Brake Job From Hell (2008 Si)

[skid_marque]

Just finished the worst brake job of my life thus far.

I live in an area where winter sucks and lots of salt is laid down every year. The service manager at my local stealership assured me that their techs disassemble the brakes and grease the hubs, sliders, etc for the B maintenance.

Well, they didn't anything.

I had to smash my front driver's side rotor to bits to get it off, a first. They were all rusted to the hubs in a big way. I bought a 1986 VW Golf in 2000 while I was in school and had an easier time doing the brakes on that POS that on my two-year-old Si.

Every screw holding the rotors in place had to be drilled out and every rotor required a proper application of force to be removed (ie beating the crap out them with a hammer). A torch would have helped, I'm sure.

It gets better . . .

After smashing my first rotor to pieces, I realized that my order was messed up. I was shipped rotors for non-Si Civics. Shame on me for not checking that out first. It took a week to get that sorted out - a week with no car, which I use for work.

Just when I thought I was out of the woods as I installed the final rotor, I discovered that it was warped right out of the box. I just said 'Screw it' and went to the stealership and got another one. I made sure to pass on my complaints to the owner while I was there and it was like talking to a Heinz pickle. I'll take it up with Honda Canada this week and that'll be my last transaction with that shop.

I've spent more time on my knees this weekend than a $10 whore in a room full of millionaires, but my Hawk HPS pads and new rotors are finally installed and work great. I still need to bleed the system, but I'm waiting until my Speed Bleeders show up.

[K20_SI]

damn that blows man... tip i learned from past experience that will help you out for next time- take a large phillips head screw driver and insert the tip into the head of the screws (holding the rotors on) and tap it with a hammer (one good tap usually gets it done) and the screws will come out easy.

[skid_marque]

Believe me, I tried that. It was like God himself welded them there with a lightning bolt from his finger.

[BLouIsGod]

Haha well, on the brightside, next time you wont have to deal with the screws.

[tehcodeman]

Yeah, a torch would have saved you alot of time. Those screws come out easy when they're red hot.

[skid_marque]

Now I have an excuse to buy a torch.

[Chase]

Im about to change my brakes but my car has lived in the southwest it's whole life, Arizona and West Texas... HFP brakes w/ steel lines from corsport.

[toadolson]

Thought I'd pass on some info that you probably already know. I just changed my rotor from factory to cross drilled and slotted. My 09 SI has 10,000 miles on it after a year. Sit in the carport and is only driven short trips on the weekend due to having a work truck. Hubs where a rusted mess.

Tip: There are two screw hole that are not counter sunk opposite of the counter sunk mounting screws. They are used to remove the rotor due to a rust freeze. Find a bolt with the same thread pattern. Screw them in the holes and with equal turns, one turn on one bolt, one turn on the other. With a loud pop, it will pull the rotor off staight. Sanded my hubs down and painted with high temp, rustoneum bar-b-que pit paint. Worked GREAT!!!! Hope this helps.

[billdo83]

Originally Posted by toadolson

Thought I'd pass on some info that you probably already know. I just changed my rotor from factory to cross drilled and slotted. My 09 SI has 10,000 miles on it after a year. Sit in the carport and is only driven short trips on the weekend due to having a work truck. Hubs where a rusted mess.

Tip: There are two screw hole that are not counter sunk opposite of the counter sunk mounting screws. They are used to remove the rotor due to a rust freeze. Find a bolt with the same thread pattern. Screw them in the holes and with equal turns, one turn on one bolt, one turn on the other. With a loud pop, it will pull the rotor off staight. Sanded my hubs down and painted with high temp, rustoneum bar-b-que pit paint. Worked GREAT!!!! Hope this helps.

Exactly.

That is what we typically did at the dealership.

[concretekiller]

Originally Posted by toadolson

Thought I'd pass on some info that you probably already know. I just changed my rotor from factory to cross drilled and slotted. My 09 SI has 10,000 miles on it after a year. Sit in the carport and is only driven short trips on the weekend due to having a work truck. Hubs where a rusted mess.

Tip: There are two screw hole that are not counter sunk opposite of the counter sunk mounting screws. They are used to remove the rotor due to a rust freeze. Find a bolt with the same thread pattern. Screw them in the holes and with equal turns, one turn on one bolt, one turn on the other. With a loud pop, it will pull the rotor off staight. Sanded my hubs down and painted with high temp, rustoneum bar-b-que pit paint. Worked GREAT!!!! Hope this helps.

Yup this guy hit the nail on the head. 12 mm if I recall correctly.