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StopTech Axle Pack Brake Kit Install: 2009 Honda Pilot
By Auto Parts Warehouse
Staff Difficulty Level – Easy
Total install time about two hours – With air tools
A good brake job is usually an easy task for the average driveway mechanic, and with StopTech’s new Axle Pack everything required is in the boxes and ready for installation.
For those not familiar with the StopTech brand, they started making a name for themselves in the performance aftermarket nearly two decades ago with high quality, high performance brake systems at very competitive prices. Now that StopTech is part of the Centric Parts family they have expanded their offerings into many more applications and when we learned that they offered their Drilled+Slotted Sport Rotors and Posi Quiet ceramic pads as a matched Street Axle Pack we wanted to install them on our high mileage Honda Pilot and find out how they would perform on a “workhorse” vehicle.
We are pleased to report that the fit and finish we have come to expect from StopTech products is intact. From the packaging, materials of construction and supplied hardware the Axle Pack kit offers tremendous value for the money.
Here’s an overview of the Honda Pilot installation:
Starting at the driver side front, we supported the Pilot on jack stands, removed the wheels and opened the master cylinder lid (allowing fluid to move from the calipers since we will be pushing the brake pistons back into the bores to fit the new pads) removed the sliding caliper and mounting bracket with the worn pads and rotor then cleaned up the caliper, removing old brake grease and road gunk. It would be a shame to reinstall greasy calipers on such beautiful cross drilled rotors so a little extra effort made them look good. Then we installed the new StopTech Sport rotors, refit the calipers the new pad guides and pads provided in the Axle Pack. StopTech takes the extra step of replicating the factory spring arrangement and locates the springs via precision holes in the front pads. The springs eliminate chatter and premature wear since the pads aren’t dragging the rotor.
StopTech provides markings on each rotor with instruction sheets to clearly indicate the installation location which is critical as the cooling vanes cast into the rotor are directional
New brake pad mounting hardware means quiet brake operation and longer pad life
Clamp is dual-purpose, we used it to push the caliper pistons back into their bores and hold the pads in place while installing the anti-rattle springs
One corner down, three more to go
The rear brakes were even easier since the caliper is single piston rather than the fronts dual piston arrangement, the only challenge on the rear is getting to the caliper bracket bolts since the sway bar blocks access. With an extension and wobbly joint it wasn’t much of a hurdle. The process is the same; don’t forget to remove the plug that covers the parking brake adjuster and install it in the new rear rotor.
Arrow indicates parking brake adjuster plug location
With the driver side complete we moved to the passenger side and repeated the same steps. With the StopTech Axle Pack installed we put the wheels back on and torqued them to the Honda spec, closed the Master Cylinder lid and took the Pilot out for a quick road test. Since the Posi Quiet pads come scorched with a bed-in coating we just warmed the braking system up with a gentle drive around town followed by a few quick stops to coat the rotors with a thin, even layer of the pad material.
We found the StopTech Axle Pack to be easy to install and a great performer on the road; with StopTech’s matched pads and rotors offering more pedal feel and bite than the stock pad formula on this hefty front drive SUV. To see the entire assortment of StopTech Axle Packs available on AutoPartsWarehouse please visit: http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/search/?D=StopTech+axle+pack&Dx=mode+matchallany&N=0&Ntk=Main&Ntt=StopTech+axle+pack&Ntx=mode+matchallany&Nty=1&PN=0+4294930880+4294944615&VN=0&refType=Location&refValue=Front+And+Rear