I finally got the rotors and pads on and as promised, here is the guide to doing them yourself.

First is the safety aspect, WEAR SAFETY GLASSES AND USE JACK STANDS!!! I cannot stress this enough. I used to laze off on both but have come into the habit of using them. The glasses I learned the hardway when a metal shaving went in my eye on an exhaust system years ago. Jack stands are just something I started using awhile ago after it had been hinted to me a few times. Well during this installation a seal let loose on the jack and squirted fluid everywhere. Car was sitting for a bit while I went to dig out the jackstands from winter storage. Glad I wasn't under it.

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I'm going to try to make this an idiots guide and as people find corrections please send them and I will edit this post.


First put blocks behind the rear tires, 2x4 will do, loosen the lug nuts on each front tire (3/4" socket) then jack up the car (see owners manual to find jack points or where the OEM jack is), and place jack stands under the frame (aluminum in color and right behind the wheels. Remove Lug nuts and tire.

 

Now using an 8" C-clamp, put one side on the back of the caliper and the other on the outside disc brake. Slowly screw in to compress caliper pistion back in. This will allow the new pads to fit.

 

Now loosen the upper and lower caliper bolts - 15mm. I used a breaker bar for this to get extra leverage. Good tip as well - since you are working from the back side of the caliper it can get confusing the direction to turn the bolts. We all know the Righty Tighty Lefty Loosy saying but it can confuse you when working in the oposite direction. I recommend using a socket wrench and setting it correctly for loosening, put it on the bolt and note the direction you are going. Then switch to the breaker bar. I ruined my first caliper removal on my Geo years ago because I thought the bolts were just frozen in real good until I snapped the sucker.

 

If you are going to paint the calipers, you can remove them for a good job or tape the **** out of the wheelwell and area and paint them there. The bonus to the taping is you don't have to bleed the breaks then though it might still be a good idea.

To remove them, I used a Craftsman Brake Line Clamp and closed off the line. Then I removed the line from the caliper (10mm?) and finally disconnected the caliper. Be carefull not to loose the brass rings that will fall out when you disconnect the line. The GM manual recommends that you purchase new ones as well.


If you are not going to paint the calipers, then just hang the caliper with some wire so you aren't putting stress on the brake line.

 

When you are done hanging or removing the caliper you can finally remove the rotor. There is a small retaining washer holding the rotor on (mine only had them in the front). These are just used for the assembly process and are not needed anymore, snap them off with a screwdriver.

One that washer is off you should be able to easily slide the rotor right off the lugs.

 

Next slide the new rotor on.

 

Here I got hung up due to storms in the area and forgot to take pictures of putting the new brakes in the calipers. You basically just push the old ones out and replace them with the new ones. Take note of which side has the clip on it... I believe it is the outside brake shoe.

Just slide the caliper back over the rotor, line up the bolts and put them back in.

Follow the directions that came with the rotors and pads for the break in proceedure. If you paint the calipers, then you need to bleed the brakes.

You have a few options with bleeding: Vacuum kit, cheap bottle kit, gravity bleed, friend push petal method. There is also another method with a check valve and a foot air pump but while I understand the theory, I haven't done it so I don't want to describe it.

Vacuum kit - simply a kit that will suck air and fluid out of the line. Craftsman kit - $60

Cheap bottle kit - put fluid in the bottle, open bleeder screw and attach hose, pump till air is out.... I don't like this method.

Gravity - just loosen the bleeder screw (8mm ?) a little bit and at some point brake fluid will come out. Free and easy but I'm not sure how reliable it is to get all the air out.

Friend push brake method - Loosen bleeder screw (8mm?), have a friend push the brake and the fluid will shoot out like a supersoaker, tighten bleeder screw while pedal is still pushed in so air doesn't go back into the line. This is the method I ended up using and it worked great!!!

In any case fill the master cylinder resivoir to the Max line before bleeding. You don't want air going into the line from the top.

 

Here are some extra pics I took. First is the boxes, new rotors, groove in my old rotor, and finally the painted caliper.

 

ooooooooooooooooo perdy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thansk for the write up also done verry well if i do say so my self.

Also if ya ever want the calipers powder coated i might beabel to help ya out on that one i have finally got everythign i need to do small parts at teh house now

 

Do these Powerslot Rotors and Hawk Pads work on 2006-2007 SS Monte's?? I'd love to install these. I had them on my Stratus and loved the braking power they provided. Thank you!