Changing front brake discs

Since swapping the Mud Tyres for road ones, and fitting the spacer kit, we have noticed that on some surfaces, and when braking, the little Suzuki wants to shoot across the road, or the steering shakes violently.
Now we know the wheels are balanced, but, having just done 64,000 miles, a question regarding the condition of the front discs has been raised.

The symptoms would suggest it's not the dreaded "Death wobble", but warped / worn discs.

Has anyone changed their discs?
Any reccomendatipns ? Any tips?
Was it a quick job or is it going to be major surgery ?
Will gut new pads too just for completeness.

Easy peasy job.

I got a pair of Apec discs off eBay for £25 from a clearance sale.

Remove the calliper slide bolts and remove calliper, hook/tie to chassis to avoid straining pipe.


Check that the two bushes slide back and forwards, grease with red rubber grease. They are a rattly fit in the calliper, but a tight sliding fit through the rubbers. If they are seized, free them up, or you won't get new pads in, and the brakes will pull.

Undo two very tight bolts holding calliper frame to back of hub, and remove frame.
Use slide bolts to screw in threaded holes in front of disc, tighten evenly and disc will pop off.

Clean preservative off new disc with thinners or something.

Drop new disc on, replace frame, suck brake fluid from master cylinder, push piston back with G clamp, replace pads, replace calliper and wheel.

Top up brake fluid, pump pedal until solid, top up fluid to mark.

Job done

It really is easy as has already been said. Copper grease will be OK for the sliders if you don;t have red rubber grease. Use a little thread lock on all the bolts that you undo when you do them back up, such as the carrier bolts etc

Make sure you clean up the surface where the disc is going to sit with a wire brush and emery to make sure it sits on the hub square and put some copper grease on there to make the disc's removal in the future easier.

If you can't get the disc off with bolts through the threaded holes on it, give the blighter a good clout from behind with a hammer and keep tuening the disc as you do so and the shock might release the rust a bit.

Just a little note though, I get a little bit of steering wheel shake when I brake from speed, nothing major, but I know my discs are ok. There are lots of other factors on a Jimny, such as the condition of wheel and kingpin bearings and also perhaps the tread on our MT's squashing and squirming a bit as the weight comes down on them.

Warped discs usually give a horrible violent shake through the wheel and liek a pulsing feeling through the pedal. If they are warped though, this shaking can't do bearings any good, so if in doubt and you've got the bits, you may as well change them.

You must always use new pads with new discs.

Kirkynut

Cheers for the replies, im doing the easy stuff before I start to consider its the Kingpin's

Since fitting the extended brake hoses, the braking has been vague .. Ive bled the system and had air out of it, but I think the pads also could do with replacing, so I rekon, just do the whole lot.

As long as its a "Sunday Morning's" work, ill do it myself

Don't use Copper Grease or any Oil based grease. Only use Vegetable (Red Rubber Grease) or a Silicone based product...why? Take a look here.....

www.bigjimny.com/index.php/home/entry/18...sive-mistake-v15-247

Followed by a look here...

www.bigjimny.com/index.php/home/entry/18...sive-mistake-v15-248

Ah! Ignore the copper grease comment I made then! I've used it before but obviously the rubber was different.

It's a good job you pointed that out Martin as I've got my rear disc conversion to do soon and guess what I would have done!

Kirkynut