So, I replaced my pads and rotors for the first time this weekend. Everything went pretty smoothly. (I love how the stock rotors have tapped holes that you can screw the caliper screws into to pop them off! Too bad my new ones don't have that.)

Being a weekend warrior, I don't have a dial to check run out, which all the instructions I read said you should do.

Should I take it in to have a professional "check my work"? Or just ride it out and see if everything feels OK? (So far it does.)

I also tried a brake fluid flush. I'm not sure I did it quite right, but the pedal feels about the same as it did before. I was hoping for something a little firmer with new fluid. Is there a way to get a tighter feel, or is that just what we have to work with?

Thanks for your input.

You should not do such job by yourself if you look for professional to check it afterwards. Yes, it is not a big deal to change pads and rotors, but as you probably feel, just one small stupid mistake may be fatal. Do not hazard with your life and life of your passengers.

After changing the fluid just because it is old and saturated with water, you should not feel any change in pedal firmness. Usually the brake fluid has to be changed only because after some time it contains too much water (absorbing it from air - well, some brake fluid types do not absorb water). And if there is water in the fluid in a situation when you have to brake hard and for longer time, heat from brakes will heat the fluid, water in the fluid start boiling and evaporating. And steam bubles in the fluid are same as air bubles in the fluid - the brake system becomes ineffective right when you need it.

If you feel the pedal firmer, then you had air bubles in brake system. Or you had them and you still have them :).

Thanks for the reply, Kemo. I understand your point. But I'd never learn anything that way! As you said, changing out the rotors and pads was not rocket science. I was just wondering how important checking run out is, and if there was a problem, if it was something I would notice fairly quickly.