Rear Brake Pad Shims?

[9864ever]

Hi ya'll - I ordered a set of rear pads and rotors for my 03 S.

When removing the pads, i noticed the shims were quite unique from what I am used to as they have a gold colored dome thing that mounts in the piston.

They look to be reusable (i am assuming) but seem to be glued on the original pads. I was able to get them off but it wasn't exactly easy.

My question is, can these be reused again and if so what type of glue/paste should be used?

[obthomas]

My car has the shims. Both front and back. I was surprised to find them. They can be purchased new with new adhesive. I reused mine by sticking them to the new pads with an adhesive like brake silencer paste. Lots of miles ago now no problems. I also think that they might not be necessary because so many videos and brake repair instructions do not mention them. Good Luck.

[9864ever]

Originally Posted by obthomas

My car has the shims. Both front and back. I was surprised to find them. They can be purchased new with new adhesive. I reused mine by sticking them to the new pads with an adhesive like brake silencer paste. Lots of miles ago now no problems. I also think that they might not be necessary because so many videos and brake repair instructions do not mention them. Good Luck.

Thanks for the reply. I think i'll just do what you did as it makes the most sense.

[Phat Hippy]

The little gold dome things are "spring retainers" that keep the shims in position on the caliper piston internal diameter. The front caliper pistons have an internal diameter that is similar in size but the rears are not interchangeable. One of the pistons is smaller and require a different part number. I had to re-use the smaller ones on my 2001S. They had enough stick to use again. The sticky surface helps the pads release from brake disc when caliper pressure is let off. Used Wurth spray on installation on pad backing plate. Nice and quiet with no problems. Good luck and enjoy your car.

[PaulE]

The first time I replaced my front pads and rotors on my 2003S I reused the shims/dampers (which are a different design from the rears) and did not use any adhesive or anti-squeal compound on them. This was with Textar pads and there was no brake squeal or other issues. Last year I replaced pads and rotors on all 4 wheels, again with Textar pads. I reused the shims/dampers on all 4 wheels, but this time I learned about 3M 468MP Adhesive Transfer Tape Sheets from a post on Rennlist I think. It is sold in super-size sheets at expensive prices, but there are lots of vendors on eBay and Amazon who sell leftover 1 ft squares and other small pieces for cheap. I bought a lifetime supply of 5 - 1 ft square sheets on Amazon for $15. I used it this time and it worked like a charm, again no brake squeaks or other issues.