removing rotors with Performance Package Brembo calipers
 

I have a 2009 BRZ with the PP Brembo option. It is my daily driver but is also for occasional track duty. My track car (99 E36 m3) lives at my local track (NJMP), so the BRZ is for trips to WGI, Summit Point, etc.

I have track pads (carbotech 12/ 10) which I swap on and off for track days. With the Brembo's, it's easy and quick, but I am having a hard time changing rotors.

The problem is that the street (OEM) pad material is bedded on the rotors, so when I changed to the carbotech, I had a problem with brake judder. Big problem... the wheel was shaking pretty seriously when braking into turns.

I suspect that it is from the brake material from the OEM pads interacting poorly with the carbotech material. It's tough to bed in pads when the rotors have brake material from another pad already bedded in. I tried to drive with the track pads on the car and use them to remove the brake material on the rotors. I drove a week squealing through the neighborhood, but still the brakes juddered.

I got a brake hone to remove the brake material and resurface the rotors. I took off the rear rotors and took care of them easily, but when it came time for the fronts, it was a huge pain to take off the front calipers. There are two bolts to remove which should be straightforward, but I had the following problems:

1. they are torqued on ridiculously tight. I needed to put a pipe on the end of my breaker bar just to get them loose. difficult in a tight wheel well.
2. After I removed the two bolts, the bracket they secure came off. Almost impossible to put back on. Between the rotor flopping around, the bracket banging into the brake lines, and the inability to see what I was doing, I spend an hour cussing and not making progress. I finally took the upper bolt without the bracket, and used it to secure the caliper to the wheel assembly. Much easier without trying to align the bracket. Then I bolted the lower bolt and bracket to the caliper. Then removed the top bolt, threaded it through the bracket and tightened it. Also, it was nearly impossible to bet a socket on the top bolt without it hitting the bolts which secure the control arm to the suspension.

Has anybody done this with better results? Any suggestions to how I could do it better?

Thanks.

Are you trying to take off the caliper with the pads still in?

Here's what I do, and I've never had any issues getting the calipers out when I have to take out the rotors:

1. Remove wheel
2. Remove 2 clips that hold the pins in. I like to use needle nose pliers for this, but feel free to use whatever
3. Remove 2 pins + the retainer
4. Remove pads
5. Loosen 2 bolts holding the caliper to the knuckle (I've always been able to use a 3/8 rachet to do this. I'm not sure why yours was so tight on there)
6. Zip tie the caliper out of the way (I zip tie it to a spring coil)
7. Remove the rotor. Sometimes this just pulls off, but usually you have to drive a bolt through the holes in the rotor to separate the rotor from the hub if it is seized. I'm not sure what the tread is off the top of my head, but I can dig into it if you need.

See if any of that helps. If not, let me know exactly what part is holding you up!

Yup the rotors are almost always seezed on. Use an m8 1.25 size bolt. The stock bolt that's a 10mm bolt that holds engine tray cover is the right thread. Use this on the rotor holes and they pop right off with ease. Found this tip on this forum.

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Also suggest you get a pair of rotors for track days and DD because pad materials are different.

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I always use ring spanners and ratchet ones at that. If it`s too tight hold it in the direction to undo and give it a wack.