Wish I knew how to include a photo; it would help.

After having successfully replaced front pads & rotors on my 04 R, I am getting ready to replace rear rotors & pads.

All of the directions I've managed to find on the parking brake pad replacement suggest that the entire parking brake caliper must be removed & therefor the cable needs to be detached.

However, I have two star bolts which appear to hold the front half of the caliper to the rear and therefor, I can remove the star bolts, replace the pads, while leaving the back of the caliper undisturbed & negate the need to detach parking gate cable.

Is my analysis correct? I suspect I can just try it & see.

Thanks for your help.

Steve

 

Please refer to my previous post titled-2004 XJ Vanden Plas Total Brake Service on 9/28/2011 and attachments. Rear brake calipers are more complicated than the front. The parking brake system adds additional complexity. The cable unhooks from the arm on the back of the caliper with the use of a pliers and pushing the arm back manually to allow slack in the cable then rotating the end of the cable off the hook. It is not necessary to remove the arm.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...service-61323/

 

Since you have an XJR, I would assume that it has the Brembo brakes with the separate rear parking brake caliper. I have only done one set of those and wouldn't think they need replacing. The pads do have a thinner material on them since they are only to hold the car when parked or during an emergency braking situation when the service brakes are inoperative. If you still intend on replacing them, there is a tool to spin the tiny piston back into the housing like the regular non-R cars. It is spin,push,spin,push,etc.. I have not taken the rear cables off at all. Two bolts hold it on and it just flips up. Now, you do have to be careful not to tug on the cables as the plastic retainers are brittle. Good luck.

 

From the picture of the parking brake caliper, what do you suspect the large star bolts are for?

 

To hold the caliper halves together??????????????

bob gauff

 

Yeah, don't take those out!!!! The bolts you want are on the back side.

 

Thanks Mark & Bob Gauff. Yes; it does appear that the caliper is halved. It was my thought that removing the star bolts would allow the removal & replacement of the pads without the need to unhook the cable. Perhaps a later derivation?

I have sent a message to Brembo; I have a response from them saying my query has been sent to the auto division.

I'll let you know what I find out.

 

DONT,losen up those bolts..

U will end up with:

1 Oil everywhere
2 the challenge to get them sealed again properly when u put them back together
3 bleeding your system

 

Mark, I confirmed what you told me about the star bolts; leave them alone. However, I still don't understand why they are there/ No matter.

While, I suspect, I don't have to replace rear pads & rotors right now, I thought I would since I recently did the fronts. Especially since, I have noticed that the Akebono pads on the front don't seem to create nearly as much dirt on the wheels.

It doesn't look like a big deal to disconnect the parking brake cable from the caliper; so, I think I'll attempt to do that as in the instructions.

Thanks to all for your thoughtful responses.

steve