Project S2000: DIY: Spoon Sports 4-Pot Monoblock Caliper Install
Over the weekend I decided I was going to install my, "new to me" Spoon 4-Pot Monoblock Calipers. Here they lay on my mess of a toolbox.
A few observations before we go into the install steps:
- Make sure your wheels will clear these calipers. You will need spacers if you're using your OEM wheels.
- The dust shields need to be either cut, bent back or removed. I opted to bend them out of the way.
- The wear indicators on the inside pad need to be removed if you're reusing your stock pads. I did.
- Now would be the ideal time to do stainless brake lines since you're busting brake fluid everywhere anyways. I didn't.
- I'd have a small seat or something to put the caliper on while you're working on it, so it isn't dangling from the brake line.
- Make sure you have the right sized tube to bleed your brakes, otherwise it'll get messy real quick and bring down the value of your home with stains all over your driveway. If you're doing this in a car park somewhere, then this isn't so much a problem now is it?
- There are two bleed nipples per caliper. Yes, two. Like a human. You will need to bleed both.
- Check your brake fluid level. You'll lose fluid and don't want to go dry in the master cylinder.
- This is just a guide I whipped up. I may have left some stuff out, but if you're even a bit mechanically inclined, you'll be fine. Also, if you don't follow the obvious safety precautions and the car falls on your head when you're working on your car, you win the Darwin award and I am not liable.
I may add pics in the future. But currently there are none. On to the guide we go.
Tools needed:
Pliers
Socket extension
17mm wrench
17mm socket
14mm socket or wrench
12mm socket or wrench
10mm wrench
Allen wrench set
1. Once the wheels are removed you'll want to remove the brake pads. If you're swapping pads then you can skip this. Otherwise, locate the 12mm nuts that have the black accordion cover on it. Go ahead and bust loose the top one and loosen the bottom one. Once you remove the top nut you should be able to swivel the cover down. Your brake pads should now be exposed. Wiggle and pry them out and place them to the side. Yes. Wiggle is the technical term. Once the pads are out, put that nut back in so its not swinging around knocking on your fragile knuckles.
2. Now you'll want to locate the two 17mm nuts on the backside of the assembly. You can either use a wrench or a socket. I just used a wrench. Once the caliper is free, place it on whatever you provisioned to not have the caliper dangling from the brake line. Place it some place away so that you have room while not stretching the brake line.
3. If you're bending the dust shield back like I did, there are three areas where you'll need to bend. The top, the bottom and the middle. The middle you can bend back with a screwdriver. I used pliers for the top and bottom. Just bend them towards the inside of the car. Test fit the Spoon caliper and see how much more you need to bend. Repeat until the two 17mm nuts bolt in easily. This can be frustrating causing you to go red in the face and sweat profusely if its hot outside. Just take your time. Bolt them in and tighten them up. The Spoon caliper will right itself and not cause it to rub against the rotor. When doing the bolts, since you bent the shield back you won't be able to use a wrench anymore, so use a socket with an extension to torque them down.
4. At this point you're ready to install the brake pads. If you're so inclined, this is when you'll put the brake grease on the pad back. Remove the black brace that has Nissin stamped on it with your allen wrench set. Then slot them in and make sure the edges line up with the brake rotor. Remember, if you're using OEM pads or pads that have a wear indicator, you'll have to remove them from the inside pad.
5. Now comes the messy part. Use the 14mm socket/wrench to loosen the brake line from the back of the original caliper. At this point, it'll start dumping brake fluid everywhere. Don't forget the washers and move the line, washers and bolt quickly over to the Spoon caliper. Tighten.
6. Double check all bolts and make sure they are on securely and to torqued to spec. Make sure the bent back portion of the dust shield does not interfere with anything while the vehicle is in operation.
7. Repeat for the passenger side.
8. Bleed your brakes. Put the wheels back on, pump the brakes until the caliper pistons seat against the pads and go out for a test drive. If your brakes are mushy, then you need to continue bleeding.
9. Celebrate with your alcoholic beverage of choice. Stand back. Admire your handy work. Take a few obligatory pics and throw them up on Instagram.
/post
- Make sure your wheels will clear these calipers. You will need spacers if you're using your OEM wheels.
- The dust shields need to be either cut, bent back or removed. I opted to bend them out of the way.
- The wear indicators on the inside pad need to be removed if you're reusing your stock pads. I did.
- Now would be the ideal time to do stainless brake lines since you're busting brake fluid everywhere anyways. I didn't.
- I'd have a small seat or something to put the caliper on while you're working on it, so it isn't dangling from the brake line.
- Make sure you have the right sized tube to bleed your brakes, otherwise it'll get messy real quick and bring down the value of your home with stains all over your driveway. If you're doing this in a car park somewhere, then this isn't so much a problem now is it?
- There are two bleed nipples per caliper. Yes, two. Like a human. You will need to bleed both.
- Check your brake fluid level. You'll lose fluid and don't want to go dry in the master cylinder.
- This is just a guide I whipped up. I may have left some stuff out, but if you're even a bit mechanically inclined, you'll be fine. Also, if you don't follow the obvious safety precautions and the car falls on your head when you're working on your car, you win the Darwin award and I am not liable.
I may add pics in the future. But currently there are none. On to the guide we go.
Tools needed:
Pliers
Socket extension
17mm wrench
17mm socket
14mm socket or wrench
12mm socket or wrench
10mm wrench
Allen wrench set
1. Once the wheels are removed you'll want to remove the brake pads. If you're swapping pads then you can skip this. Otherwise, locate the 12mm nuts that have the black accordion cover on it. Go ahead and bust loose the top one and loosen the bottom one. Once you remove the top nut you should be able to swivel the cover down. Your brake pads should now be exposed. Wiggle and pry them out and place them to the side. Yes. Wiggle is the technical term. Once the pads are out, put that nut back in so its not swinging around knocking on your fragile knuckles.
2. Now you'll want to locate the two 17mm nuts on the backside of the assembly. You can either use a wrench or a socket. I just used a wrench. Once the caliper is free, place it on whatever you provisioned to not have the caliper dangling from the brake line. Place it some place away so that you have room while not stretching the brake line.
3. If you're bending the dust shield back like I did, there are three areas where you'll need to bend. The top, the bottom and the middle. The middle you can bend back with a screwdriver. I used pliers for the top and bottom. Just bend them towards the inside of the car. Test fit the Spoon caliper and see how much more you need to bend. Repeat until the two 17mm nuts bolt in easily. This can be frustrating causing you to go red in the face and sweat profusely if its hot outside. Just take your time. Bolt them in and tighten them up. The Spoon caliper will right itself and not cause it to rub against the rotor. When doing the bolts, since you bent the shield back you won't be able to use a wrench anymore, so use a socket with an extension to torque them down.
4. At this point you're ready to install the brake pads. If you're so inclined, this is when you'll put the brake grease on the pad back. Remove the black brace that has Nissin stamped on it with your allen wrench set. Then slot them in and make sure the edges line up with the brake rotor. Remember, if you're using OEM pads or pads that have a wear indicator, you'll have to remove them from the inside pad.
5. Now comes the messy part. Use the 14mm socket/wrench to loosen the brake line from the back of the original caliper. At this point, it'll start dumping brake fluid everywhere. Don't forget the washers and move the line, washers and bolt quickly over to the Spoon caliper. Tighten.
6. Double check all bolts and make sure they are on securely and to torqued to spec. Make sure the bent back portion of the dust shield does not interfere with anything while the vehicle is in operation.
7. Repeat for the passenger side.
8. Bleed your brakes. Put the wheels back on, pump the brakes until the caliper pistons seat against the pads and go out for a test drive. If your brakes are mushy, then you need to continue bleeding.
9. Celebrate with your alcoholic beverage of choice. Stand back. Admire your handy work. Take a few obligatory pics and throw them up on Instagram.
/post
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