What have you done to your MX-5 today? (Part 1)

[RichardFX]

@RichardFX

Well, I’ve bitten the bullet and taken off the rear brake discs and pads etc.  It was a lot easier than I expected from having read some of the horror stories on here.

All the bolts were nice and easy with the correct tools, clean threads and no rust, just some of the usual blue thread lock. The discs came off cleanly with patience and some light tapping around the edge with the plastic hammer for a few turns of the hub.

The pads were evenly worn down to about 3mm on each of the four so definitely time for a change, all the clips and shims are in perfect nick, the sliders are nice and free, and the discs although beginning to have rust scores on the outer surfaces still measure at 10mm.

So new pads and a piston compressor are on order, and the discs are going round to a friend who has a lathe (and the ability to make a proper hub clamp) to dress the slight scoring and rust lines on the outer surfaces. The inner surfaces are free of scoring, but a light dressing to remove the tarnish will be good for the new pads.

And while I wait for the new pads to arrive (“before Friday” apparently) I’ll put some pale blue paint on the calipers and pad carriers.

The front brakes had new pads only three thousand miles ago at the last service, so they will not get the pale blue paint just yet.

Job done.  Clean discs, new Brembo pads, and painted calipers fitted.

I reused the unmarked Mazda shims because the Brembo shims had a less good match to the contact points for piston and caliper.

The piston winder kit from Az had a 4pin adaptor to wind the piston, perfect.  I was prepared for a struggle, but they were dead easy and smooth, with just a touch of brake fluid to lubricate the boot-to-piston seal of the bellows. 

Robbie’s guide in the Downloads is excellent, torque settings very helpful.  The only addition I’ve made was to apply fresh Loctite blue thread-lock to the bolts to keep any future rust out.

The discs before

Cleaned outer faces, about 10 thou taken off the worst one (L below, R above), the other three faces just needed an emery block, and the new pads will do the rest for me so long as I keep it dry…

Cleaned inner faces

A freshly painted caliper assembled to the hub that had the worst disc

Wheel on and all tightened up.