Replacing brakes

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: hoorah

Originally posted by: BD2003

Originally posted by: hoorah

Originally posted by: BD2003

Originally posted by: LoKe

Originally posted by: Sukhoi
By breaker bar I assume everyone means the big-ass bar with a 1/2" socket drive connector at the end that you use to take the lug nuts off.

Yessir.Text.

I've never had a problem with crossed tire iron + stomp.

The breaker bar is not for the lug nuts, although it is easier to take them off with a breaker bar.

The breaker bar is to use on the brake caliper bolts. Not only can they be incredibly difficult to take off with a regular old socket, but hanging around underneath the car putting enough force on a standard socket wrench that I shift the weight of the car is not something I want to do when the car is supported on a jack or jackstands. A breaker bar not only makes it easier to apply a lot of torque to the bolt, but lets you do it comfortably while standing away from the car. The time is saves more than makes up for the cost of the tool.

The interior vanes of the rotors will rust, it happens, it doesn't mean they're bad. My point about the rear rotors is that in a FWD car, the rear brake pads get very little use. Even to someone with a lot of experience like myself it can be difficult to differentiate between a front and rear wheel balancing vibration. Couple that with the fact that the rears see little to no use, and it would be pretty hard for me to recommend that the rear rotors were warped.


If the rear rotors truely are warped, you would experience a side to side vibration in the rear/seat of the car while the steering wheel stays completely still under hard braking. Are those your symptoms? Putting some heavy weights in the rear can help you determine this. I'm not trying to say that you're wrong, I just don't want you to go replacing the rotors because some jiffylube mechanic told you to. Pads and rotors are big profit margin items to them, they like to recommend rotors and pads alot, even if they don't need to be done.

I'll take pics of them later...I really don't think they are warped, and the pads are thick. But they are somewhat rusted on the contact plate...that can't be good. As far as I can tell, they are fine, but I don't want to take chances with my brakes, ya know?

The front pads are definitely worn, I can hear the alerts ringing, but the rotors look fine.

If the front pads are low, by all means, replace them. If you have an alert on your dash indicating that the pads are low, you may need a new brake sensor for the fronts. They're usually pretty cheap.

For the rears, rust on the contact surface is no big deal. Alot of cars rust there when they get wet and sit out. It comes right off the next time you run the car. Think about it, is there any coating you can put on a rotor that won't be wiped off the next time you step on the brake?

Don't think you're taking chances with the rear brakes, you're not. Even if you completely lost your rears, you wouldn't notice much of a difference. If the pads are okay, I'd leave em, and I've done quite a few brake jobs and race events too.

It's not a dash alert, its the little things on the actual pads themselves that whistle when they get low. Just front pads should be alright then...

 

[BD2003]

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