intervals. Goal is to heat up the surface area on the pad and rotor to just hot enough so they mate.
2) There are many variations of this based on different pad/rotor makers and aggressiveness of the pad you are using. The process to bed-in street pads is not the same for race pad. They have different heat tolerances before fading occurs. Google to find one that suites your pad selection.
http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=85
Overall this mod is not hard at all. The time consuming part is preparing and cleaning but these can be done in the comforts of home. The hard and tedious part is getting the rotor off, cleaning up the hub, and taking the time to rebuild the caliper if you choose to. IMO, if you need to change rotors and pads, mind as well upgrade! MS3 calipers w/ bracket are becoming more plentiful and can be found for $200ish +s/h. Dont be afraid and anything can be repaired or replaced. Please do not attempt if you do not have common sense. Feel free to ask any questions or let me know if something is incorrect or can be better.
Sorry for being so wordy. I wrote them in sections and didn't realize when you put them together, it gets quite long. Pics to come once I get them sorted out.
