freq

Not true. I use anti-sieze on my rotor screws and never need to use an impact. I always use the rotor screws too.

OP, get some Centric Premium rotors (painted hats so they don't rust) from Rock-Auto and get some OEM pads. I have a complete set of AP1 OEMs NIB for sale, the AP1s where known for their lower dust compared to AP2s.

freq

Yes, even the racers and fast DE4 guys use OEM type rotors. aka, cheap Centric blanks. For a "pretty" street car, like I said above, get the Centric Premiums with the painted hats to prevent unsightly rust.

freq

If you wanna get fancy, get some steel braided lines and some ATE200 while you're down there doing brakes.

B serious

The parking brake is integrated into the caliper. That's why the pistons get screwed back in. It wasn't done just to infuriate you.

You can use a 3/8" drive extension (the square part) directly on the piston to screw it back in. It fits in the centre of the "cross".

Or use a brake pusher backer inner thingy (tech terms).

Car Analogy

Some parking brake designs use a small drum brake that resides insides the hat of the disk. It uses the hat portion of disk as a drum.

One advantage is caliper is simpler, easier to service brakes. A big disadvantage is added unsprung weight.

For a performance sportscar, its easy to see why Honda would choose to incorporate the parking brake into the rear caliper, instead of resorting to something like an auxiliary mechanical drum brake. Yes, it makes it slightly harder to service the rear brakes, but it seems very worth it from a performance standpoint.

To me, this is one area that Japanese cars get right much more often than say, German cars. The Japanese seem to really weigh the real world advantages to any added complexity. To manufacturing, service, as well as drivability. The Germans meanwhile seem to sometimes embrace complexity for complexities sake. If it has a theoretical advantage, they do it, despite other drawbacks. I laugh at the Mercedes Benz tagline, The best, or nothing... To me that is a pitfall the Japanese have learned to avoid. Perfect is the enemy of good.

Car Analogy

I understood B's comment to mean you have to use an impact to get them off the first time, as that is the context of this thread, from op. Its a sentiment most would agree with, especially if they've ever had to remove these screws for the first time on a higher mileage car.

I also apply lots pf antiseize when I reuse them, so next time they come off like butta...

rpg51

Speaking of anti-seize - what brand/type do you all like?

engifineer

Fully aware of how to do it. Top hat rotor designs imo are much better for servicing. Park brake is a drum brake inside of the rotor hat so you are not using your main brakes as a park brake, and uses regular old brake calipers. Used all over for decades. This is particularly nice if you are bedding in performance pads and for some reason do have to come to a complete stop while still hot. You can finish the last few meters of braking with the park brake and not sit with ultra hot pads firmly against the rotor

The top hat design will not have as much park brake power as ours, but that is really pointless. They will lock the wheels at speed and hold the car just fine. The ones on my other car have never needed more than one adjustment in 150,000 miles and changing rear brake pads is a cinch.

and yes, unsprung weight is one downside but hard to say how much the tiny drum brake adds.

On another forum I watched some blowhard e-kid tear down a guy for explaining to someone that the ebrake on that car could be adjusted at the drum brake. The kid went into a page long rant explaining how that car had 4-wheel discs and people should not post when they dont know what they are talking about. Then the guy posted up the how to and pictures of the rotor pulled showing the drum brake inside lol

engifineer

not sure if previous owner anti siezed mine. But they came off with ease with a regular phillips screwdriver and a twist. Mine never sees snow, salt though. I have had them on some cars take an impact screwdriver though. But, antisieze applied lightly and they will be good the next time around