Well this sucks

[burzumaske20]

Ok so while me and my brother are on the project of the downpipe and header,99% completed actually,just going to go over it again tomarrow to double check on shit.He notice that I need new front brakes.So I went on Brakeworld.com and found rotors and pads.I am not 100% familiar with brake jobs.Is there anything else I need such as brand new calipers and lines or can I use the old ones?

[dtadla]

you should be ok with just the pads and rotor. I havent' gotten to do the brakes on my cobalt yet, but if gm hasn't changed their calipers from the ones they've used for the last billion years you're gonna need to get a special socket for the caliper bolts. It looks like a regular socket turned inside out. Any auto parts store will have them and if the guy there knows what he's talking about you should just be able to ask him for the goofy gm caliper bolt socket. Doing front brakes is pretty easy. I would suggest using jack stands so you don't have to worry when you have to put some oomph in the caliper bolts. Get a good sized C clamp to compress the caliper piston or you'll never get the caliper back on with the new pads on. some people say you should crack the bleed valve on the caliper before you compress the piston to prevent any crap from going into the brake system, but i just take the brake fluid cap off, i've never had any problems, but i dunno.

[burzumaske20]

yeah I have no clue either,most likely my brother would help me out with this,since he has done brakes plenty of times.

[Gotenks]

I replaced my rotors with cross-drilled/slotted ones and my pads with a Kevlar/ceramic pad.
You don't need to replace anything else, unless your lines are leaking. You will need a c-clamp to get the brake piston back in. I didn't realize that when I originally did my job, had to borrow it from my neighbor

[jjmk4096]

Originally Posted by Gotenks

I replaced my rotors with cross-drilled/slotted ones and my pads with a Kevlar/ceramic pad.
You don't need to replace anything else, unless your lines are leaking. You will need a c-clamp to get the brake piston back in. I didn't realize that when I originally did my job, had to borrow it from my neighbor

Did you use the EBC Redstuff? Thats what I have and they are the best pads I have had so far.

[cobaltkrazy]

Okay, for a Brake job on your Domestic Cobalt, you will need:

1 - C-Clamp
1 - Socket set(preferrably metric)
1 - Hex Key set*
1 - flat head screwdriver
A rag
something to hold the car up(found the domestic jack in the trunk works with many a block of wood as a back-up support)
a bottle of brake fluid
a line wrench**Optional**
1 set of brake pads
2 rotors(if you are doing your rotors, do both at once)

first off, take your tire off, and the brake fluid reservoire cap(suggest wrapping your rag around the bottom of the filler, to prevent spills)

next, remove the caliper drift pins using one of the Hex Key sockets. they will just slide out.

If you are doing your rotors too, you will need to remove the caliper bridge. There are two(2) bolts on the back of the hub assembly to remove to pull off the bridge.

next, remove the two(2) rotor retaining clips. I used a flat head to loosen them off, then cut them with side cutters, but you should be able to knock them off with the flat head. Then just give the rotor a slight pull, and it should come off.

Make sure you give the new rotor a thorough cleaning before installing, most come covered in oil/grease, which could hamper your braking.

Installation is fairly simple, take the rotor, place it on the hub, then remount your bridge.

when removing the old pads from the caliper, take your time, and try to match up your pads. Take your C-Clamp, and push the piston back into the cylinderAS STRAIGHT AS POSSIBLE. if not, you will risk blowing the boot, and losing braking power.

Install your new pads. You can opt for an "Anti-squeal compound", or just install them dry.

Now that the pads are in place, you can reattach the caliper to the bridge. make sure to use white lithium grease on the drift pins when installing them

Give the brake pedal a few light pumps before advancing to the other side, so you dont overflow the reservoire.

And there you have it! Copy for the other side, then give your brake pedal a few pumps before starting the car. put your cap on, start the car, pump a few more, and you're good to go!

*Hex Key Sockets are being commonly used on newer vehicles these das for braking systems. You can get the set at any tool supplier or auto parts store
**Pics will be posted soon as i can get around to checking my brakes

[Skindad88]

you usually dont have to replace the rotors, especially for the first brake job. Look at the rotors, if they are warped or grooved, you can take them to an auto shop (parts store.. whatever) and have them "turned". They will grind down the rotors flat again, and as long as they arent too bad, then you can reuse them. This works a good couple of times before they are too warn down. Saving you $$$

[cobaltkrazy]

Originally Posted by Skindad88

you usually dont have to replace the rotors, especially for the first brake job. Look at the rotors, if they are warped or grooved, you can take them to an auto shop (parts store.. whatever) and have them "turned". They will grind down the rotors flat again, and as long as they arent too bad, then you can reuse them. This works a good couple of times before they are too warn down. Saving you $$$

if they are the factory rotors, and the car pulsates really bad, it is best to upgrade the rotors to a different brand. The factory rotors on the cobalt have been known to warp consistently, and turning them will make them good for only about a hundred miles before they start to warp more