Changing Brakes- which is the best?

The drums suck... the screw, iirc is on the top, normally its on the bottom. You can't see it at all without a mirror. The guys are the dealership replaced my axle seals awhile back and by the time I got home my right rear brake had been dragging and froze up. Made them come out on a Sunday in the rain and fix it. They had reinstalled the slack adjuster backwards. I'm glad I've had them replace axle seals all the time, new brake shoes back there makes less work for me!

For the rear brakes, the slack is self adjusting, but according to the manual, the initial adjustment is done by setting the e-brake. Unless you've been wheeling alot, gettin the rears dirty, or have had a leak around there, I'm sure your rears are fine... rear brakes hardly get used.

 

What Brian said on the drums. My old '92 still didn't need new rear shoes at 130K but I had bought them a few years before and went ahead and put them on. You could clean things up, but if it still has a lot of lining left it is probably more trouble than it is worth.

I had a bad OEM rotor off the showroom floor, and the one they fixed it with always had a slight squeak and eventually felt like it glazed in one spot. Maybe they just turned the original rotor to fix it and said they replaced it, I don't know. Most likely the same manufacturers supply OEM, Brembo, Wagner, and half a dozen other brands, so going OEM on the rotors is a personal choice.

I just put AutoZone Duralast rotors on and used the Duralast Gold Cmax pads. About 50 bucks for the pads and 55 each for the rotors. Supposedly the ceramics don't stop as well, but my brakes work way better than they did before and are super quiet.

I could not get the bottom caliper bolt off on the passenger side (the side I had the original issues with) and split a 17mm impact socket, then a regular socket, then a precious wobble socket. Had to have the dealer install the last rotor (FAIL ). I would suggest PB Blaster on those bolts the day before you are going to do it.

 

Drums last forever so make sure you really need them, I would suggest snapping a bunch of pictures and using some sort of reference manual (a how-to thread or OEM/Hanes manual)...

I like to either do OEM or Brembo blanks with a high quality pad...

 

Will do thanks

 

I just put Hawk LTS and SS lines on ... very happy so far!

 

gonna check into that

 

... and that brake quiet lube stuff (red goop) goes between back of pads and caliper. If you don't know what I'm talking about, say so and I'll send a pic to live when I get home in about 3 hrs. I've got a bottle setting on the shelf in my garage.

 

True statement...my general rule has been 2 sets of front disc pads to 1 set of rear shoes. It's held true for every vehicle I've owned with front disc/rear drum configuration.
EDIT: Point being...pull the rear drums and inspect the shoes before you go and buy them...I'll bet a six pack you won't need rear shoes yet, if your changing front pads for the first time. IMO FWIW.

 

can I lie just to sit down and drink a 6pack with a fellow TW member

 

Sure! You pay the airfare...I got next trip. ...............and of course

 

airfare hell I am bringing the taco so i can post my tits

 

Wait ... what's your current temp ... maybe I should come there. Current temp -12F This sub-zero cold snap is getting old...they normally don't last this long down here in South Central AK. ... WTF! Too cold to even go bird or rabbit hunting. Cabin Fever is starting to make me grumpy...wife would say "grumpier"

 

29 degrees..I want some snow.. in 2 years when I move to seattle we will have to try to meet up and do some off roading or beer drinking.. how far are you from seattle

 

3 hr 30 min plane ride. Got another good friend down there...works for WA State Emergency Mgmt ... on Ft Lewis. We just might be able to make that happen.

 

subbed.. iam also looking to buy some pads.. iam the same as the OP.. i changed my spark plugs for the first time in my life! whoop so far so good.. next up brake pads because they are starting to squeel.. iam at 66500 miles..

 

subbed.. iam in the same boat as the OP.. did my plugs for the first time a couple weeks back.. the brakes been squeeling so want to change them pretty sooon.. iam at 66500

 

good luck dude

 

thanks did you make your install?

 

I'm running stoptech pads as the DD pad(same as TRD but cheaper) F&R, oem rotors and stoptech brake lines.