Changing Brakes (pads or rotors)

[RWMLR4]

I have tried searching and haven't found anything clear on changing the LR4 brakes - I have changed pads / rotors for years on many vehicles but wanted to see if there was anything noteworthy on chaning the LR4's?

Any info is greatly appreciated - or a link to a prior write up.

Thanks in advance!

 

[baobay]

no one has done it yet. If you do it please post pics and step by step directions. Many of us are very interested in doing our own pads/rotors.
Thanks

 

[RWMLR4]

going with EBC yellow stuff pads - will install them this weekend along with some Warn 650s on the front bumper. pics later.

 

[holygrail]

Guys...question. How long did your brakes last? I had my 11 LR4 for 14 months now and already need brakes and rotors. The dealership said that was normal. They said that the brakes weren't designed to last very long. I asked why and they don't know. I have 23,000 miles now and Land Rover said that was pretty good.

That said, Land Rover charges $1600 for brakes and rotors plus installation. Instead, I bought Centric rotors by PowerSlot and Posi-Quiets for $650 including S/H through brakewarehouse.com. I could've done a little better through Tirerack.com. There's no way Land Rover should charge me $1000 for installation now, otherwise that's fraudulent. I'm looking maybe about $400 for stall. Yeah, would be nice if anyone had step by step instructions on changing the rotors and brakes. I've done it on my BMW 335 but don't know how different the LR4 is. Not willing to open it up just to find out.

The Posi-Quiets gets a 9 out of 10 in terms of low brake dust. I'm so tired of cleaning my wheels. NOw I'm ready to install my 20x9 in wheels along with my brake install.

 

[Finlayforprez]

Guys...question. How long did your brakes last? I had my 11 LR4 for 14 months now and already need brakes and rotors. The dealership said that was normal. They said that the brakes weren't designed to last very long. I asked why and they don't know. I have 23,000 miles now and Land Rover said that was pretty good.

That said, Land Rover charges $1600 for brakes and rotors plus installation. Instead, I bought Centric rotors by PowerSlot and Posi-Quiets for $650 including S/H through brakewarehouse.com. I could've done a little better through Tirerack.com. There's no way Land Rover should charge me $1000 for installation now, otherwise that's fraudulent. I'm looking maybe about $400 for stall. Yeah, would be nice if anyone had step by step instructions on changing the rotors and brakes. I've done it on my BMW 335 but don't know how different the LR4 is. Not willing to open it up just to find out.

The Posi-Quiets gets a 9 out of 10 in terms of low brake dust. I'm so tired of cleaning my wheels. NOw I'm ready to install my 20x9 in wheels along with my brake install.

The dealerships will charge an outrageous amount and probably use cheap materials.

I still have a lot of brake life left (at around 12,300 miles), but I plan to purchase my brakes online and then have my independent Land Rover garage do the install - It will be well below $1,000!

Keep us posted how you like those brakes, as I found them all on tire rack for about $560.00 dollars.

 

[94speedster]

I have changed brake pads and rotors on my LR3 until we got rid of it at 90K miles in 2011, at which point we purchased a new LR4 in May 2011. Today, we have 31K miles on the LR4 and the pads and rotors still look good.

One of the big dealer "rackets" over the last decade has been the story that customers need to replace pads & rotors at the same time. In short, pads and rotors are built to function within specific tolerances. All you need to do is measure their thicknesses at various points of life. This "story" is price gouging, pure and simple - not only on parts, but also on labor...

I have two tools that save my wallet: 1) a flashlight, and 2) a micrometer. I use the flashlight to look at my brake pad thickness with the wheels on, checking every month or so while the car is parked in the driveway, You can see the outside pad thickness quite easily, though seeing the inner pads is a bit tougher. I usually wear old clothes and crawl under the car with the flashlight to look, or sometimes put the car on a lift to get closer.

In my experience, brake pads will wear out much faster than rotors. On my LR3, I changed rotors every second brake pad change in the front, and in 90k miles NEVER changed my rear rotors. Due to the weight of these car, front pads and rotors wear out quicker. Definitley pay attention to those front pads!

When the pads start to look visually thin, I order OEM pads and a new pad sensor from British Pacific or British Atlantic, and then pull out my hyraulic lift and raise the car. I take the wheels off, and look closely at the pads and sometimes even use the micrometer to check thickness. Usually, you can eyeball it and know that pads need changing. I sometimes use the micrometer to measure the exact thickness of the rotors. If in spec, you are good to go.

Min PAD thickness = 3mm

Rotor specification for the LR3:
Front Disc LR3 Rotor - Vented
Diameter, Height, Thickness, Min-Thickness
mm = 317, 62.2, 30, 27
Rear Disc LR3 Rotor - Vented
Diameter, Height, Thickness, Min-Thickness
mm = 325, 59.6, 20, 17

This allows for a 3mm reduction in each rotor..

I am not certain of the specs for the LR4, but I think they are the same.

I'll post some DIY pics when I need to change my pads... With the LR3, it was a very easy process (less than 30 minutes for two wheels)

-B

 

[youngblood]

Any update on the EBC Yellow Stuff brake pads? How are they performing/lasting?