4 wheel pads + rotors on my own!

[jeremy806]

Hi everyone,

I need to feel good about myself at the moment. I own a 2000 GMC Jimmy that needed new pads and rotors at all wheels.

Well. in my area (Detroit area), that's about $1000. Yeah, sounds crazy, but I made a few calls and most quotes were that high or higher. A lot of places charge close to $200 each for the rear rotors!

Anyway, that was so much money that I determined that it was a better deal for me to take a day off, buy parts, buy some tools, and do it myself. Well, I am mildly mechanically inclined, but do not work on cars normally. So, I did it and the car still runs and stops!

Do not mean to float my boat, and to some people that is an easy task. But, it was a pretty real project for me, and I needed to tell someone about it.

Jeremy806

 

[notfred]

Good for you! the only feeling that compares to repairing your own car, is improving your own house, er, your parents house.... Anyway, you know the sense of acomplishment I'm talking about.

 

[yakko]

Pads and rotors are easy. Try doing drums.

 

[Imported]

Cool.

I did a rear disc conversion on my Civic to avoid the drum issue, and it's better stopping power for autoxing.

 

[yakko]

That is why I did a conversion on my Jetta.

 

[tcsenter]

Did you remember to spray the protective oil off the new rotors using brake cleaner then wipe them thoroughly dry? Its always nice when you forget to use brake cleaner so your brakes smoke for the next two weeks whenever you stop.

 

[jeremy806]

Hmmm..... looks like I am smoking.

I thought about the oil, but it seemed like a really mild amount of oil that I figured it would burn off in a day.

I guess maybe it takes longer.

I tell you one thing, I think that He-Man buit my car because everything was a bitch to get apart.

jeremy806

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: yakko
Pads and rotors are easy. Try doing drums.

Even worse drums on VW Beetles (not the modified Golfs that pass for a Beetle today). The rear ones were such a major pain in the a$$.

 

[tcsenter]

Hmmm..... looks like I am smoking. I thought about the oil, but it seemed like a really mild amount of oil that I figured it would burn off in a day.

haha, bad move. The oil and burnt residue contaminates your pads, the result can vary. You may smoke only for a couple days, or it could last a couple weeks. Either way, you can expect to see an inordinate amount of brake dust and dirt build up on your wheels for a while. I've never seen wheels get so dirty so fast than the time I used only a dry rag to wipe the oil off instead of spraying the rotors with brake cleaner.

The burnt oil can "glaze" the surface of your rotors and pads. I had to disassemble everything again, then take an emory cloth to my rotors and brake pads. I actually used one of those vibrating palm sanders with an emory cloth patch and buzzed the surface of my pads for about a minute each. Then I did the same to the surface of my rotors and reassembled everything, problem solved.

 

[StrangeRanger]

Did you "swirl" the rotors with a grinder or sand paper? This tremendously (sp?) helps in keeping any squeeking or squealing from ever starting.
j
ps: if you think rear drums on a beetle are bad, try a VW Van. They suck big time!

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: yakko
Pads and rotors are easy. Try doing drums.

It is funny(in hindsight) thinking about the spring on my old car's drum go flying

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: StrangeRanger
Did you "swirl" the rotors with a grinder or sand paper? This tremendously (sp?) helps in keeping any squeeking or squealing from ever starting.
j
ps: if you think rear drums on a beetle are bad, try a VW Van. They suck big time!

The Microbus style vans or the more current ones? I always assumed the Microbus was pretty much the same as the Beetle for that. On the Beetle there is a huge nut that holds the drum to the stub axle that according to VW was supposed to be tightened to 250 foot pounds. Once you got the drum off there was the pain in the rear clip that held the emergency brake cable to the rear brake shoe you had to remove and replace praying all the while that the thing would not break. Even with all that I still love old Bugs for some strange reason.

 

[yakko]

Originally posted by: Linflas

Originally posted by: yakko
Pads and rotors are easy. Try doing drums.

Even worse drums on VW Beetles (not the modified Golfs that pass for a Beetle today). The rear ones were such a major pain in the a$$.

I used to be a VW mechanic so I have already done them.

 

[Thegonagle]

Good going. I've saved thousands since I started driving by doing all my own brake jobs, except one. In fact, that brake job I paid for ended up spelling death for one of my cars.