im having trouble removing the rear brake drum from a 1996 ford taurus, i can not see into the access port to loosen the adjustment screw so the drum will slip off. do i need to use two screw drivers, one to lift the lever and the other to move the adjustment screw? the manuel is to generic, any tips?
Hello, I have a 1997 Chevy Blazer and am attempting to replace the brake booster. I have the booster all ready to be removed but there is one thing stopping me. There is a clip on the pedal assembly that holds the booster piston to the pedal assembly and I cannot get that thing off. what do I do....Please Help!!! Chad
USe a small screwdriver to remove the retainer from the brake pedal arm pin, remove the stoplamp switch from the pin, then remove the booster pushrod from the pin. The switch straddles the booster pushrod.
Yes, you need 2 tools to release the pressure on the starwheel. There is a tool called a "brake spoon" that is designed to help with this process.
Personally, I just ues 2 screwdrivers. One, very small one to push the spring-loaded pawl away from the starwheel and a second wider (slightly sharp) one to work the starwheel.
One way to determine the correct direction to go is to first start off with ONE screwdriver. The starwheel will ONLY move one way (tightening) and the clicking of the pawl will be heard each time the starwheel it moved.
Then, you will know that the OTHER way is for losening the pressure.
It is virtually impossible to EXPLAIN the process without actually seeing the starwheel and pawl mechinism. I can tell you it is a very slow process, you can only move the starwheel a few degrees of rotation each time.
I have found that if you can get the car up on a lift, the process can be far more comfortable when you are turning the star wheel in either direction.
I do all my work in a dirt driveway. I would be happy if I just had a GARAGE. A lift would be a bonus. (I would settle for a pit)
Working in a dirt driveway is not very fun. In the rain it is pretty muddy, in the winter the snow is cold. When I drop a wheel-bearing in the dirt, it becomes scrap.
At least on a sunny day the lighting is pretty good 8-)
I can sure relate to your current situation. I've got good facilities now, but I'll never forget the added challenges of snow, mud, cold, drizzle; well, you sure know the drill... (:o]
Depends on whether you're removing the rotors for servicing or replacement. They're integral with the hubs on 2WD and the bearings require repacking. Here's how to do it:
Siphon off about 2/3 of the brake fluid from the master cylinder reservoirs. CAUTION The insertion of thicker replacement pads will push the piston back into its bore and will cause a full master cylinder reservoir to overflow, possibly causing paint damage. In addition to siphoning off fluid, it would be wise to keep the reservoir cover on during pad replacement.
Raise and support the front of the vehicle on jackstands. Remove the wheels. Install a C-clamp on the caliper so that the frame side of the clamp rests against the back of the caliper and so the screw end rests against the metal part (shoe) of the outboard pad. Loosen the caliper bleeder screw. Tighten the clamp until the caliper moves enough to bottom the piston in its bore. Tighten the bleeder, then remove the clamp. Remove the 2 Allen head caliper mounting bolts enough to allow the caliper to be pulled off the disc. Remove the inboard pad and loosen the outboard pad. Support the caliper from a piece of wire. DO NOT let it hang from the flex hose. Remove the pad support spring clip from the piston. Remove the 2 bolt ear sleeves and the 4 rubber bushings from the ears. Check the inside of the caliper for leakage and the condition of the piston dust boot. Carefully pry out the spindle nut grease cap, then remove the cotter pin, spindle nut, and washer. Remove the hub/rotor, being careful not to drop the outer wheel bearings. As the hub is pulled outward, the outer wheel bearings will often fall forward and they may easily be removed at this time.
Once the rotor is removed from the vehicle the wheel bearings may be cleaned and repacked or the bearings and races may be replaced. For more information, please refer to the wheel bearing procedures in General Information & Maintenance of this guide.
To install: Carefully install the wheel hub/rotor over the spindle. Using your hands, firmly press the outer bearing into the hub. Install the spindle washer and nut.
Properly adjust the wheel bearings: Spin the wheel forward by hand and tighten the nut to 12 ft. lbs. (16 Nm) in order to fully seat the bearings. Back off the nut until it is just loose, then finger-tighten the nut. Loosen the nut 1/4-1/2 turn until either hole in the spindle lines up with a slot in the nut, then install a new cotter pin. This may appear to be too loose, but it is the correct adjustment. Proper adjustment creates 0.001-0.005 in. (0.025-0.127mm) end-play. Install the dust cap.
To install caliper: Lubricate the 2 new sleeves and 4 bushings with silicone grease. Install the bushings in each caliper ear. Install the 2 sleeves in the 2 inboard ears. Install the pad support spring clip and the old pad into the center of the piston. Make sure that the wear sensor is facing toward the rear of the caliper. Place the outboard pad in the caliper with its top ears over the caliper ears and the bottom tab engaged in the caliper cutout. After both pads are installed, lift the caliper and place the bottom edge of the outboard pad on the outer edge of the disc to make sure that there is no clearance between the tab on the bottom of the shoes and the caliper abutment. Place the caliper over the disc, lining up the hole in the caliper ears with the hole in the mounting bracket. Make sure that the brake hose is not kinked. Start the caliper-to-mounting bracket bolts through the sleeves in the inboard caliper ears and through the mounting bracket, making sure that the ends of the bolts pass under the retaining ears of the inboard shoe. Push the mounting bolts through to engage the holes in the outboard shoes and the outboard caliper ears and then threading them into the mounting bracket. Torque the mounting bolts to 37 ft. lbs. (50 Nm). Pump the brake pedal to seat the linings against the rotors. Using a pair of slip-joint locking pliers, place them on the notch on the caliper housing, bend the caliper upper ears until no clearance exists between the shoe and the caliper housing. Install the wheels, lower the vehicle and refill the master cylinder reservoirs with brake fluid. Pump the brake pedal to make sure that it is firm. If it is not, bleed the brakes.
Thank you so much alcan. Forgot to mention and I'm not sure if it matters, but my van is AWD. Rotors do need resurfacing. Do the hub nuts still need to come on this AWD? Your help is terrific! Thanks again for your help.
"my van is AWD. Rotors do need resurfacing. Do the hub nuts still need to come on this AWD?"
Nope. The rotors slide off after the calipers are removed. Be sure to clean the mounting flanges on the hubs before reinstalling the rotors or they'll have runout.
one more question about astro van brakes please. Check my post under GMC safari astro vans to see the start of this problem... So, when a hub nut is tightened, is it possible to 'over' tighten? And what would happen if it was? Can't thank you enough~
Yes it certainly is possible although you'd really need an air wrench to do a good job of warping the rotors and maybe bending the wheels. Always best to follow a tightening pattern and use the proper torque, especially with modern alloy wheels and the little dinky hockey pucks they give you nowadays for rotors.
With aluminim alloy wheels you must ALWAYS re-torque the lugnuts after 50-100 miles of driving. (Your owners manual will state this quite clearly.)
Not on any GM cars or light trucks. I've just accessed 7 different model year GM vehicle factory service manuals back to 1998, and random owners manuals back to 2002. None state anything about re-torquing wheels.
Another of many reasons why I like steelies, if I can at all get them.
I am not sure what they did since 2001 to be able to "drop the requirement: to retorque; but in a Corvette Z06, it does clearly state in the owners manual, alloy wheels need to be retorqued (#100 ft #'s). I have when the car was newer had occasions where one or even two of each position was less than the required 100 ft #'s. As a matter of fact two days ago I retorqued and it was A ok.
Most European premium brands (Mbz,BMW,Volvo,Saab) have higher standards for performance and safety. There is absolutely no compromise for it.
However value brands like (Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, etc) compromise performance and safety for the sake of economics and reliability rating.
Example, one of the most common maintenances/repairs in any cars is the braking system. For European brands the brake pads and rotors are replaced more frequently (due to higher standards of performance and safety) all rotors in these cars cannot be resurfaced/machined. And in some car such as Saab you might have to replace the pads and rotors every 30K (cost about $500 - $8000)
For cars produced by Toyota/Honda/Hyundai..etc you can change your pads every 30K, resurface your rotors at 60K, and in some cases you can resurface it again at 120K. So at the extreme end you'll need to replace the rotors in your Saab 6 times before you replace the rotors for the average cars. Very economical, small bills, and may lead some consumers to say "WOW" this car is reliable. In fact it just mean less maintenance, more econmical while compromising performance and safety. Folks, Toyota/Honda/Hyundai learn and study reliability rating surveys and perceptions very well. They design their cars this way (low cost maintenance) to boost consumer reliability perceptions. It's a very gross attempt
Furthermore, when comparing the TSX vs. S40 one result that clearly illustrate that Volvo does not compromise performance and safey for any reason is the braking distance stat. Stats from different sources shows the S-40 beats the TSX braking distance between 4-30 feet. . That's a difference between going off the cliff on your ski trip in one car and staying alive in another, killing a woman and her kids in one car or stop safely in time in another. Even one feet is world of difference in an emergency situation. The brakes is not something you compromise but sadly enough some automakers do it for the sake of economics and reliability deceptions
I was told that ABS (especially all wheel ABS) causes much quicker brake pad wear than a car without ABS. Is this true or just a rumor? I was told I would be lucky to get 25K out of my current scion tc pads due to the ABS while I got close to 50k out of my old non-ABS car pads. Thanks!
It is my understanding that we can expect to see fewer miles per brake pad in cars with ABS versus the same car and pad without ABS. Stability control systems tend to use up the pads as well, applying selective braking from one wheel to another.
I am not so sure if your definition is true if my experiences are an indication. I had a 87 Toyota Landcruiser which I got app 60,000 miles between pad changes. I had Toyota Landcruisers years 91,94,96,97 in which if I got 45,000 miles between pad changes I was indeed lucky. Through a class action lawsuit I received checks for a pad and rotor change for 4 sets. Less mileage between pad and rotor changes to my mind is not necessarily a good or even bad thing. For street vehicles I do have a preference for greater mileage.
I also have ATE oem pads/rotors on a VW Jetta. They look good to go for INXS of 125,000 miles. The Corvette Z06 has OEM pads made by PBR (European manufacturer and at 68,000 miles have MORE than half the pad left. So conservatively this puts the projected mileage at 136,000 miles. This OEM pad and rotor combination has one of the shortest (at the time) 60-0 stopping distance of 109 ft. In addition this has ABS and a Bosch stability control system.
Of course if one tracks the vehicle totally worn pads rotors are normal in as little as a one day track session. In fact depending on the level of track activity, street pads might be totally inappropriate.
I tend to agree with you on the value of the longer period of OEM brake longevity. The factory pads and rotors can end up being the last really trouble free brakes on an SUV. After market components can be problematic.
One thing that goes unsaid is the operating parameters are indeed different between Europe and the USA. Here in the USA we have speed limits of 65-70-75 mph vs up to UNLIMITED in Europe. Do a lot of high speed , high energy stops from 155 mph and it is surely logical the brakes (pads and rotors) will tend to wear faster. The other thing is that rotors in general are specified not far beyond the so called "critical mass" to almost make changing pads and rotors mandatory. My VW has a 2 MM wear specification (till toast) vs say a TLC where I can easily do multiple pad changes. So just changing the pads on the VW is indeed "IFFY" So indeed the other performance component of cutting down unsprung weight (such as brake rotors) has the offsetting penalty.
Yes, I personally have become skeptical of almost ANY aftermarket part. This is despite the oem's reputations for having "bean" counters involved in almost every engineering detail.
Not unless every braking event is an ABS panic stop. During normal braking, the ABS system is inactive and has no effect on pad wear. In an ABS event, the affected brake is cycled 12-15 times/second. I suppose one could argue that would cause more pad wear, but it's really a moot point considering the loss of steerability and directional control, and the amount of rubber ground off the tires, in a wheel lock-up.
thanks for the reply. i would hate to lose significant pad longevity just for having ABS. what is the average life of OEM pads btw? i've heard people say they got 75k+ but my mechanic said that i can only expect around 40k.
Well for sure, I would agree. But I think from a more practical point of view, there is a small % of people who operate their vehicles where ABS would tend to come on more often than not. This small minority would be in the category of most likely to be experiencing more wear due to ABS activation. Other than tha,t NO!
I have to agree with you about it NOT being underengineering.
Engeeneers are trained to account for stresses beyond the "normal" operating conditions. Any good engineer will not even START a design without knowing the requirements by which his design needs to operate within.
HOWEVER: The "bean counters" very often 'cheepen' a good design by changing the specifications of the materials that are used to build it.
All too often, the engineers original design is compromised by poor materials or assembly.
WIth brakes, the materials used for the BRAKE ROTOR are easy to 'cheepen' on paper....It is easy to "save $40 per rotor" by under-specifying the metal. but in reality, the wrong material will warp, rust, crack and eventually FAIL.
The new ceramic pads that I had installed seem thinner than standard brake pads. Are they supposed to be or might I have a problem with excessive wear. I don't think this is the case since I have only had the pads on for about a week, they just don't look like they have that much meat on them for new pads.
tire pressure checks fine, truck travels straight when normal driving, just pulls when brakes are applied. maybe it is out of alignment. pads are fairly new so it is hard to tell a difference in wear on pads. problem is worse when pulling a trailer.
(Marsha7) Absolutely not! In fact the seramic pads are often marketed as "quiet pads" For example, the Raybestos "QS" (Quiet Stop) pads are ther ceramic offering.
Many vehicles have an "X" plumbing system for the brakes. The RF and LR wheel are controlled by one half of the master cylinder. The other 2 wheels are part of the 'other' half of the master cylinder.
Why am I telling you this?, If one of the 2 halfs has air in ths system , then ONE of the front wheels will receive more hydrolic pressure than the other. This would be a reason for "pulling" when braking.
Of course, you are ASSUMING that both front calipers are working properly unless you have pulled the wheels and PMd the front brakes. Dont forget that even with a good caliper, the brakepads themselves must move freely and all rough moving parts MUST be filed smooth and have antiseeze on them.
To recap, the order of things to check for 'pulling while braking' is; 1) one caliper sticking 2) brake pads sticking on sliding surfaces 3) If you have "X" plumbed brakes, bleed the other half of the system 4) warn front-end parts that are allowing a wheel to move out of alignment under braking pressure.
Take a hard look at all suspension components, especially bushings and ball joints. As mentioned, loose components can allow the steering knuckle to shift under braking, changing caster which is a directional control alignment angle. Would be aggravated with a trailer attached. If all's ok, next usual suspect would be a defective flex hose. NEVER use vise grips or other tools to clamp off hoses when servicing brakes, it's the fastest way there is to damage hoses internally.
Forget the reference to "X" plumbing, diagonal split hydraulic systems are used in front wheel drive and derivative all wheel drive vehicles only. All rear wheel drive and 4X4 use front/rear hydraulic split systems.
Btw, I diagnose brake pull problems with a digital infrared thermometer. Make a couple of hard stops then "shoot" the rotors and check their temp. If both are about the same, it's usually a suspension problem. If one's cooler, then I look for a problem with a hydraulic or friction system component for that wheel.
Comments
Personally, I just ues 2 screwdrivers. One, very small one to push the spring-loaded pawl away from the starwheel and a second wider (slightly sharp) one to work the starwheel.
One way to determine the correct direction to go is to first start off with ONE screwdriver. The starwheel will ONLY move one way (tightening) and the clicking of the pawl will be heard each time the starwheel it moved.
Then, you will know that the OTHER way is for losening the pressure.
It is virtually impossible to EXPLAIN the process without actually seeing the starwheel and pawl mechinism. I can tell you it is a very slow process, you can only move the starwheel a few degrees of rotation each time.
GOOD LUCK!
Working in a dirt driveway is not very fun. In the rain it is pretty muddy, in the winter the snow is cold. When I drop a wheel-bearing in the dirt, it becomes scrap.
At least on a sunny day the lighting is pretty good 8-)
Siphon off about 2/3 of the brake fluid from the master cylinder reservoirs.
CAUTION
The insertion of thicker replacement pads will push the piston back into its bore and will cause a full master cylinder reservoir to overflow, possibly causing paint damage. In addition to siphoning off fluid, it would be wise to keep the reservoir cover on during pad replacement.
Raise and support the front of the vehicle on jackstands. Remove the wheels.
Install a C-clamp on the caliper so that the frame side of the clamp rests against the back of the caliper and so the screw end rests against the metal part (shoe) of the outboard pad.
Loosen the caliper bleeder screw.
Tighten the clamp until the caliper moves enough to bottom the piston in its bore.
Tighten the bleeder, then remove the clamp.
Remove the 2 Allen head caliper mounting bolts enough to allow the caliper to be pulled off the disc.
Remove the inboard pad and loosen the outboard pad.
Support the caliper from a piece of wire. DO NOT let it hang from the flex hose.
Remove the pad support spring clip from the piston.
Remove the 2 bolt ear sleeves and the 4 rubber bushings from the ears.
Check the inside of the caliper for leakage and the condition of the piston dust boot.
Carefully pry out the spindle nut grease cap, then remove the cotter pin, spindle nut, and washer. Remove the hub/rotor, being careful not to drop the outer wheel bearings. As the hub is pulled outward, the outer wheel bearings will often fall forward and they may easily be removed at this time.
Once the rotor is removed from the vehicle the wheel bearings may be cleaned and repacked or the bearings and races may be replaced. For more information, please refer to the wheel bearing procedures in General Information & Maintenance of this guide.
To install:
Carefully install the wheel hub/rotor over the spindle.
Using your hands, firmly press the outer bearing into the hub.
Install the spindle washer and nut.
Properly adjust the wheel bearings:
Spin the wheel forward by hand and tighten the nut to 12 ft. lbs. (16 Nm) in order to fully seat the bearings.
Back off the nut until it is just loose, then finger-tighten the nut.
Loosen the nut 1/4-1/2 turn until either hole in the spindle lines up with a slot in the nut, then install a new cotter pin. This may appear to be too loose, but it is the correct adjustment.
Proper adjustment creates 0.001-0.005 in. (0.025-0.127mm) end-play.
Install the dust cap.
To install caliper:
Lubricate the 2 new sleeves and 4 bushings with silicone grease.
Install the bushings in each caliper ear. Install the 2 sleeves in the 2 inboard ears.
Install the pad support spring clip and the old pad into the center of the piston.
Make sure that the wear sensor is facing toward the rear of the caliper.
Place the outboard pad in the caliper with its top ears over the caliper ears and the bottom tab engaged in the caliper cutout.
After both pads are installed, lift the caliper and place the bottom edge of the outboard pad on the outer edge of the disc to make sure that there is no clearance between the tab on the bottom of the shoes and the caliper abutment.
Place the caliper over the disc, lining up the hole in the caliper ears with the hole in the mounting bracket. Make sure that the brake hose is not kinked.
Start the caliper-to-mounting bracket bolts through the sleeves in the inboard caliper ears and through the mounting bracket, making sure that the ends of the bolts pass under the retaining ears of the inboard shoe.
Push the mounting bolts through to engage the holes in the outboard shoes and the outboard caliper ears and then threading them into the mounting bracket.
Torque the mounting bolts to 37 ft. lbs. (50 Nm). Pump the brake pedal to seat the linings against the rotors.
Using a pair of slip-joint locking pliers, place them on the notch on the caliper housing, bend the caliper upper ears until no clearance exists between the shoe and the caliper housing.
Install the wheels, lower the vehicle and refill the master cylinder reservoirs with brake fluid. Pump the brake pedal to make sure that it is firm. If it is not, bleed the brakes.
Nope. The rotors slide off after the calipers are removed. Be sure to clean the mounting flanges on the hubs before reinstalling the rotors or they'll have runout.
So, when a hub nut is tightened, is it possible to 'over' tighten? And what would happen if it was?
Can't thank you enough~
With aluminim alloy wheels you must ALWAYS re-torque the lugnuts after 50-100 miles of driving. (Your owners manual will state this quite clearly.)
The above re-torqing is NOT needed with STEEL wheels.
Not on any GM cars or light trucks. I've just accessed 7 different model year GM vehicle factory service manuals back to 1998, and random owners manuals back to 2002. None state anything about re-torquing wheels.
I am not sure what they did since 2001 to be able to "drop the requirement: to retorque; but in a Corvette Z06, it does clearly state in the owners manual, alloy wheels need to be retorqued (#100 ft #'s). I have when the car was newer had occasions where one or even two of each position was less than the required 100 ft #'s. As a matter of fact two days ago I retorqued and it was A ok.
However value brands like (Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, etc) compromise performance and safety for the sake of economics and reliability rating.
Example, one of the most common maintenances/repairs in any cars is the braking system. For European brands the brake pads and rotors are replaced more frequently (due to higher standards of performance and safety) all rotors in these cars cannot be resurfaced/machined. And in some car such as Saab you might have to replace the pads and rotors every 30K (cost about $500 - $8000)
For cars produced by Toyota/Honda/Hyundai..etc you can change your pads every 30K, resurface your rotors at 60K, and in some cases you can resurface it again at 120K. So at the extreme end you'll need to replace the rotors in your Saab 6 times before you replace the rotors for the average cars. Very economical, small bills, and may lead some consumers to say "WOW" this car is reliable. In fact it just mean less maintenance, more econmical while compromising performance and safety.
Folks, Toyota/Honda/Hyundai learn and study reliability rating surveys and perceptions very well. They design their cars this way (low cost maintenance) to boost consumer reliability perceptions. It's a very gross attempt
Furthermore, when comparing the TSX vs. S40 one result that clearly illustrate that Volvo does not compromise performance and safey for any reason is the braking distance stat. Stats from different sources shows the S-40 beats the TSX braking distance between 4-30 feet. . That's a difference between going off the cliff on your ski trip in one car and staying alive in another, killing a woman and her kids in one car or stop safely in time in another. Even one feet is world of difference in an emergency situation.
The brakes is not something you compromise but sadly enough some automakers do it for the sake of economics and reliability deceptions
What model year?
I also have ATE oem pads/rotors on a VW Jetta. They look good to go for INXS of 125,000 miles. The Corvette Z06 has OEM pads made by PBR (European manufacturer and at 68,000 miles have MORE than half the pad left. So conservatively this puts the projected mileage at 136,000 miles. This OEM pad and rotor combination has one of the shortest (at the time) 60-0 stopping distance of 109 ft. In addition this has ABS and a Bosch stability control system.
Of course if one tracks the vehicle totally worn pads rotors are normal in as little as a one day track session. In fact depending on the level of track activity, street pads might be totally inappropriate.
Cheaper than say, 15 years ago?
Engineers rarely make economic decisions, but the folks in accounting nix plenty of good engineering ideas, all the time.
Engeeneers are trained to account for stresses beyond the "normal" operating conditions. Any good engineer will not even START a design without knowing the requirements by which his design needs to operate within.
HOWEVER: The "bean counters" very often 'cheepen' a good design by changing the specifications of the materials that are used to build it.
All too often, the engineers original design is compromised by poor materials or assembly.
WIth brakes, the materials used for the BRAKE ROTOR are easy to 'cheepen' on paper....It is easy to "save $40 per rotor" by under-specifying the metal. but in reality, the wrong material will warp, rust, crack and eventually FAIL.
http://tools.batauto.com/index.php?crn=82&rn=926&action=show_detail
http://shop.metalnerd.com/index.cgi?code=3&cat=8
Additionally, Many auto-parts staroes will loan you the correct tool when you purchase the brake pads from them.
The big difference you should see is MUCH LESS BLACK DUST on the wheels. That is the reason I went with ceramic-based pads.
99 dodge 2500 pickup 4x4
Why am I telling you this?, If one of the 2 halfs has air in ths system , then ONE of the front wheels will receive more hydrolic pressure than the other. This would be a reason for "pulling" when braking.
Of course, you are ASSUMING that both front calipers are working properly unless you have pulled the wheels and PMd the front brakes. Dont forget that even with a good caliper, the brakepads themselves must move freely and all rough moving parts MUST be filed smooth and have antiseeze on them.
To recap, the order of things to check for 'pulling while braking' is;
1) one caliper sticking
2) brake pads sticking on sliding surfaces
3) If you have "X" plumbed brakes, bleed the other half of the system
4) warn front-end parts that are allowing a wheel to move out of alignment under braking pressure.
Forget the reference to "X" plumbing, diagonal split hydraulic systems are used in front wheel drive and derivative all wheel drive vehicles only. All rear wheel drive and 4X4 use front/rear hydraulic split systems.
Btw, I diagnose brake pull problems with a digital infrared thermometer. Make a couple of hard stops then "shoot" the rotors and check their temp. If both are about the same, it's usually a suspension problem. If one's cooler, then I look for a problem with a hydraulic or friction system component for that wheel.