This is how we received our overhauled brakes from Brake Tech Solutions. The difference is amazing. they included all new wheel bearings, dust seals, flexible lines, and hardware necessary to complete the installation. With our suspension components overhauled and re-installed, it was time to re-assemble our front brakes. | 
The first re-assembly step is to mount the spindle. Simply slide the spindle onto the upper ball joint and place the nut on to hold it in place, then insert the two bolts that hold the spindle to the lower ball joint. Don't forget to install the sheetmetal dust cover at this time, and be sure to install cotter pins once everything is in place and tightened. |
To pack wheel bearings, place a liberal amount of grease on the palm of one hand, then hold the bearing's inner race tight against the bearing's rollers, creating a larger gap on one side. Now push the bearing into the grease with the larger diameter side down, forcing grease into the bearing assembly. Rotate the bearing and repeat this procedure until grease comes out the top of the bearing, indicating that it is completely packed. | 
Prior to installing our rotors, we give them a cleaning in the parts washer to remove any oils that are on them. Rotors are usually coated in oil as a corrosion inhibitor, and it needs to be removed so it doesn't impregnate the pad, which will cause degraded performance of the braking system. If you don't have a parts washer, just spray them with brake cleaner before installation. |
Rotors are retained by the spindle nut, which is held in place with a cotter pin. We generally snug the spindle nut until we feel slight resistance when spinning the rotor, then back the nut off, aligning the cotter pin and allowing the rotor to spin freely. | 
With the rotors in place, the calipers can now be installed. Our brake pads are symmetric, but some applications do have an inner and outer pad, so make sure you get them placed correctly. Take precautions to ensure grease and oil don't contaminate the pads or rotor during installation. |
Our new flexible brake lines are now installed with the provided copper gaskets on the caliper side. The line is then placed through the mount in the frame and held in place with a C-clip. The hard line can then be connected, sealing the front brake system from outside contaminants. | 
We now fill the system with quality DOT 3 brake fluid and bleed the brakes beginning with the wheel furthest from the master cylinder. Check the fluid level often during this process because if you let a reservoir get pumped dry you'll ingest air into the system and have to start over. It helps to have a friend or family member in the car pumping as you open the bleeders to allow trapped air to escape. Continue bleeding until all air is out of the system and the brake pedal is firm. Keep an eye out for leaks during this process as well. |
With our brake system bled, we use the alignment adjustors in the upper control arms and tie rods to get the alignment close enough to drive to an alignment shop for a four-wheel alignment. After aligned, the car drove like new. Our new brakes and suspension components made a huge difference in the car's ride and handling, and gave us the confidence that we could now maneuver with more modern cars even in rush hour traffic--not bad for a couple of weekends of work. | |