After having to wait 12 weeks, I'm at last fitting new Rotors, Pads, Retainer Clips, Shoes and Spring Kits for the rear.

Just have a couple of questions:-

Does anyone know the torque settings for :-
Rear: 18mm and T55 Torx bolts?
Front: 18mm and 21mm bolts?

Also are the parking brake shoes self-adjusting or do I need to set them up?

Any tips and advice very much appreciated - thanks!

 

the rear parking shoes have to be manually set up as you cannot get to the adjuster once the rotor is on. at the dealer they use a gauge caliper that has the gap offset calibrated into it so all you have to do is set it to the internal width of the rotor on one side then adjust the pads till it touches the inner part of the calipers. they look like this https://www.ebay.com/p/1566760653?ii...iABEgLlwPD_BwE

 

Shoes should be adjusted at install, adjust and spin until you feel a slight drag. My go to specs on the caliper/bracket mount bolts is tighten as normal, then I add a little more. 40yrs of practice, thousands served, and never an issue.

 

Thanks guys for your words of advice, they're very much appreciated and make sense.

Perhaps I should have bought new calipers? My brackets are so very rusty and its taking a lot of effort to clean and paint them, not really worth it I suspect. Still with COVID-19 and in social lockdown I'm not going anywhere.

Funny, I bought Pads, Shoes and Rotors early Jan, then my wife decided to fall of her horse, breaking her leg and collarbone. Its been 13 weeks today, so far I've learnt how to operate the washing machine, timble dryer, dishwasher, microwave and I've also learnt how to cook and clean. Changing my brake lines was a cinch in comparison!

Happy Easter Everyone please keep well and symptom free!

 

Definitely takes more time to clean/lube everything than it takes to replace the brakes. Most important is to remove the rust from the slides. Usually old pads take effort to remove, however if the slides are properly cleaned/lubed, the new pads will move freely when installed on the brackets. I use a bench grinder wire wheel, I also have hand die grinders with wire wheels. Be patient, it's a good way to pass some time right now.
There are many videos on YT that show how to remove rust soaking in a solution/electrolysis. I restore rusted antique tools and I soak them in tea bags water(same as you drink), yet it can take days to dissolve the rust.
Posted below is a video of a guy with a blaster, on your side of the pond rebuilding bmw calipers. Patience is the key! Good luck and Happy Easter.

 

Again what you say makes sense.

So far I've complete RH rear which took 3 days. The 18mm and T55 torx bolts took some effort to undo, the RHS was easier as I could use the suspension and chassis arms as lever points, for the LHS I used the hummer jack + breaker-bar.

I took your advice on the brake adjuster, set too wide and the rotor was hard to remove, set too narrow and there was virtually no contact, it literally came down to one notch of the adjuster, the end results were pretty go I'd say.

Like you say patience, for the RH caliper bracket I used various tools, dremel, grinder, file, wire brushes particularly are the caliper clips. 3 coats of caliper paint and it looked pretty good.

The rust under the clips tends to push them out, closes the gap and traps the pads, I think this process led to the demise of my rear rotors. The inne rotor surfaces were badly worn, partly because the pads could not move freely and partly because guide pins were as dry as a bone. The clips were also pitted and worn, so I was so glad I bought new ones.

Have to say it was nice to see new rotors fitted and the pads + new clips moved like a dream (yes I did lubricate the contact points)

Just chipping away on the left caliper bracket, so much rust, but getting there!

Thanks again!

 

At last the brakes are done, all seems AOK

To summarize:

• Classic Tube SS brake lines kit, every line replaced
• EBC Slotted Rotors (not drilled) Front & Rear
• EBC Yellow Stuff Brake Pads
• Caliper Clips Front & Rear
• Brake Shoes Rear

Thanks for all the help from our forum members, you guys were awesome