Just got new (lower dust) pads for my 07...

b4 I dig into the job, anyone aware of any major complications with changing pads on the new one?

I'ver done many different vehicles, including my 02 .... and having just wrestled with a Honda for the first time (boy that's a LOT easier if you just take the entire caliber OFF rather than try to wiggle the front pads and all the little clips and springs and shims into place while it is hanging) thought there might be someone with a warning or a "no problem mon"

 

You B the first!

 

If they are non OEM pads and they dont have provision for the brake wear sensors you may have a problem .

 

Cool!
Who's pads and where did you get them?

Seperating the caliper from the hose would diffenently add time to the job. Use a C clamp to compress the piston. Should make plenty of room.

 

Haven't gotten my R56 yet, but your most likely going to need a proper brake tool for retracting the rear calipers, they need to be rotated in while you're compressing them, simply trying to squeeze them in will damage the calipers.
If you were a little closer ...

 

EBC released their greenies a few weeks ago...they are sitting on my work bench. MiniMania and others have in stock now.
http://new.minimania.com/web/Item/NM.../InvDetail.cfm

I have them on my 02....they are much lower dust than OEM.

They have the slots for the sensors (I've also hung them on a few other cars for fellow MINI'ites) .... seems they are one of the few aftermarket that do..sensors slide right in on the gen1...

and I have the HF caliber tool.....

OK, I'll let you know if I encounter any curve *****.

 

Anyone know why OEM brake pads have so much dust? BMWs are notorious for this, and I guess they designed it into the MINI.

 

I've read a lot of negative comments about the green pads on the Wheel, Tire, and Brake forum. Was that an old formula pad? Please let us know how they work out for you. Rumor is that Hawks wont be available until spring.

 

Lots of dust is from soft brake pads that give good brake performamce. Harder brake pads = less dust and also not as good brake performance. I'll live with the dust rather than sacrifice brake performance. I have found that all of the German car's I've have owned create alot of dust but have great brakes, not so with other cars I have owned.

 

I started using EBC greens on my 02 at the first pad change

I've installed them on several other cars when people asked me how I kept my wheels clean

I've no complaints.....I've been to the Dragon with them

but I don't a/c ...

I find them an ideal replacement for a steet car - low dust, and the sensor still works.

Why do the OEM dust bad? Don't know, but not restricted to BMW .... I see lots of MB with horrible front wheels and Por' too. While OTOH, the Japs seem to use a very low dust compound. My Hondas and Toyo's have never had dusting issues.....

Some say Krauts just use a very soft pad ... and rotor for that matter, to get max grip. I will say that my 02 rotors with 70k on them have A LOT more wear than my Miata did at 175k.

 

I just about threw away a set of EBC Greenstuffs on my old Jetta I just sold. Whether cold or hot those pads just didn't seem to grab as well as OE VW pads. I put in an almost gone set of OE pads (probably Pagid) into the car because I didn't want anyone driving the car with such crappy braking. Believe me, I've been through pads - OE Pagid, Hawk HPS, HP+, Hawk blue for the track, Ferrodo, Carbotech, and some not quite as bad MetalMasters.

Braking is not an area you want to skimp on. The difference of 1 foot of braking distance could mean the difference between not hitting something and destroying the front of your car. Not to mention the damage done to another vehicle, person, or otherwise somewhat moveable object.

 

Did the fronts today - took about 40 minutes and I was not rushing. May even be easier than GEN1 as you don't need a hex socket anymore - everything is accomplished with a simple metric set. Needed a little leverage to get things loose but no complaints there. Since I'm putting these on right up front (2500 miles) the piston didn't need to be pushed back much, the oem pads are hardly worn. B4 removing the OEM I pushed the piston back with my thumbs and everything went right together.

Pads dropped right in and the sensor fits right in the slot (fyi if not familiar there is only a sensor on the left front and I believe right rear.....nothing is 'wrong' when you don't find one on the right front)

They are grabbing just fine thank you (as they have for about 18 months on my 02). I noted as I had the stock & greenies sitting on the bench that the OEM r TRW products and the EBC pad had a larger contact area.

Sorry - female parasite unit has my digicam buried in her room so I didn't update the good instructions available here....but sufice to say, no curve *****....straight forward pad replacement. A great DIY job.