frankv

Hi,

Had our rear brakes replaced by dealer at 28K miles with the same crappy ones (new kit not available at the time), and now at 53K miles those have worn out as well. The new kit comes with a new clip and special lube from what I've read that will hopefully make them last longer, and a "new installation method"!?

Has anybody installed the new rear brakes on their own? Anything special to consider?

Thx,
Frank

that_boy_sammy

Might as well do the front too. There are two or three bolts on the caliper that you need to remove to take the caliper off. Take the old pads out put the new ones in. The "special lube" goes on the outside of the brake pad(the metal part) NOT the inside! Then put everything back. And don't worry about the new installation method, you're thinking to hard.

BLKFLSH

It's not difficult, but you do have to know what you're doing. For instance, you have to screw the rear calliper piston in (clockwise), and put the lube in the right places.

MSchu

on a scale form 1-10... it's a 2 a long as you have all the tools

BLKFLSH

I found this link very informative.
http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/faq.html#brakes

Mechanic

Frank, www.driveaccord.net is your friend. There are several threads and excellent videos that will walk you through a rear brake pad replacement. It is not difficult work, but watch the videos to get a sense of what's involved and what you need to do the job correctly without any false starts.

When you're finished you will think to yourself that it wasn't much more difficult than putting bread in a toaster.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc..._yMF-tE7lzvp9Q

frankv

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement!

The video is great, but that brings up another question. Should I go with the new Honda brake kit that includes the new clips, or buy the Autozone Duralast Gold ones? I like the lifetime warranty, but I'm wondering if the new clip is essential to get longer wear out of new pads irrespective of the brand of pads installed? Even if the Autozone pads will be replaced for free, I'd like to avoid changing them more often than necessary.

Anyone with experience on how long either the new Honda or the Autozone pads will last?

Mechanic

Is there life after death? Is there one God? Which lasts longer . . . OEM or AutoZone pads. These, Frank, are all among life's mysteries.

Let's go back a square. I'm going to guess that, as an owner of an '08 Accord, you were notified of the class action lawsuit regarding premature wear of '08, '09 and 2010 Accord rear brakes, and that you may have been reimbursed for a portion of the cost of your original brake-pad replacement. Yes? It's been a while since I looked at the paperwork, but if memory serves, you may be eligible for additional reimbursement (up to $150) for additional brake work, regardless of the mileage, if the work is performed within three years of when your Accord was first put in service (i.e., sold to you). You may also be eligible to submit a claim for the pads alone, even if you do the work yourself. To find out, you need to read the correspondence from the "Honda Rear Brake Pad Administrator." If you don't have that correspondence, you can contact the HRBPA at P.O. Box 2322, Faribault, MN 55021-9022, and ask for it.

I mention all this because, if the OEM pads are reimburseable, free obviously beats paying for another set, OEM or AutoZone.

Turning to the OEM pads, the replacement pad # is 43022-TAO-A40. The set comes with the springs you referred to. There's nothing magic about the two springs. They simply attach to the brake pads and, in theory, push the pads away from the (turning) brake rotors when the driver lifts his foot of the brake pedal. (These pad springs are in addition to the spring clips you saw in the video. Those hold the pads in place.) The replacement pads reportedly are more durable then the original pads. The replacement pads also come with the paste you referred to. The purpose of the paste is to eliminate brake squeal; not to lubricate the brake slider pins. You will need to do that as well. (You also need to swap the slider pins, top to bottom. The instructions that come with the pads illustrate how that's done and explain the need.) This may sound complicated. It's not. This is only because you don't have the parts in your hands. This is not difficult work.

WRT the issue of which is better, OEM or aftermarket (such as AutoZone), I don't know. I doubt that any reasonably priced replacement pad (i.e., a $60 pad set) is vastly better than another. If, however, you are not eligible for another set of free OEM pads, you may as well go with the AutoZone pads (those recommended in the video), because AutoZone claims they will replace the pads without cost if they wear out. (Get that guarantee in writing.)

Take your time. Double-check yourself as you go along, and you'll do fine.

94EG8

As far as those rear pads go, make sure they slid freely in the caliper bracket. When I worked for Honda we used to grind a little off the new pads so they would move freely, otherwise they seize the same as the old ones, you'll also want to clean up the anti-rattle/spring clips that the pads fit into, and then lubricate them with the packet of lube that comes with the new pads (if you're buying aftermarket pads use neverseize)

frankv

Thanks - re: difference in longevity of the pads, I was just wondering if the Honda supplied springs would be essential to get longer life out of ANY pad, no matter which brand, due to them correcting or at least compensating for a design flaw in the rear brake setup. Guess it's too early to tell since they haven't been out that long, and since the Autozone ones will be free once paid for initially that's probably the way to go regardless.

BTW, don't think I need rotors yet, but why is there such a huge price difference between front (~$52) and rear (~$20)? Actually, just checked again, now it's $47 for the front - Autozone must be changing their prices on the fly. Still more than twice as much for front.

BLKFLSH

The front rotors are much thicker, larger diameter, and vented (take a good look). Even though the Honda pads might wear quicker, they are quiet (at least they have been for me). I would rather change the pads (and pay for them) more often, then have squealing pads for life. Maybe the Autozone pads don't squeal either, but I'm not taking that chance, because I seriously detest squealing brakes.

frankv

Agreed, squealing pads would be a bummer, but I can always switch back to the Honda ones on the next set if that turns out to be an issue. Bought the Autozone pads last night and will install tonight.

Thx for the explanation on the rotors - still quite a price difference.

frankv

Installed the rear pads a couple of nights ago, swapping the caliper pins but leaving the rotors alone as they looked good. Took me close to 1.5 hours, but I took my time and had to hunt down a couple of tools from around the house (no air tools either, one of these days perhaps). Still not a bad hourly wage considering the dealer wants close to $300 for this and the pads and lube cost me $65 from Autozone (free replacements as long as I own the car).

BTW, if you do this job by yourself you really should buy the specialty tool for the caliper pistons (I tried but they were out of stock). I ended up using a wide chisel that I turned with adjustable pliers while a helper held the caliper. Would shave off a few minutes in installation time as well.

Also, I found it easier to insert the new pad on the inside of the car first.

Kev2010

Did you replace with OEM pads or aftermarket?

Kev2010

The OEM pads squeak a lot until the break-in period is completed.