Swapped out my old front pads for some new OEM pads.

Parts needed

• Front Pads
• Wear sensor if you’ve triggered the old one.
• 2x caliper bolts per side

Special Tools needed

• Break spreader $30 from Autozone

I swapped out the wear sensor as it had been activated.






The brake spreader works best with one pad in place. Swap it from one side of the caliper to the other. First time doing this so it took me a while to figure out this simple process.




Guide pins removal
A vice grips and a hammer/ screwdriver to get them started. Just a whack on the butt of the right sized screwdriver and it's done.


The caliper bolts are big.
133Nm plus 60 degrees. This was a workout.



A big ol impact gun to get that 60 degrees after the initial torque on the bolts would be handy. I marked 60 degrees with tire marker before giving it everything with the tire iron.


Bolts marked after initial torque of 133Nm (98ft lb) and then the plus 60 degrees.

The wear sensor is tucked in behind the plastic wheel liner.

All in all, a very doable task. I'd be much faster next time.



The warning to change pads.

GAP tool used to finalize things. Useful as always. Love my GAP tool.


Top off/remove brake fluid in reservoir as needed after exiting service mode.



Sláinte.

 

Nice work Gavin !
Did you not encounter a higher level of breakoil in the reservoir after reset of the caliper or did you top off a little before ?

 

I want to know more about these 2 things above. What is the purpose of the gap interface/setting? on the lr3 I'd just open the fluid cap, back the pistons in, new pads, close cap, go. Flushing new fluid was more involved of course but still didn't need a gap tool or anything on screen.

Then, where did you find that brand ?!!! Some of my heritage is of rural PA/farming land so I am familiar with the words but not that brand.

 

Give those brake pads a hug for surviving 70k plus! How did the rotors look? Most importantly that Nog looks very delicious!

 

I used a turkey baster to remove brake fluid from the reservoir before retracting pistons. By the end the level was back to full and i just removed a fraction more after doing the final brake calibration a nd exiting service mode.

Other option would be to crack the bleeder screw on each caliper and collect the fluid there. I just wanted to eliminate variables and stuck to the JLR instructions above.

 

The tool allows you to enter service mode. It disengages the EPB and tells the computer that service is underway I guess. Then at the end you apply brake pressure to reengage the pistons and reapply the EPB without the computer suffering a mental breakdown. I'm sure there is an easy workaround especially on the fronts where EPB does not feature. It is simple to disengage EPB and leave it disengaged when doing the rears without GAP but I like to follow the manual and have the tool. Satisfying seeing everything go back to normal.

The nog was got in World Market but I've also seen it in Hagens and Metroploitan I think. It's my favorite.

 

Rotors look mint. No need to even consider replacing them any time soon.

Eggnog was lovely. Tis the season.

 

Great info on the brake procedure, thx. Also, I'm going in search of the EggNog today !

 

Had the same question as @jwest re the use of GAP tool for fronts. The EPB is only applied to rears, right? Just curious. Have not gotten to do brakes on the Defender but on the D5 entering service mode is only relevant for the rear brakes because of EPB.

 

I'm not sure what benefit if any, there is to using the GAP tool.

Does expanding the pistons cause the computer to freak out?

I don't see how it could. It's arguably safer (if not using a lift) to not disengage the EPB when doing the front brakes.

The manual doesn't state that using a diagnostic tool or going into service mode is a must. I'm quite the novice when it comes to this stuff. Learning as I go. Perhaps he final brake calibration is simpler with the tool. I don't know.

Activating service mode sets off a disco ball of brake related dash errors.