Well its pretty straight forward. I'm going to be replacing my brake pads here in a day or two and was wondering if i should just change the brake pads and do nothing else or what? SHould i bleed the system? Should i get the rotors resurfaced?

 

yes, resurface the rotors. it's apart of the pad changing process. brembo, or not. however, many don't resurface till about 30k in mileage.

 

btw i have brembos

 

yeh, i would have the rotor resurfaced.

 

There are some that have changed the pads without resurfacing...most of which claimed to not have had a problem. A mechanic at my local dealer told me you could not turn the brembo rotors. I don't really know anymore than when I change mine I'm going to do it myself and try just cleaning the rotors with some 130 grit sand paper and follow with soap and water...basically follow the directions on the Hawk brakes sight.

Brake Pad Installation Procedure
Install brake pads properly. Be sure pads are securely positioned in the caliper.
Flush system with fresh brake fluid.
Check all hydraulic parts for excess wear and tear.
Check disc for proper thickness, parallelism, and lateral runout.
Check disc for scoring or grooves over .012”depth. If either applies, resurfacing is required.
If discs do not need resurfacing, then contamination from the previous brake pads must be removed. Sand discs with 130 grit sandpaper using moderate pressure. Use soap and water to clean discs’ surface after sanding and machining. Discs should be free and clear of oil, grease, and brake fluid.
Inspect calipers for freedom of movement. Lubricate where necessary.

I'm just waiting to order the slotted rotors from stoptech. Here are some DIY directions for the brembos.

http://www.g-owners.com/article_read.asp?id=31

I have always had my rotors turned...but how are you even supposed to turn slotted and drilled rotors.

 

I just got finished installing the Hawk pads on my 04 with Brembo's. The install was fairly simple and I followed the same directions above from g-owners.com. Here are my thoughts.

I did have a slight problem with the Hawk pads not wanting to easily seat themselves back into the calipers. I think what happened was when I cleaned the calipers and rotors the gunk built up in the area where the pads are supposed to slide back into the caliper. After I cleaned that up 3 of the 4 pads went in without too much problem. The 4th one I had to knock in a bit with my pliers. I thought at first the issue was the pistons not being far enough back but they were way out of the way and I had plenty of space between them.

The instructions that Dennis put together are excellent! I also added a few steps which I feel are beneficial:

1. Open the hood and take the cap off of the brake fluid reservoir. Use bunches of paper towels and/or rags to catch the fluid that will leak out of the reservoir. Remember to replace it before touching the brake pedal!
FYI... even if you don't remove the cap, it is vented. Therefore fluid will still come out. Be certain you have towels to catch it and don't get the fluid on the paint.

2. Look closely at the old stock pads. There is a “shim” that is installed on them. This is there for a reason. The shims help with vibrations that might cause squeaking sounds. The shims felt like they were glued to the pads but I was able to remove them using a flat head screw driver. Put the disk brake quiet or whatever lubricant you use on the back of the pad and move the shim around it real good to spread it out. Line up the holes at the top of the shim with the holes on the pad. You will be able to see where the pistons will contact the shim from being installed previously. Be sure to spread some brake quiet there and also some on the rear part of the pad where the piston will contact the metal. The lubricant will basically hold the shim in place but don’t be alarmed if it moves. You can situate it back into place when you are ready to reinsert the caliper pins.

3. If the pistons are not pushed far enough back from using the pliers and the old pad they can be pushed back with your thumbs. It took a little bit of force but it was easier than fumbling with the rag, old pad, and the pliers.

One thing that I noticed about the Hawk pads is the lack of the metal tab used as the warning sign of worn pads. While this is something you should be aware of it’s not a big deal however as a quick visual check is always easy. Just remember they aren’t there.

I did not resurface the rotors but I did follow Hawks instructions with sandpaper and making sure the rotors were clean.

I followed the break in process and all seems well. They are cooling now

 

04 with Brembo's and switched to Hawk's at 9500 miles with no resurface and no problems.

 

Do they give out alot of brake dust like the oem one's?