Getting ready to do a brake improvement and have a question. How do you R&R those spring pad retainers? I've done the wire type springs before, but not what I see on my MINI. Just pop them off with a big screwdriver? Thanks for any help!
BTW, got EBC Sport front rotors, Red Stuff pads F/R and Tryolsport caliper stiffening kits F/R going on soonest.

 

Did your new pads come with new pad retainers?

If so they just come out without worrying about destroying the old ones. Then you clean out the brake dust from the area on the carrier where the new ones go. Then the new ones snap in.

If you have to reuse, I would look into finding new ones or be careful pulling the old ones out.

Also, are those caliper stiffening kits intended for the 2nd gen car? The Tryolsport site seemed to indicate that they were for the 02-06 cars. I don't know what kind of differences there are from the first gen caliper setup.

 

Thanks tons ! That was the last piece of the brake puzzle. As soon as the new sensors arrive I can start getting dirty, LoL.

I got my Tyrolsport caliper stiffening kit thru WCM. The kit fits all Gen2 and the R53 JCW which has the same brakes as the R56 MCS. Tyrolsport's site is a little vague.

 

Dwight your sensors are on the way.

adude007, yes we have the Tyrol bushings for the R56, they fit all years.
http://www.waymotorworks.com/search....=search&page=1

 

WMW,
I am confused about how these bushing replacements work for the R56 calipers. I just did my fronts and I clearly remember a bolt holding the piston assembly to the carrier. Whereas the first gen car used the allen pressure fit in to a rubber bushing to hold the caliper to the carrier. The product shown in the picture really appears to be for the first gen, although I did find it in the R56 section. Do you have any kind of write up on installing these into the R56? I really think I am just missing something here.

Thanks,
Alex

 

Yo Alex - The Tyrolsport pins for the R56 Kit revert to the Allen head type of bolt. Also, instead of standard snap ring retainers they are using spiral ring retainers! These are OK for install, but due to the small size would be a PITA to remove for periodic re-lubing of the pins so I changed them to regular snap rings. Smalley Steel Ring Co. does make a special tool for removing their spiral rings, but I couldn't find it anywhere. In fact, most places I checked had never even seen a spiral ring retaining clip before. I hadn't either!

 

So what you are saying is that the image in the picture at the WMW site is not what they actually send you, is that correct?

 

The pics used by WMW are from the Tyrolsport site and that's the one that could use an update as far as the retaining clips are concerned. Pics in that site show both types of clips being used.

 

Wait, maybe I am interpreting the whole darn thing wrong. The kit that you purchase from WMW replaces the stock bolts with a bushing and an allen bolt that is secured by pressfit when torqued up properly. Is there something that gets replaced on the carrier side? Or is that allen bolt long enough that it replaces whats on the carrier?

 

Take a close look at the pic of the Tyrolsport kit. The SS Allen head pins replace the OEM guide pins and the bronze bushing replaces the OEM rubber one. There is a raised lip on the outside end of the bronze bushing and a grove on the inside end to take the snap ring and hold everything in place. BTW, I finally got a response from Smalley Co. about that spiral ring removal tool. It's only available from them and they want $85 for it!! I'll stick with snap rings and snap ring pliers.

 

Yea thats what I am viewing & I think I understand how it goes together. What still confuses me is that the OEM caliper and carrier uses a Bolt not guide pins and bushings. I understand what this kit replaces on the first gen car. I guess I would need to see it installed to understand what is getting replaced on the OEM setup. I understand things better when its done visually.

Post pics once you have it installed.

 

Forget the whole thing! Waylen called and said the kit will NOT fit the R56 S, only the R53. Sure glad he called before I had it all torn apart!

 

Well glad my confusion ended up helping. Have fun doing your pads and discs! Post up the results after!

 

To clarify, the "spiral" stainless rings were introduced to replace the snap rings because many people installing the TyrolSport bushing kits did not own a set of snap ring plyers. The spiral rings are to be installed without tools. These install the same way as putting a key onto a key-ring.

The brass bushings do not have to be removed from the caliper in order to be lubed. There should be no reason to remove the brass bushings after installation.

The spiral rings can be removed with a small pick, and do not require an expensive tool.

The bushings only work with R50/R52/R53 brake calipers without JCW.

If there are any other concerns, feel free to send a PM.

-TyrolSport