How to change your front brake pads on your 2007 Range Rover Supercharged with Brembo Brakes

Here is the procedure for anyone changing the front brake pads and has the high performance Brembo brakes.

You'll need:

• Brake pads: HB683Y.651 LTS Brake Pad
• Brake pad wear sensor front: URO Parts SEM500050 Front Brake Pad Sensor
• Fluid withdrawal tool: Car Fluid Withdrawal
• Brake fluid: Motul DOT 5.1 Brake Fluid - 1/2 L. 8070HC / 100951

Now for the procedure:

First of all remember you have to remove your front wheels and suck some of the brake fluid out of the reservoir. So I recommend using this tool: Car Fluid Withdrawal to suck as much of the brake fluid as you can from the reservoir, Then properly set up your car and remove the front wheels. Wearing goggles is not a bad idea since that clip love to jump.

With a hammer and a thin punch start tapping the brake pad pins out. Be careful and make sure you make a clean hit with the pin so you don't cheap that beautiful caliper. In my case the beautiful caliper is hidden in all that dust... and make sure you hold the punch straight not like in the photo, I just did that to take a photo. Repeat for the bottom pin.

As you punch the pin out of place, it'll become loose and you will be able to take it out by hand, or pliers, but put your hand and hold the tension clip so it doesn't jump (wearing goggles is not a bad idea at this time). Then neatly put your parts aside.

With the pins and slip out of the way, you can place a screwdriver between the rotor and the pad and pry to push the pistons back. Make sure that the tip of the screwdriver is pushing against the pad so you don't scratch the rotor and create another problem since we are not changing them. When the pistons are all the way back take out the respective pad.

Now go to your pads, make sure you grease the sides of all four pads with white grease.

Place the new pad in place, and repeat the pushing back of the pistons for the other brake pad. Then take it out and place the new pad in its place.

When both pads are in place, put the pins and the tensoin bracket back in place, use goggles, and tap them with your hammer first like in the photo below, and then with your punch. Make sure the braket is clean and dead in the middle, you can adjust it with the screw driver but always wear goggles in case that sucker jumps.

With all you pieces back in place, is time to go to the other side, assuming you started on the passenger (right) side. If you started on the left side where your sensor is, then you have to remove the sensor (back before your removed the pad) and place the new one back in place. To do that read on.

Remove the brake pad wear sensor, you can just pull it with the pliers. If it comes apart is ok we got a new one :D.

Look at how the old sensor is routed and clipped in place. Look at the pic in case yours wasn't properly routed.

The sensor connects at the following little box. The box opens flapping down.

Notice the white wire on the following pic, that's the routing of the new sensor. Make sure the sensor is connected like the old one was, and is properly routed so it doesn't rub anywhere. Then make sure the tip of the sensor clips cleanly on the pad so you don't get a light. I place the tip by hand into the pad then push it carefully with pliers.

And that's it, after you've done this procedures for both sides (only the left side has a brake pad wear sensor) just make sure you fill your reservoir with new brake fluid and depress the brake pad several times with the car off. The pedal should evenually feel hard. This is to make sure everything is tight. Make sure you use the right pads, any crappy brand will make noise and won't perform like Land Rover brakes do.

2006 - 2009 LR3 Common problems

So you are thinking of buying an LR3? Well you might want to read this post. I get asked a lot about different types of cars and if they are good to buy or not, what are some common issues, pros and cons. Here is my experience working in LR3s for so many years. This things are specific to the LR3 but you should still look for things as if you were buying a used car. Like dents, rust, etc.

Here is a list of the most common repairs that I do on these cars, so you should ask the buyer or find a way to check if these repairs have been done before.

From most common to least common:

Coolant Leaks!
LR3s have some coolant leaks.

• Reservoir: First of all the reservouir has to be replaced if you get the low coolant sign because Land Rover doesn't sell you the sensor by itself. BUT before you do this make sure that you have coolant in that reservouir, not just water, otherwise the water is not heavy enough to activate the sensor.
• Thermostat housing: Make sure the thermostat housing has been changed, those love to leak. Also, the thermostat deteriorates over time and causes a code in the engine computer (but the code doesn't turn on the MIL). So make sure that has been changed.

Suspension

• The front lower control arms, they love to make a poping noise when you brake. If you put cheap aftermarket ones they don't last six months, so you have to get the Land Rover ones, at least until they come up with some better ones. That fix runs about 1000 in a decent repair shop. Make sure they changed the lower control arms.

Water leaks to the interior

• There are four drain tubes for the sunroof. The rubber Land Rover put in these things is crap, so they need to be changed. Three of them are relatively easy to do, BUT the one behind the right hand side is behind a fuse box and I recomend you get someone with expirience (like me) to do it. It cost a couple of hundred box, but you don't want just anybody doing this because messing with a fuse box can cause millions of nightmares if you don't know what you are doing. Make sure they changed that rubber grommet behind the right hand side fuse box.

Air suspension

• Make sure the air suspension compressor has been changed, is an expensive fix, and the compressor has been superceded by Land Rover with new hardware and software. It runs about 1000 bucks too. 

How to change the front air strut on your Range Rover (2003 and up)

The title says it, here is the procedure for replacing your right front air spring, in case you have a leak. Is not that hard to do, just take your time and having a friend ready is always good, but I can do these with my eyes closed and by myself, so you should too.

What you'll need:

• Arnott Right Front Air Strut  
• Silicone Lubricant 
• TEKTON Stubby Wrench Set
• Thin Wrench Set Metric  

Procedure:

Crack the wheel lug nuts first then set up the car. Jack up the car and secure it in Jackstands. Then you need to remove the respective front wheel.

Now to the top, undo the three 16 mm nuts and remove the black plastic cap.

I like to place the nuts inside the plastic cap so you don't lose them.

Now the bottom, with the wheel removed, you have to unclip the lines that attach to the suspension strut. There is a brake line, a brake pad wear sensor if you are on the right side, and wheel speed sensor.

Here is a pic of the lines unclipped.

Now you have to undo the sway bar link, with a thin wrench 18 mm and an 18 mm socket. In the pic you can see how the thin wrench is supposed to hold the sway bar link.

Remove it, you might need to pry on the sway bar to ease it out.

Now you need to undo the nuts and bolts that connect the strut to the spindle.

Now the strut can come down, but there is an ait line still attached to the top. I like to rest the bottom of the strut in the drive shaft, and with a stubby 12 mm wrench undo the line.

The new strut comes with a new line fitting. Undo it and DON'T LOSE THE LITTLE RING INSIDE when you take it out. Also remove the nuts that come with the new strut.

 The new ring and fitting.

Take the old ring and fitting from the old line.

Place the new one in place. Make sure they fit in the following manner. There are instructions that come with your strut too in case of doubt.

Now you have to rest the new strut in the drive shaft. Then attach the line to the new strut and tighten it with your 12 mm stubby.

With one hand you have to push the strut up and align the studs into the holes. with another hand catch one of the old nuts. I know the strut came with new nuts but they are not locking nuts like the original land rover, so I like to put the old nuts. Catch the three nuts by hand. 

Catch the sway bar link, and catch the bolt by hand then tighten with the thin 18 mm wrench and the 18 mm socket.

Here is a pic of how I pry on the sway bar to make it easy to catch the link to the strut.

Now align the spindle holes with the strut holes and push the bolts through. Easier said than done.

Catch the nuts by hand and then tighten.

Spray with sylicon spray the lines and catch them back in place.

Tighten the top 16 mm nuts.

Place your wheel, lower the car and don't forget to tighten those lugs!

LR3: How to replace your front brake pads and rotors (VIDEO)

LR3: How to clean your throttle body

LR3: Replacing your air springs (VIDEO)

LR3: How to find Air Leaks on your Air suspension (VIDEO)