red2012

I have been looking at numerous past threads and some people say remove just the middle pin, some say none, some say it doesn't matter! So what is it. Even a video on u tube a guy doing ZO6 brakes says never take out any pins. I'm using padlets and doing them myself. If somebody can giver me a definitive answer and say DO NOT TAKE OUT THE PINS I would be a happy camper. BTW my car is a 2013 GS with 14,000 normally driven miles and the dealer already put in two sets of pads ( UNDER WARRANTY ) besides the original pads the car came with when new and after 3,000 miles everytime they squeel like crazy. So I'm gonna try Auto Zone Gold ceramic, put alot of backing adhesive on and hope for the best.

Not So Fast

I just did mine, 2011 GS, with Duralast Gold pad-lets. There are ample threads on the subject, and if I can do it then you can do it. The fronts you will have to pull the 2 center guide pins out, the rear just the center one. Take you time and recheck everything you do. Then BED the new pads. I couldn't be happier with the results
NSF UH I just saw your last part of the thread about the adhesive, check with DuckVett, he did that and is going to redo them without the adhesive, I used NONE!!!!!!!!!!! Hardest part of the job was getting the car up in the air, PITA, damn low things LOL

red2012

Do you know for a fact you have to take out the center pins or did you just do it anyway. I am pretty good at doing brakes and have done alot of cars just never one that used pins.

HK770

Red2012


Either pins or entire caliper. I found it easier to remove caliper. Whlie off opened bleeder ports and compressed pistons.

Was the best thing for me, in that I intended to freshen up brake fluid.

Pins both sides of caliper !!!!

red2012

Ok thats a answer I wanted to hear in as much other threads I have found also said this but were a little vague. That's what I wanted to do is just pull the caliper and take the padlets out without touching the pins correct?

HK770

YES

Instead of padlets you can get full size pads. They will go in like most other cars. I did use Duralast gold padlets myself.


Front Brake Caliper Mounting Bracket Bolt 175 N·m 125 FP
Rear Brake Caliper Mounting Bracket Bolt 175 N·m 125 Fp



Red2012 pm sent

Turbo6TA

I wrote this after replacing the pads on my 2011 GS:
__________________________________

Replacing GS / Z06 Brake Padlets:

It is not necessary to remove the calipers when replacing brake pads, so in this procedure, we are not going to be removing the 2 large caliper mount bolts.

1. Locate the guide pins on the caliper. You will see 4 pins on each of the front calipers, and 3 pins on each rear caliper. That is just for the outside of the calipers, but there are the same amount of guide pins on the inside (backside) of the calipers too.

2. Use a Torx-45 bit attached to a 3/8” socket wrench to remove all these guide pins .. Be advised .. some people will tell you that you only need to remove the center guide pins, but after doing this job, I can tell you that you want to remove all of them. Actually, the guide pins were really very easy to remove.

Note: 2007 and earlier models may have Allen heads instead of Torx heads on these guide pins

3. The old padlets can now be grasped with a pair of pliers and removed.

4. Once the padlets are all removed, compress each piston using a small C-clamp. This will make it easier to install the new padlets. A small block of wood may be used on the outer side of the caliper to protect it if the C-clamp you are using don’t have plastic parts that contact the calipers.

Note: The reservoir on the brake master cylinder should be no more than 1/2 full prior to compessing the pistons in the calipers. Otherwise, fluid may flow out of the master cylinder when the caliper pistons are compressed.

5. Clean each guide pin you remove with brake cleaner, and apply a little High Temp Brake Parts Lubricant to each guide pin (this is usually included with the new padlets).

6. First, install the lower guide pin

7. Then insert the padlet, and then the next guide pin. There should be some movement of the pad when the pins are installed properly.

Note: You will see a little tab on each padlet. That tab points to the outside of the calper

8. Proceed by installing the padlets from the bottom to the top of the caliper.

9. When all the pads are pins are inserted, torque the guide pins to 30 ft-lbs.


.

red2012

I appreciate the replies but I would prefer to do it WITHOUT removing any guide pins and it seems the way to do this is to remove the caliper. That's the way I have always done brake jobs so that's the way I would like to proceed. So remove the caliper, compress the piston and remove the padlets, correct? Just put in the new padlets the reverse of taking them out and I'm good to go right?

Turbo6TA

Hope you have a good 1/2" drive breaker bar ... You are going to need it to remove those 2 bolts that attach the calipers.

Your standard 3/4" drive ratchet won't budge those 2 bolts ... that's a fact

red2012

Good to know. Were I do my work I have $70,000 worth of tools at my disposal, I don't think getting those bolts out will be a problem.

EVRose

Would be better to take the fluid res cap off instead of opening the bleeder ports to compress the caliper piston. That way yoy wont risk getting air in the system. IMO.

HK770

you are right, but I did say was refreshing brake fluid (changing out all fluid)

With a brisk brake bleeding !!!

Not So Fast

If you think removing the caliper is easier then by all means do it that way, why ask about doing it any other way ??
It seems obvious that pulling the guide pins are MUCH EASIER but whatever. As far as the pistons being pushed back or compressed a little it wasn't a big deal, just put a shop towel in between the caliper and the pry bar, they moved easily without all the other hullabaloo and the padlets almost fell out by themselves.
That's the beauty of the GS or Z06 brakes, EAST PEAZY pad change!!
if you decide to pull the guide pins then when initially loosening them, give the handle of the socket wrench a whack with the fist to break them loose instead of just trying to constant pressure muscle them out, sort of breaks them free OK
I'm out, good luck
NSF PS padlets can be installed upside down so the tabs go on top or up away from the hubs and the set of new will have sensors so pay attention to how the old ones came out

red2012

Because I wanted to know if you pull the calipers do you also have to pull the pins. I didn't know if one went with the other. There that wasn't too hard. Obviously you haven't heard all the nightmare stories of trying to get the pins out, frozen ones, stripping the heads etc..Just because maybe you had a good experience pulling the pins: there are ten horror stories for every good one.

Dano523

Yes, leave the pins alone so you don't end up marring the socket heads if they don't want to thread back out, and remove the two 21mm wrench head larger back bolts that are holding the entire caliper instead.



On the large caliper bolts, break out a wire brush to remove as much of the old 242 loctite, and when you go to reinstall the calipers, go on the wetter side with loctite 242 to re-coat the threads of the bolts, and they get torqued to 125ft lbs.

The front end is easy to torque the bolts with a 1/2" torque bar since you can turn the steering wheel to get a better angle, but the backs are a bit harder since you can not turn the back end. So on that note, make sure that you have the car high enough on jack stands so you can use a 1/2" torque wrench to re-torque the rear bracket bolts to 125 ft lbs.

Also to point out, with the car up on jack stands, and the calipers off (use a zip tie through the one of the bolt threads to hang each rotor on the car, instead of them hanging by the hoses), pull the stud star washer on the hub studs, and pull all the rotors.

Take the rotors down to a auto parts store and have then turned (even if lightly faced). The rotors wear faster on the outer edges, then the hub surface side, and you want to have the rotors surfaces squared to each other (will allow the pads to mate in faster).

When the back rotors are being turned, check the inside disc section for an entry lip to the E brake drum, and if they has high ridge before the main worn section of where the E brake pad will make contact to the drum on the rotor, have the shop turn the unworn ridges off the drums of the rotors to flush the entry ridges to the rest of the drum (e brake drums of the rotors don't need to be turned, but if they have entry ridges of unworn metal at the start of the e drum edge, the ridges need to be turned off since you will needed to install and pull the rotor off to adjust the E brakes correctly.

As for adjusting the e-brake, work one side at a time with the car in neutral.

Put the rotor on and turn it one rotation and listen for any brake pad contact to the inside of the disc on the rotor (light hissing noise). Pull the rotor back off, adjust the pad star nut to spread the U shaped e brake pad out wider, put the rotor back on and give it another tune. Do this until you hear a light hiss of the pad making contact in a spot or two as you are rotating the rotor, then pull the rotor back off, and adjust the start adjuster nut back in until you don't get any his noise as the rotor is being turned. Once you get one side done, move over to the other side, adjust it correctly as well. With both rotors on, pull the E brake all the way up, release it back down, then go check the rotors again for any hiss sound of the shoe to drum as they are being turned.

With the E brakes set correctly, the E handle should click up around 7 clicks, and to get a 8 or 9 click on the E handle up more, should just about dislocate your shoulder.

wrh3

No issues here, also removed center pins and installed Duralast Gold pads F&R.

Compressed pistons with new tool, cardboard prevented scratches on caliper:

Classic-Chevy-Guy

Where did you find the tool?

wrh3

There are a few places that carry it, I bought mine at Mid America MW:

http://www.mamotorworks.com/Corvette...-tool-104005-1

Adam@Amp'dAutosport.com

If you buy Carbotech 1 piece pads just pull the caliper bolts job done!

http://www.101corvetteprojects.com/2...rvette-c6-z06/

Not So Fast

Right, so sorry I answered your post, wont do it again that's for sure
NSF