hello ty for your diy brake pad change.

I never change out brake pads before so i am quite confused about step D.

can you explain please....

d. Using your clamp, retract the piston into the caliper body. The piston is cup shaped. It will take considerable effort to get the caliper moving but once it starts it should get easier. Be careful not to damage the rubber boot seal around the piston. Retract the piston until it's flush with the cast caliper body.

Why do you retract the piston into the caliper body.... what is the purpose ?

and when do you put that piston back in to its original position?

You have to retract (push) the piston into the caliper body to get enough room for the new pads to clear the rotor when you put it back together.

Once you step on the brakes after putting it back together, the piston will travel to remove any extra space between the pads and the rotor. Hydraulic disc brakes are self-adjusting.

Quick question guys I'm sure somebody most have asked this already but can't find. when replacing rear pads (first time in cars life , 55k miles) should i cut or replace the rotors? thanks

If you have any brake chatter or heavily grooved rotors, then you should replace them or have them turned. If they're relatively smooth with no pits or heavy grooves, I'd just replace the pads.

Followed the directions and did all four pads today.

Don't forget to disengage the parking brake before you try to remove the rear caliper. That had me going "WTF?" for a minute or so before I realized what the problem was trying to get it to come loose. Newbie mistake. :)

And input as to the rear retainers? Im about to do mine, but dont know how to tell if the retainers need to be replaced or not...

Another HELMS style brake service guide

http://www.garage411.com/BrakeSystemS2k?show_comments=1

I think as long as they aren't bent or looking worn somehow and they are staying put, they should be fine.

When I did my rears, one of the spring retainers that pushes the pads down and holds them in place kept falling off. I thought I got it in place, but it ended up slipping out and making a terrible scraping noise. I ordered a new one, and the replacement was noticeably larger where it holds on to the caliper, so it stayed in place much better. I realized the one I removed was smaller than the other side, too. I don't know where the hell it came from or how it got there, but it obviously wasn't the right part, which is even weirder because I'm pretty sure the rear pads were original and had never been replaced (car only had 17K when I bought it).

Anyway, the spring retainer is only like $6, so it might not hurt to get a spare when you buy your pads, since it won't cost anything more to ship.

Can someone please tell me the right location of the wear indicator (Metal Tab sticking up) ?

Oem Honda front and rear pads, i know the wear indicator is always the inner pad, so the pad that is on the backside of the rotor. I have searched everywhere and cant find a straight answer. I need to know where it goes on the fronts and the rear, should it be at the top or at the bottom.

Thanks in advanced, i can't finish my brakes till i find this out

I replaced my brake pads today and while in the process of twisting the rear caliper piston clockwise, I rounded the the center portion of the "X" with my 3/8" extension. A short while later I figured out that you can also use one of the old rear brake pads to get the piston twisted into the housing, just remove the old shim.

Use the alignment key end of the old brake pad...it fits perfectly. To get the piston started you will want to also use a pair of pliers to hold on to the end for enough torque to get the piston to twist, after that you can just use the pad itself.