Are the brakes in your Jaguar starting to sound like Megadeth? Fear not and rock on. The folks at JagHelp have an excellent how-to guide about fixing the front brakes on your Jaguar 2001-2005 X-type. Let’s walk through the process.
The Tools of the Trade: Every Jaguar Repair Need Supplies
When you are beginning any sort of repair, you should have all of the supplies that you need before you start. While there is a more in-depth look at exactly what you need over at JagHelp, if you are working on Jaguar brakes, you are going to need:
- A new set of brakes and rotors specific to your make and model
- Brake grease and brake fluid—make sure to get the type recommended by Jaguar.
When it comes to tools, you will need:
- Your method of choice for jacking up your car
- A socket set complete with ratchets
- A hammer
- A flat-head screwdriver or pry bar
- A C-clamp
Let’s Get Down to Business: Time to Take Your Tires Off
First, remove as much brake fluid as you can from your Jag’s brake master cylinder reservoir. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but you should get most of it out. Remove the cap and cover the hole with a rag.
Next, loosen the lug nuts just a bit—maybe ¼ of a turn before you jack the car up. This will make sure you don’t destabilize your X-type after it is already jacked up. After you do jack up the car, loosen the lug nuts the rest of the way and pull off your tire.
Now you get to remove the two nuts that keep the caliper held in place, remove the caliper and your Jaguar’s old brake pads. If you decide that your rotors are still in good enough shape that they don’t need to be replaced yet, you can get right on installing the new brake pads. If your rotors are shot, your next step will be to remove the bolts that hold the caliper bracket in place and slide off the caliper bracket.
Time To Replace the Rotor: No More Shakes When You Brake
Before you try to pry the rotor loose, its a good idea to put a lug nut loosely on the threads on the stud. You can then use your hammer to gently loosen the rotor from where it is most likely stuck to your Jaguar, and it won’t fly off when it comes loose.
Before you put the new rotor in place, use a wire brush to clean the surface around the bolts so that the new rotor sits perfectly in place. Attach the new rotor, checking to make sure it is seated properly. If not, take it off again and attack any more residual rust around the pins with your wire brush. Before you replace your caliper bracket, check that the bolts in the bracket slide freely. Use your judgement as to whether they need a clean or some grease before you put the bracket back in place and tighten the two bolts.When the caliper bracket is secured, you can then grease the contact points on the new pad with brake grease. Install the new pads in the caliper bracket, once again making sure that they are placed correctly, with both pads perfectly parallel to the rotor.
Before you put the caliper back on, you will have to push the piston(s) in the caliper the whole way in because your new brakes and rotors are going to be thicker than the old. Using one of the old brake pads on top of the piston and a C-clamp to force it down is one way to push it back in. Once the caliper will fit around your newly installed Jaguar brake pads and rotors, you are good to go on reinstalling the caliper and tightening the bolts once again.
Finish Changing Your Jaguar Brakes: Put The Tire Back On
Once your brake assembly as all put back together, go ahead and put the wheel back on. Once the lug nuts are finger tight, it is a good idea to tighten each one in a star pattern. Once they are snug, you can lower the car back down. Do the final tightening of the lug nuts once all four tires are back on the ground.
Once your X-type is back on solid ground, check your brake fluid reservoir. Top it off if needed—making sure to use the type of brake fluid recommended by Jaguar. Next, pump the brakes to make sure they are tight. Recheck that the brake fluid is still at the max mark. You’ve just fixed your Jaguar’s brakes.
When its Time to Seek Help With Your Jaguar Brakes
Since the brakes Jag are the lifeline of your vehicle, make sure every step is done correctly. If you have any doubt in your abilities, or if you decide that you don’t want to spend your Saturday covered in grease, leave it to the professionals Jaguar mechanics at European Auto Specialists. We’d love to answer any questions to you have like “How long will it take to repair my car?” or “How much will new Jaguar brakes cost me?” We’ll be happy to help.