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      08-22-2013, 03:46 PM   #23
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^ Thanks for the update. I'm still waiting for my replacement calipers to arrive, but this makes me wonder a) whether the new calipers will have the same issue, in which case I'll just send the replacements back rather than swapping out the currently installed calipers, and b) whether this issue might go away naturally with use. If B is going to happen, I'm kind of hoping for A to happen as well so I can avoid the hassle of a caliper swap (plus writing off a practically new fill of Castrol SRF), although I feel like StopTech would have told me that this would go away with time if that were the case rather than sending replacement calipers. Instead, both StopTech and HP Autowerks said that they'd never heard of this issue.

All that said, if this somehow is a normal deal for the ST60 caliper, obviously I wish they would instead just work out of the box. There's no mention of tight/impossible initial fit on the installation instructions, after all, and a big draw for these calipers is quick and easy pad swaps, which becomes less quick and easy if you need a hammer and pry bar.

But JAJ you're confident that the issue you're seeing WILL go away with time? Or are you just guessing/hoping?
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      08-22-2013, 06:44 PM   #24
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I'll add to this thread that my st60 pads also fit very tightly like you are describing, but they have loosened up after a couple years of use and probably 30+ pad changes. The rear st40 pads slip right in and out and are much easier to change.
While I applaud stoptech for sending you a new caliper, I personally wouldn't want to be bothered with installing them. Just file down the pads or the abutment plates in the caliper and be done with it.
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      08-22-2013, 11:24 PM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RickyBobby View Post
I'll add to this thread that my st60 pads also fit very tightly like you are describing, but they have loosened up after a couple years of use and probably 30+ pad changes. The rear st40 pads slip right in and out and are much easier to change.
While I applaud stoptech for sending you a new caliper, I personally wouldn't want to be bothered with installing them. Just file down the pads or the abutment plates in the caliper and be done with it.
I'm with you. Apparently the new calipers I had were made with the same slightly "off" abutment plates. I unscrewed them and flattened them out and they're fine. No problems.

Despite this manufacturing glitch, Stoptech produces top quality products. They make the pads a little "tight" to control noise and it's a strategy that works.
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      08-22-2013, 11:57 PM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JAJ View Post
I'm with you. Apparently the new calipers I had were made with the same slightly "off" abutment plates. I unscrewed them and flattened them out and they're fine. No problems.

Despite this manufacturing glitch, Stoptech produces top quality products. They make the pads a little "tight" to control noise and it's a strategy that works.
I think Stoptech did that on purpose because the pads eventually rattle since the plates get flattened and worn. Then the hard parkers start to bitch about it.
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      08-26-2013, 11:50 AM   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RickyBobby View Post
I'll add to this thread that my st60 pads also fit very tightly like you are describing, but they have loosened up after a couple years of use and probably 30+ pad changes. While I applaud stoptech for sending you a new caliper, I personally wouldn't want to be bothered with installing them. Just file down the pads or the abutment plates in the caliper and be done with it.
I was thinking about that, but one of the attractions of this setup was quick and easy pad swaps, and if I have to pull the wheels off just to test fit new pads whenever I buy them, then likely find a metal grinder or spend a LOT of time with a manual file to get them down to spec before I can keep them handy knowing they're usable, that erodes a lot of the convenience aspect -- especially since the only metal grinder I know about is the one at the indy shop I use, and asking them to grind down new pads all the time eliminates much of the savings of doing my own pad swaps. And 30+ pad changes over a couple years seems like a long time to wait before a fairly expensive product starts to perform as advertised IMHO.

Quote:
Originally Posted by JAJ View Post
I'm with you. Apparently the new calipers I had were made with the same slightly "off" abutment plates. I unscrewed them and flattened them out and they're fine. No problems.

Despite this manufacturing glitch, Stoptech produces top quality products. They make the pads a little "tight" to control noise and it's a strategy that works.
I understand and respect the strategy, but I think the execution is lacking here. I'm glad you were able to solve the issue you were having, but the description makes me think our issues are somewhat different. In my case the pads aren't getting stuck partway into the caliper; they can't even enter the caliper at all, even if they were hammered. The abutment plates don't appear bent on the side closest to the caliper bridge; it just looks like the opening isn't tall enough. At the moment I'm still waiting for StopTech to send me the replacement set of pads they promised and didn't include with the calipers so that I can see whether these new calipers exhibit the same behavior on a set of unaltered pads; both my currently installed pads and race pads were filed down to fit my existing calipers, so they wouldn't be a good test to see whether the new calipers have actually solved anything.
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      08-27-2013, 12:26 AM   #28
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Is there a DIY video for changing pads on Stop Tech Trophy 380mm ST60 BBK?
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      08-27-2013, 12:32 AM   #29
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Youtube probably has a hundred. Really simple procedure unless you run into the issue here.
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      08-27-2013, 12:53 AM   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD View Post
Youtube probably has a hundred. Really simple procedure unless you run into the issue here.
Thanks man! Having issue on pulling the bridge out. And the recommended torque on the bridge screws.
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      08-27-2013, 10:38 AM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Adobong_M View Post
Thanks man! Having issue on pulling the bridge out. And the recommended torque on the bridge screws.
okay let us know what you find out. on my install i just used thread lube and hand tightened with t-handle. cant really get accurate torque readings when using a lubricant on the threads.
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      08-30-2013, 05:09 PM   #32
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UPDATE: Received the new set of pads from StopTech to test with the new calipers -- same problem. In most fitment cases the pad backing plate was just slightly too wide to fit between the caliper abutment plates. With a certain pad in a certain sides of one of the calipers, I was able to get the pad to fit, but even with the caliper resting on the floor and pressing down on the pad, it took quite a bit of effort to get the pad all the way into the caliper. If the caliper had been upright and mounted on the car, getting that done would certainly have required a mallet, but even after I got the pad in, it took a mallet to get the pads back OUT, which suggests to me that even in that one case that fit into the caliper, the pad would have bound inside the caliper if I tried to use them on the car without modification. Meanwhile, the race pads that my shop had ground down to fit in my existing calipers slid into the new calipers perfectly.

At this point I'm going to return the replacement calipers rather than going through the cost and hassle of swapping since it won't fix the issue. As to the issue itself, I guess at this point I have no choice but to hope that this problem will go away with time and use, and that pads will start fitting properly without needing to be ground down first. If that happens, great. If not, there isn't really a different BBK on the market I'd rather have, and I'm not crazy about going back to stock, so I guess in that case I'd just keep what I've got and consider pad grinding an unexpected but unavoidable inconvenience of the kit.
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      08-30-2013, 05:11 PM   #33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Adobong_M View Post
Thanks man! Having issue on pulling the bridge out. And the recommended torque on the bridge screws.
Yeah the bridges are a pain. Easiest way is to get a flathead and stick it between the outer shell of the caliper and the pad-facing side of the caliper bridge and pry; wrap it in something soft to avoid marring the caliper paint. Then to get the bridge back into place, you'll probably want a rubber mallet. Torque spec on the bridge bolts per the installation manual is 9 lb-ft (or 108 lb-inch), but they say you don't really need a torque wrench for that as long as you make sure not to OVERtighten them. Just remember how much effort it took to get them loose and replicate that. Just a) make sure not to lose the washers in there, b) start all bolts before tightening any of them, and c) tighten them according to StopTech's sequence, which counting from the top is 3, 2, 4, 1.

Torque spec on the jet nuts that attach the caliper to the bracket, on the other hand, DOES matter, though you'd only need to do that to replace the rotors or if you run into issues getting pads in or out. That spec is 40 lb-ft (480 lb-inch). Same warning about not losing the washers under the jet nuts.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD View Post
okay let us know what you find out. on my install i just used thread lube and hand tightened with t-handle. cant really get accurate torque readings when using a lubricant on the threads.
You sure using thread lube is ok on those bolts? The manual doesn't mention anything about it.
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      08-30-2013, 05:48 PM   #34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jphughan View Post
You sure using thread lube is ok on those bolts? The manual doesn't mention anything about it.
The instructions don't say to use it but talked with an installer prior who has done tons of them and suggested it because its a steel bolt going into aluminum. To help prevent it binding up.
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      08-30-2013, 05:49 PM   #35
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Yup. I've been using Stoptechs for 4 years now, haven't had a bridge bolt come out yet. The torque on the bolts is not holding that bridge in. In fact most people grossly over torque those bolts when it's not necessary. Barely hand tight is all that's required.

In fact, you can greatly help your situation by greasing the edges of the pads which help them slide in and out much easier.
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      08-30-2013, 06:03 PM   #36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD
The instructions don't say to use it but talked with an installer prior who has done tons of them and suggested it because its a steel bolt going into aluminum. To help prevent it binding up.
Interesting, I'll ask my installer/HPDE instructor about that then. Thanks!
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      08-31-2013, 11:07 AM   #37
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Yep, I ended up using a mallet and kinda hammer it down because a tap just wouldn't work, it's so tight. I was considering a lube but ended up just muscling it in. It's working well though. Afraid at first that the pistons would have an issue pushing it on the rotors. The track pads I used just slides in. Well, because the installer filed the edges down. Now I'm concern about a gash forming a precise ring around the rotor on both sides. Wonder if it's normal
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      09-01-2013, 09:07 PM   #38
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Adobong_M View Post
Yep, I ended up using a mallet and kinda hammer it down because a tap just wouldn't work, it's so tight. I was considering a lube but ended up just muscling it in. It's working well though. Afraid at first that the pistons would have an issue pushing it on the rotors. The track pads I used just slides in. Well, because the installer filed the edges down. Now I'm concern about a gash forming a precise ring around the rotor on both sides. Wonder if it's normal
Wait, so you took unaltered Street Performance pads and hammered them into the caliper, and they're working? Like I said above, that seemed like it would be possible with at least one of the pads I tested in one of the new calipers, but I didn't think the pads would actually work if they were in there that tight, and I was also worried that if the caliper were mounted on the car when I did that, I'd never be able to get the pads out again. That's interesting that they're somehow working even though they had to be hammered....
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      09-01-2013, 11:02 PM   #39
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In my earlier post, I said that I'd flattened the abutment plates because they were too tight. When I installed the brake kit, I put the racing pads in as the initial install because there was a track day coming up.

The track day was last week, and when I got home I did the first pad swap from racing pads to the Stoptech Street Performance pads. Used pads slipped out and new pads slipped in just fine.
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      09-02-2013, 09:04 AM   #40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JAJ View Post
In my earlier post, I said that I'd flattened the abutment plates because they were too tight. When I installed the brake kit, I put the racing pads in as the initial install because there was a track day coming up.

The track day was last week, and when I got home I did the first pad swap from racing pads to the Stoptech Street Performance pads. Used pads slipped out and new pads slipped in just fine.
Right, I guess I'm having a different issue. In my case the pads get stopped right from the very beginning where they first touch the abutment plates, or they barely clear and then have to be hammered in (and then out). At the entry point on my caliper, the abutment plates aren't bent in toward the pad area nor is there a gap between the abutment plate and the caliper itself that could get eliminated, so short of filing them down to make them thinner overall (which I'm not crazy about) I don't see a solution. I guess I'll just keep grinding the pad backing plates down.
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      09-02-2013, 12:09 PM   #41
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At risk of repeating myself, I'll summarize the journey again: When I first dry-fitted mine, the pads wouldn't go into the gap. I felt around in there and found that there was a burr on the top edge of the abutment plate that was stopping the pad from going into the gap, so I took a file and in 10 seconds or so the burr was gone. The pads still wouldn't go in, so I filed the burr off the edge of the pad backing plate. Then, it went in until it hit the "bump" and stopped again. Getting it past the bump required a hammer.

I pulled the bump-equipped abutment plates (at the bottom of the pad pocket away from the bleed screws - all it takes is a Torx T25 hex bit) and flattening the bump with a hammer and anvil. They were still tight, but the pads would go in without jamming. After two days at a race track, the pads now slip in and out just fine - you'd never know that they were ever too tight.
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      09-03-2013, 10:21 AM   #42
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^ Understood, I think I can better visualize it now that I've been able to examine the replacement calipers while they're off the car. But it sounds like even in your case you ended up having to file down the pads somewhat. In my case, I placed my ground-down pads on top of the unaltered pads I received from StopTech and the ground down pads are a good 1.5 mm shorter, so I'd be amazed if burrs on the abutment plates and/or pad backing plates could account for that much of a fitment difference, and I'm pretty sure that burrs that severe would have been noticed by either the installer or myself. I'm also not crazy about hammering down the bump because I assume that's there as an anti-rattle measure to keep the pads quiet on the road, which I'd like since this is my DD.

But the bottom line in my mind is still that if the abutment plates and/or pads need to be deburred to fit correctly, then StopTech should be doing that on their products. As it stands, they sent me new StopTech calipers and new StopTech pads that didn't fit together. Why they couldn't have tested them before sending them out after I precisely described my issue to them I have no idea.

I think at this point I'm just resolved that I'll be grinding down pad backing plates from now on. I'll take a precise measurement of my current modified pads so I know the spec and then bring new pads to a shop and ask them to grind them down to that number. That way I don't have to leave my car with them for test fits every time I get new pads.
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      09-03-2013, 11:05 PM   #43
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Well, it sounds like your problem is even more serious than mine - when I took the burr off the backing plate, there was still paint left on the smooth part of the edge of the backing plate, so it was still the full "nominal" length of 152mm.

Not only that, but I only deburred the backing plate on one of the four pads I installed initially, and the pads I installed on the weekend in the pad-swap had no filing done at all.
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      02-24-2014, 09:33 AM   #44
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I wish I had read this last night when I was installing mine. I test fit pads into the rear st40 caliper just to see how the pads went in, no issue. I wished I had also checked out the st60 caliper beforehand.

The abutment plate on the calipers are the main issue. Add in questionable pad production, too much paint and it's all adds up to a super tight fit. The abutment plates are not perfectly 90 degrees on one of the pad sides, I think it's the bottom. There is a slight pinch making it appear to try to put tension on the pad. But in reality it just makes it a bitch to put the pad on. The top is 90 degrees, if both were 90 degrees them the pads should slide in and out like I'm sure most of us had envisioned.

We had to Dremel down the pads and I had to tap them in with a mallet. It didn't require a lot of aggression but I didn't expect this. In my opinion this bypasses the appeal of the stoptech bbk since it in fact does not allow fast pad changes if you have to grind down sides of pads, and bash them in with a mallet. I was really hoping it was remove the bridge everything slides in and out. Reality is pry out the bridge, rip out the pads, grind down new pads, bash them in, replace the bridge. Now that I've done it and going through this thread I have to modify the caliper a bit if truly quick pad changes is my priority.

Glad that JAJ confirmed my initial suspicions. I will flatten the springy abutment plate for now and order the non springy abutment plates from HP. Track car who gives if the pads rattle slightly?
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