Has anyone across a tutorial for installing the smaller rear callipers on the defender p400 ? I can’t seem to find much online anywhere - feels like an explanation on this would be valuable for the community, certainly those looking to pop 18 inch rims on their defenders… I have a set of lucky8 callipers on the way.

 

It is pretty straightforward. If you dont have the pathfinder scan tool, you remove the electric parking brake drive off of each caliper and manually screw the drive out to release the brake. Then its just a couple bolts. And of course blewd the brakes

 

My understanding is that you need to do certain software/code updates otherwise one will run in to fault codes… see this thread here: https://landroverforums.com/forum/20...ogress-107063/

have you installed any yet?

 

Yes we have. No issues with faults. We use a pressure brake bleeder tho. I know using the conventional pedal pumping to bleed doesn't seem to work well.

 

I did my own also and used a pressure bleeder. 9,000 miles since and no issues or fault codes.
Don't forget to turn the parking brake off before you start (the car likes to ensure that the brake is on).

 

Okay - would you be able to help me brake this out step by step? I've tried to list the general steps below...but some detail for each would be super helpful, I can perhaps even make a short video then and make available to the community for others to use...

Steps assuming no scanner tool...

1. Switch off the parking brake using the switch in the main cabin?
2. Lift car and remove rear left wheel
3. Remove the electric parking brake drive off of the calliper
4. Manually screw the drive out to release the brake
5. Remove the existing calliper
6. Attach new Lucky8 calliper
7. Insert brake pads
8. Attach the parking brake
9. Bleed the calliper using a pressure bleed kit
10. Put wheel back on
11. Check engine brake fluid compartment and top up as needed

 

You have the basics right.
I took a few pictures and and intended to post them but never got around to it, so here goes.

I've done brake work on other cars and watched this video in preparation for this.

1. The tools you'll need:
   11, 14, 17 mm wrenches
   T-30 and T-45 Torx
   Brake bleeding equipment
   
   
2. Make sure parking brake is off. It takes some trial and error to make sure the parking brake is off when the car is turned off.
   
3. Jack the car--I was able to jack the front high enough to put a jack stand in the rear
   
   
   
4. Remove wheel.
   
   
   
5. Here's the brake caliper with the problem area highlighted. The ridges stick out too far and prevent the 18 inch wheels.
   The ridges on the replacement calipers are not as high.
   Another option is to shave these off as another member has done--I can't find the post.
   
   
   
6. Basic parts
   
   
   
7. Remove caliper by removing two main bolts.
   You don't need to remove the brake pads.
   You'll want to have something like a box to set it on after it's removed so that there's no tension on the brake line.
   
   Learn from my mistake--I did not think about the e-brake before I worked on the first caliper and did not turn it off. A minute or two after I took the caliper off, the e-brake tightened, and of course there was nothing to tighten so brake fluid starting spilling out. Thankfully the fluid in the master cylinder did not go below the low line and all was fine except for a mess of fluid.
   So make sure you don't have the e-brake on.
   Perhaps you can remove the e-brake unit first and that would be better, but for the other caliper I just made sure the e-brake was off and it was fine.
   
   
   
8. Remove the e-brake thing
   
   
   
9. Install new calipers.
   Attach e-brake thing.
   Move the brake line from old caliper to new caliper. You'll need to be ready and do this part quick as fluid will leak during the transfer.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
10. Bleed the brakes.
    This took a long time for me--about the same amount of time as it did to replace the caliper.
    I used a Motive pressure bleeder.
    
    
    
11. The passenger side has a wire that I believe is used to sense when the brakes are worn too low.
    Just note where it goes before removing everything and put back into place when reassembling.
    
    
    
12. Feel like a boss with a P400 and 18 inch wheels.
    Note that there is very little clearance between the brake calipers and the 18 inch wheels, especially in the front. Use a tire shop that know's what they're doing to place weights so they don't hit the calipers.

 

This is extremely helpful! Was just on the phone to Justin at Lucky8 and he was talking me through the steps... the step he detailed as being most fiddly was switching off the parking brake... he suggested disconntecting the battery, using a jump starter to power the car when you start it again, place it in neutral, and then press in the parking brake button...then have person with jump starter kill the power... if you open the door whilst the car is on, apparently the parking brake just comes back on automatically...

How did you solve this step?

 

I was going to suggest disconnecting the battery to avoid faults arising because the system does air/ leak/safety checks at various stages before and after driving.
suggestion #2 is get a helper to place the car in neutral and have the e brakes unwind. Then go to the back and carefully disconnect the e brakes wires.
do this before starting and the car will never know anything was done. Manually unwinding may cause the e brakes to become uncalibrated and may then lead to the vehicle rolling away if the brake hasn’t tightened enough.
Full disclosure:
i haven’t done my brakes. Procrastinating and sick with omicron.

 

Thanks very much for going to the trouble to put this together @johnz330

Amazingly detailed and helpful stuff.

Here is the Caliper Trimming Thread from @aao4473 It is similarly amazingly detailed and helpful.




Both these caliper related posts belong in the Forum hall of fame or sticky section

It's always interesting to see that Lucky8 are grinding the part numbers off the OEM 22" wheel brake calipers. Part Numbers are LR102243 + LR102246