Advise regarding changing discs

[erx007]

I am about to attempt changing the front and rear discs and pads on my 2004 Defender. Not having done this type of thing (but needing to save money) I thought it a good idea to have a go myself. I am about to buy discs and pads for each wheel but should I change or service anything else while I am at it? All advise would be welcome.

[isuzurover]

It is an easy job to do.

It is a good idea to replace the hub oil seals wile you have things apart. Converting to double-lipped oil seals and oil-lubed hubs will extend your bearing life.

Apart from that, rtv/silicone for the drive flange seals and hub lockwashers if you have the early-type.

Plus some long, heavy duty cable ties to hold the caliper out of the way while you remove the hub.

[110 Pete]

Hey erx007, i had to remove my hubs and stub axle last weekend (to pull my halfshafts so I could remove my diff ;) ). It is a pretty easy job, but you may want to get yourself some new wheelbearings since you will have the hub assy off. It is a relatively easy job, you will need:



A hub spanner
Circlip pliers
Socket set
Brake cleaner (when you are working on hubs etc it is good to keep everything clean and dirt free)
Loctite (the remoable one if you every want to replace your discs again)
New discs and pads (obviously)
Some silastic gasket maker
New lockwashers (as isuzurover said )
Either oil or some grease shots for your swivel housing because when you remove the two bolts from the brake line holder this releases the top bearing of the swivel so your oil (if that is what is running in there) will come out the swivel seal.

If you end up doing your wheel bearings you will need:




Cold chisel or similar and a hammer (To knock out old bearing race)
Bit of wood and the old bearing race to use to seat the new one
Grease

I would advise watching a few videos and reading some guides on how to replace the bearings too :)


Cheers


Pete

[MightyJosh]

Get some genuine pads or you will be having ABS dramas.

[Bundalene]

Please be safe when working on a vehicle off the ground - use axle stands and chock wheels and put the spare wheel under the car.

Also when you are retracting the caliper to install the new pads, watch your brake fluid fill reservoir, especially if you are doing all four, as it may overflow and brake fluid is corrosive and a good paint stripper.

As for pads for the TD5 Defender, there are 2 types, early ones up to 2003 I think and later ones. The earlier pads are a bit thinner than the later pads. Later pads do not easily fit the earlier Defender.



Erich

[lambrover]

Another thing to do when you have things apart.

You know where the brake hose connects to the solid line on top of the swivel pin. Undo the brake hose to line connection and cut the bracket so next time you just undo the locking nut and the whole caliper and lines come up in one go with out ever needing to undo the line again or removing the top bolts from the swivel pin allowing the housing to drop and dumping the oil or grease.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

[erx007]

They all sound like great tips and I will be putting them into practice tomorrow, will let you know how it goes. Thanks all