I just replaced my RR310's Front brake pads for the first time after 4 year's and 17,700 Kms of ownership. So as usual I made a DIY vlog of it which you can watch here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-hz_X0ER34 Things Required
1) 12 mm socket Wrench -
https://amzn.to/3YenS5g
2) T - 30 Torx Key -
https://amzn.to/3PtYzrV
3) Bottle of Grease -
https://amzn.to/3hrcYIW
4) Flat head Screw Driver
5) Brake Pads - The one I purchased were 350 Rs which is almost impossible to get. The ones in the market are Brembo brake pads costing 2,400 Rs for the RR 310.
Before getting ready to replace your brake pads , make sure that it's life is really gone so that it warrants a replacement. For that , just check if the grooves on the pads are intact or gone completely. Also you will start getting a squealing noise from your pads due to metal on metal contact. This means it's time to replace it. Even if one of the pads has lost it's life completely and the other one still has some life in it, it advisable to replace both at the same time.
Now let's get to the DIY.
STEP 1 : Remove Metal pin with the help of the flat head screw driver
STEP 2 : Loosen the star bolt with the help of the Torx Key. Do not remove the bolt completely now.
STEP 3 : Detach the ABS line from the brake fluid line. Then Remove the 2 x 12 mm caliper bolts with the help of the 12 mm wrench as shown in the pic.
Once the 2 x 12mm bolts are removed , you can easily wiggle out the brake caliper from the rotor.
STEP 4 : Remove the star bolt with the Torx key while pressing down on the metal arrow clip.
Once the bolt and the metal clip is removed , the brake pads slide out easily.
STEP 5 : Push the 4x pistons on the Caliper all the way inwards. This usually can be done by just pushing a star or flat head screw driver hard against the pistons but in my case , it just wasn't budging. So I just slid my new pads inside and then pushed the pistons with the help of a flat head screw driver.
I placed the screw driver in such a way that it touched the back side of the pads and the edges of the piston. This way the pads don't get damaged.
Maybe I am not strong enough , I am not sure but this was the toughest part of the DIY.
Important thing to remember here is that the pistons must be pushed all the way inwards, don't even let a millimeter be outside or the caliper won't fit over the rotor once the pads are in.
If you have an air blower , you can also blow out the brake dust and dirt out of the caliper.
STEP 6 : Insert the new pads into the brake caliper.
Here you can grease the backsides of the brake pads before inserting them.
Inserting the new pads on the caliper is a bit tricky, I am not sure if I can tell it properly by words here. I will try my best but for those who have doubt in this step , kindly check my vlog which I linked above.
Insert both the pads into the caliper in such a way that the pads are facing each other and align it in such a way that the caliper star bolts hole aligns with the holes on the brake pads.
Then insert the metal arrow clip from the bottom such a way that the underside of the groove is pointing downwards. The groove also must align in such a way the the star bolt goes exactly over the groove.
It's not possible to tighten the Torx star screw in this step. We will do that in the end.
STEP 7 : Slide the brake caliper assembly over the Brake Rotors and align it with the 12 mm holes. Screw the 12mm bolts and tighten it. Then screw tighten the star torx bolt.
Remember the small pin that your removed in step 1 , slide it back in place as well.
STEP 8 : Final step is to pump the brakes multiple times so that the pistons go back to their normal position. That's it !
Nice DIY. Thanks for sharing.
Three points:
1) Though no mechanic generally does it in India, it is advisable to use gloves and a well-fitting face mask when handling brake parts and blowing away accumulated brake dust. The asbestos-laden dust is not very healthy for us.
2) Using a brake cleaning spray removes the dust and grime better, without residue.
3) Using grease on the back of the pads is a bad idea. The heat generated when braking will cause the grease to leach on to the rotor, and thereon on to the friction surfaces of the pads, causing loss of braking performance and glazing of the pads. Better to use anti-squeal paste.
