legacycentral bbs

I just bought a 1990 Legacy L 5spd wagon for $1000. It has a 173,000 milles on it. The only things wrong with it are it needs brakes and rotors which I picked up at NAPA. I was just wondering how hard it is to change the rotors all the way around.

Very easy. Get a haynes manual for $5, it will walk you right through it.

I gotta second the haynes manual, even though most of the stuff in there isn't writen 100% correct for the 90-94 years, you can still get the jist of it.

Cool, but I want to know where you can get a Haynes manual for $5.00 the ones I've seen even on Ebay are 16.00

take off the wheel

look behind the caliper for a bolt near the bottom that doesnt have a hose connected to it. i think it is a 12mm. Remove it

The caliper should flip up now. flip it up and tie it up with a string.

Pull the rotor off.

Pull the old pads off, noticing how they fit on. Take the metal shims off and put them on the new pads with some grease.

Compress the cylander. Its a round thing inside the caliper. Use a C clamp with a piece of wood across the face of it to compress it.

Put the new brakes on, put the rotor on. slide the caliper over. If it doesnt fit, compress the cylander some more.

Put the other bolts together. Youre done!

Got mine for $4.95 at Advance Auto Parts. IIRC the Pep Boys across the street was like $5 too. Haynes manual # 89100 for Subaru Legacy 1990-1998 all models.

Thanks that is what I needed. I'm goning to change them out today after work.

Doesn't the caliper bracket have to be removed so you can pull off the rotor? I think you skipped a step.

yup...caliper bracket needs to be removed.

and if the rotor is stuck thread a bolt into the holes on the rotor. that will help pop the rotor off the hub.

I'm in the process of doing all this, and also changing brake fluid since mine was quite old and yucky... The fronts are done, and I'm working on the backs, but I injured myself (sliced my index finger open when the brake hose bolt came loose all of a sudden :evil: )

I have a simple question though... I left grubby, greasy handprints all over the freshly-turned front rotors. I didn't use any brake cleaner Do I need to wash that off somehow or is it fine?

you should be ok.....it would be good to clean them off though.

Things were going smoothly, fronts are done and back left is done, but then the Caliper guide pin is stuck on the right rear. I just sprayed some PB Blaster on it and I'm waiting on it to soak in. I hope that frees it or I'm S.O.L. I have to drive this car to work tomorrow. Advance or Autozone don't have the part. I'll probably have to get it from the dealer.