Tools used: Ratchet, star key, 15mm & 17mm socket, flathead screwdriver, hammer, brake caliper clamp or c-clamp and a 2x4.

Installed Disc Italia Rotors and Pads on a 2003 Jaguar XJR 4.0 S/C(non-brembo)

Stats: Front rotors 21.5lbs(both oem and Disc Italia) 325mm
rear rotors 15lbs 305mm



1. Jack up your XJ, after securing it, remove tire exposing the brakes and rotor.



2. Remove tension spring holding the calipers in the front. I used a simple flathead screwdriver to just pop it off.



3. At the rear of the brake caliper, there are two "pillars" with black plastic caps covering them. Remove the caps, and proceed to loosen both screws, which are star orientated bolts, until they are roughly a half inch past the top of its pillar. (Note, on the rear brakes, the bottom bolt is a bit difficult to maneuver because of the brake fluid line, go slow and be careful not to strip it)



This is the torx bit(that I referred to as a star key), but the caliper pins are actually 7mm hex socket head bolts. Sometimes a torx bit can be forced in a hex head bolt, but the correct tool should be a 7mm allen key. Jaguar has been using this same 7mm socket caliper pin at least a far back as the 1995 X300, and hasn't changed through to the X350.(Note: Added detail by Stevetech)



4. After both bolts are adequately loosened, stick your flathead screwdriver in between the pad and caliper slowly pushing it open to loosen the caliper. Once complete, you should be able to remove the caliper and pads from the rotor by simply pulling it off.



5. Once the caliper and pads are off, next will be the part that holds the rotor and caliper in place. There are 2 bolts(15mm rear, 17mm front) in the same region in the rear of the rotor/caliper that are simply loosened and remove. Once you remove the final part of the caliper, the rotor simply pulls off.(NOTE: The front pair's bolts are extraordinarily tight. Use a 2x4 to apply pressure on your ratchet. Also, the rotor might be stuck on there, lightly tap the rotor with a hammer while rotating around until it loosens enough to pull of)









6. Slide the new rotor back on.

7. Re-intall the caliper part that attaches the rotor to the car. Remember, 2 bolts 15mm rear, 17mm front.

8. Remove old brake pads, and use caliper or c-clamp to push the brake cylinder back SLOWLY. Install brake pads with the pad that has the metal attachments first inside the brake cylinder. You will know how and what I mean when you remove your old pads. One additional step that a professional brake shop does is to crack open the bleeder screw at each caliper when the piston is retracted. This expells the brake fluid directly out the bleeder screw instead of pushing the old fluid backwards through the ABS junction block. I place a plastic tube on the bleeder screw and expell into a container. Done correctly, it doesn't add air into the system and, essentially, keeps the brake fluid level in the entire system at the same level. (Note: Added by Stevetech)




9. Using your star key socket and ratchet, line up the caliper and bolts in the back and tighten. Do not forget to reinstall your plastic covers, this prevents water from rusting those bolts shut. As you reinstall the caliper pins, lubricate these pins with synthetic caliper pin grease. This is a very important step! Also, these two pins should stay oriented in their original positions. (added by: Stevetech)



10. Once done, put on your tire, tighten lugnuts.


11. I chose not to bleed the brakes simply because I took it to Jaguar for a brake fluid flush. $80 is just too cheap for me to hassle with it.

 

Excellent pictorial!

Would you mind if we posted on the FAQ sticky of the XK8/R forum?

 

Yeah, go ahead. I took the extra time to picture everything to help others on this forum.

 

Thanks, that should be FAQ

 

Princemarko,

Very nice writeup, good pictures, and surely will help a lot of DIYers. Just a couple of things that either I didn't see mentioned or might be added to make this good writeup even better:

1. You didn't mention when you reinstalled the caliper pins that you lubricated these pins with synthetic caliper pin grease. This is a very important step! Also, these two pins should stay oriented in their original positions.

2. The star key you mention is a torx bit, but the caliper pins are actually 7mm hex socket head bolts. Sometimes a torx bit can be forced in a hex head bolt, but the correct tool should be a 7mm allen key. Jaguar has been using this same 7mm socket caliper pin at least a far back as the 1995 X300, and hasn't changed through to the X350.

3. One additional step that a professional brake shop does is to crack open the bleeder screw at each caliper when the piston is retracted. This expells the brake fluid directly out the bleeder screw instead of pushing the old fluid backwards through the ABS junction block. I place a plastic tube on the bleeder screw and expell into a container. Done correctly, it doesn't add air into the system and, essentially, keeps the brake fluid level in the entire system at the same level.

Hope you consider adding these to your writeup.

 

I will thanks.

Concerning your first point, I had to go back and grease them this morning because I heard a slight squeal last night and forgot to do it then.

Thanks!

Update: Added your points and gave you credit.

 

@princemarko

Great tutorial, thanks for taking the time to write it up.

Can you comment on the feel of the brakes now ? Does your drilled set up feel better than the stock set up ?

Also any comment about noise from the brakes when they are applied ? I heard somewhere that drilled rotors tended to be noisier.... ?

 

The brakes now are more responsive. They stop with less brake pedel pressure and the noise is zero at higher speeds, but there is a little hum at around 20mph(for a brief moment) when decelerating from 40mph or above. This is because of the cross drilling, its not something your passengers would notice, but you as a driver would.

 

Great post and FAQ'd as advised by Caddie

 

Great post & well put together!

 

@princemarko

Good job! Gives me the confidence to tackle this job myself. Thanks!

BTW did you apply any anti-squeal grease to the back of the pads when you put them back in the caliper? I had to do this on the one and only car I have changed brakes on before, but don't know if it is needed on the Jag.

Cheers,

Steve.

 

Steve,

Yes, make sure you do apply the anti-squeal grease. I had to disassemble the brakes to do it the next morning.

 

Very helpful. I did my rear brakes today. Could not for the life of me get the rear rotors off. I don't have a torch or pulley. I hated not to cut the rotors before putting pads on but had no choice. I tried loosening them with a hammer(wood protection) and WD40 them..no luck. Rotors are in decent shape, no pits or hard spots- fairly smooth, and the pads had virtually nothing left so I had to do something. Just got the car and noticed that right off.

I will probably revisit this sometime in the future. Maybe by then the WD40 will break them loose from the hub. Anyway, glad to get some new pad on the backs for now.

 

Whenever I would run into a stuck nut or bolt I would spray it with PB Blaster tap it with a hammer (JUST A TAP) and then I would force it tight then it would come right out. At times I would put an extension on the breaker bar but it would work. I think I only had a few that I could not get out and if they were nuts I would use a nut cracker to split it in half and put a new one on. WD-40 will not cut the rust or oxidation.

 

Thanks for taking the time. Great post !

 

Hey Gus,

At the parts store the guy also mentioned the rear rotors also act like a "drum" for the emergency brake. He said that the brake shoes for the e-brake maybe caught on the "lip" of the drum. I don't know, seems more rusted on to me..it doesn't budge at all..not one bit. PB buster..have to look it up. thanks!

Tom

 

I'm doing this job next week and had one question. Does the piston on the rear calipers need to be screwed in as you compress it?

Thanks

 

I was able to push them back by hand. No screwing involved.

Tom
2001VDP

 

Rotating the caliper piston back in is only needed where the parking brake utilizes the brake caliper as the emergency or parking brake. It is found on X-Types and X350s. The X308 uses the same parking brake setup as the X300 and the XK8/Rs, early series, a small set of brake shoes in a small rear drum, part of the rotor.

No need to rotate the piston, but crack open the bleeder, use a length of rubber hose to bleed off the brake fluid as you retract the piston so it is not pushed backward into the ABS unit.

 

A good write-up. It gives me confidence to try the job when it becomes necessary.