Has anyone done a brake job on their Fit, themselves?

Looking to see if there was any specific pointers anyone had, I've never done brakes by myself. I don't trust most mechanics, and I don't have money for a brake job anyhow.

Worth mentioning, I am really interested in having this car last me a very long time. Actually, the car needs to last me at least 165k miles, because that's where it should be at when I make my last payment. Though I have every intention of this car hitting 300k. So any pointers or tips to help me take the absolute best care of this Fit, where longevity is concerned, is supremely appreciated!

 

I'm all for trying DIY stuff, but the idea of working on the brakes without any experience is a bit frightening to me. At least with a registered shop they are insured, and even if they mess up and your brakes fail you have someone to sue for the damages.

 

DIY brake pads. About $41 plus shipping for the front set.

 

Brakes are pretty simple, especially the front discs. Just get the manual. Worth the cost. Follow it to make sure you get it right. I am not sure if Chiltons has one for the Fit, probably not, but that is usually only about 20 bucks.

 

Get a friend to help you the first time DIY the front discs. I change 'em all the time for myself and friends (Corolla, Subarus, etc.) and most automakers make the discs easy to service. It's a 20 minute job if you know what you are doing, and no more than a 90 minute job if it's a first try.

The rear drums are a bit more complicated. But need to be changed so rarely (once every 70k?) that I just take 'em to Midas or Honda.

Go to AutoZone and get the front brake pads with the lifetime warranty (yes, they intentionally allow you to get free replacements as they wear out). Then you'll have free brakes for life! It's the best deal ever. Just have to provide your own labor.

 

There's a first time for everything! But try to find a friend that has done them. If not, its no big deal. I actually changed my brakes for the first time on my ZX3 and have done them repeatedly on my subsequent cars as well as friends and family. Most of the front brakes are generally the same/similar setup from car-to-car (trucks included, exotics excluded) - just a matter of removing 2 or 4 bolts. Rears can be different and difficult. Drums IMHO are the easiest to change, followed by simple rear disc systems. Nissan and a few other manufacturers require a "tool" to rotate the rear calipers back into place rather than just pushing and are a PITA!

 

Thanks for all the responses, guys!

 

How frequently are we supposed to change front break pads? How often should we bleed brakes? I have never dealt with drum breaks how do you tell when they need maintenance and how much does that cost? does it make sense to put in rear discs when the time comes?

 

How often you change your pads depends wholly on how you drive, because as far as I know (yes, I know there's "afaik" I choose not to use), there isn't a time limit on the materials breaking down... or if it does, usually outlasts the car. Most pads are built with a metallic indicator... basically, when the pad wears down enough to expose this, it scrapes on the rotor creating a high pitch squealing. There's nothing wrong with replacing them earlier if you so choose (aside from cost difference between shorter vs longer intervals). But you definitely don't want the squealing to go on for too long. If nothing else, should annoy the hell out of you into replacing the pads.

I can't be sure about bleeding the brakes in terms of mileage. I do know there's a time limit on it. They should be replaced at least every 3 years (as per owner's manual pg 251 for 2010). However, I am fairly certain that if you do a lot of heavy braking, you're gonna need them changed more often. As auto-crossers and other racers know, lots heavy braking can heat up and even boil brake fluid, which will necessitate a fluid change.

The brake shoes (in drum brakes) don't need changing as often as brake pads. They aren't used as heavily as pads, so they wear down much slower. In fact, a few people on this forum and others, have had the OE shoes last the life of the car (on cars with drums in rear with disc in front). I was thinking, if you're worried about it, you can change them every other time you change the pads. Or even every third or fourth time. My friend suggests inspecting (all brakes) each time you do a rotation. So then, you can kinda gauge the wear down rate (and replace it if its un-expectantly too thin to last).

 

I'll never forget the first brake job on my 78 Honda Civic. When I bought the car, all I heard from my father was "ohhh just wait til you have to service it etc...". When it came time to swap brake pads, without having a clue what I was doing, it took an hour/wheel! My dad was watching/helping out and couldn't believe had easy and inexpensive the pads were! Years later I had a much newer Chevy Cavalier and it took hours to do the front pads and they were super expensive!!!

It's a great DIY job!

 

Brakes are generally very simple. My only hang up with our Fit was the rotor screws. Some people say they come right out. Not mine. I used an impact driver, ball peen hammer, mallet, 1/2" impact gun, etc to no avail. I finally used a drill to drill the screws out and all was good.

 

What do you mean by the rotor screws?... Never heard of them. Are you talking about the caliper bolts?

 

Illustration part # 20. I believe they are there to keep the rotors from falling off as it goes down the assembly line before wheels and lug nuts are on.

 

Yea, after you remove the wheel, there are the wheel studs sticking out of the rotor, and then you'll see a large sized philips head in the rotor. keeps the rotor attached when the wheel is off

 

I hadn't heard of them either before owning a Honda. They aren't used by many other manufacture's.

Steve is correct...they make manufacturing the car easier. I just wish they would use anti-sieze on them. I replaced mine with new screws and used a dab of anti-sieze to make the next brake job easier.

If you are only changing pads, you don't have to mess with them.

 

Oh, yeah, those are temporary screws for the assembly plant so the rotors don't fall off before they reach the tire/rim people. Why they would tighten those things so tightly is beyond me! Too bad they are so much trouble.

 

The only problem I've had with changing pads is that sometimes the brake piston pressed out a little too far to get the pads back over the rotor. We had to use a c clamp and a block of wood to get the last piston back into its home far enough to get it back on the rotor. Other than that, I've never had a problem doing pad changes in the three or four times I've done it.

 

The tool to do that job is pretty cheap... I think I paid $2.50 for it. I used to use the wood and clamp method, but this is much faster and easier. I suggest you look for a cheap tool.... it's worth it if you do a few more changes.

 

I thought the tool is the c-clamp? I use the c-clamp and the old brake pad.

 

I bought this years ago... Opentip.com: KD Tools KDT3376 Disc Brake Pad Spreader and have saved TONS of time and frustration on the many, many brake pad changes I have done since.