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how to tell if pads are worn

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    how to tell if pads are worn

    I know this may seem like an obvious question to many. But my front right brake has been making a screeching sound and i was wondering how i know if the pads need replacing. Also is this something i can do or should a shop do it.
    real drivers accelerate for the corners

    #2
    I don't recall if our front brake pads have wear bars or not, but you could just take the wheel off and look. There is a backing piece and trhe friction material. on the pad. Id the friction material is less than about 1/4'' thick then its probably time to change the pads. They could also be glazed, if you drive hard.
    There's nothing stopping you from doing the brakes yourself except yourself. If you fel confident enough to change the pads yourself then go for it, if not take it to a shop.
    Its really not that hard, but then thats my opinion and I've done dozens, maybe hundreds of brake jobs.
    Ryan The middle child is always ignored
    BP powered 97LX Touring Edition
    Vibrant strut tower brace, KVR front brake pads, Tungsram Megalicht H4 headlight bulbs, Phillips Halogen H3 foglight bulbs.... 91 GT rims w/ 195 60 14 Yokohomo Mirada GTX sport

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      #3
      I double what midnight blue said. You have to take your wheels off to determine whether you need to change the pads. If you do need to change them, and you know what you are doing, then do it your self. If not, take it to the shop. Our brakes have a known fault for having the sliders freeze, and its a pain to take them out. But if you don't need to replace them, your pads are probably just loose, and that could be the reason why your pads squeek. But, I am bit drunk right now, and going to go get laid, so check this post again tomorrow as I am sure I will edit it. Goodluck.
      "Probable impossibilities are to be preferred to improbable possibilities."

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        #4
        Originally posted by turbonium959
        I double what midnight blue said. You have to take your wheels off to determine whether you need to change the pads. If you do need to change them, and you know what you are doing, then do it your self. If not, take it to the shop. Our brakes have a known fault for having the sliders freeze, and its a pain to take them out. But if you don't need to replace them, your pads are probably just loose, and that could be the reason why your pads squeek. But, I am bit drunk right now, and going to go get laid, so check this post again tomorrow as I am sure I will edit it. Goodluck.




        -----------------------
        pull the wheel off and look closely at the pads. Pay close attention to the inner pad, becuase it wears quicker than the outer pad..
        photo album|photo album 2 (pbase)

        dbest1a AT yahoo DOT com

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          #5
          Well, I knew I said too much! The brakes part is true however. Even though I was smashed, I am glad to know I still know cars.

          Thanks Bruce.
          "Probable impossibilities are to be preferred to improbable possibilities."

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            #6
            thanks for all of your responses. Yes the front pads have wear bars that what was making that sound. Now i have superdooper carbon pads now haha so it's all good. the lower sliders on both sides were stiff enough that i had to use the c-clamp to get them to move alittle to get the new thicker pads on. i tried to get some lube under the boots and onto the sliders but i'm not sure if i got them well enought. anybody have any pointers or help on how to make them slide like a torpedo sled on snow?

            oh and one more thing now that i have my brakes all nice and stuff the pedal don't go down as far anymore. this is bad for me because i like to heel and toe downshift and now i can't reach the gas as easily with my foot cause i'ts like an inch down from where the brake is when it's depressed. any tips on how i can get the pedal back to where it was?

            thanks again, lowell
            Last edited by labikesrcool; 11-05-2003, 11:54 PM.
            real drivers accelerate for the corners

            Comment


              #7
              Hey, lowell. For sliders, both of mine were almost completely frozen. After I got them out, I used a round wire brush, and tried to take out as much rust as possible. Then I used some silicone greese to put inside the new rubber boots, and then sliders were moving pretty free.

              As for the brake pedal movement, maybe the bleeding was done differently. Its just interesting to me... usually there is more travel in the pedal, but you have less. So I can only think of too much brake fluid, and thus too much pressure? That's my only clue.
              "Probable impossibilities are to be preferred to improbable possibilities."

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                #8
                The impression that I get is that you didn't take the caliper right off. To really clean get them sliding good, you should take the calipers right off. Back when I was working in a garage, I used to take the sliders out, clean them up on a wire wheel, then take a round wire brush type thing, that fit into an air drill, and clean out the slider "bores" (for lack of a better term) Then I'd grease the **** out of them.
                If the threads were really bad sometimes I'd take a tap and die to them as well.
                Ryan The middle child is always ignored
                BP powered 97LX Touring Edition
                Vibrant strut tower brace, KVR front brake pads, Tungsram Megalicht H4 headlight bulbs, Phillips Halogen H3 foglight bulbs.... 91 GT rims w/ 195 60 14 Yokohomo Mirada GTX sport

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                  #9
                  i took a look at the rear drum brakes yesterday and they are not worn at all i had some new pads ready to put in but the ones that are in there are just about the same size(within like .010) what's up with that? Do the rear brakes just not do anything or what? I guess what i'm asking is that if they are suppost to be more worn than pretty much new?
                  real drivers accelerate for the corners

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                    #10
                    Also, when you did the front brakes; did you compress the piston all the way? I am thinking if it was not, that could be why you have less of a travel. But then again, if it was not compressed all the way in, it would have been some what difficult to put the new pads back in.
                    "Probable impossibilities are to be preferred to improbable possibilities."

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by labikesrcool
                      i took a look at the rear drum brakes yesterday and they are not worn at all i had some new pads ready to put in but the ones that are in there are just about the same size(within like .010) what's up with that? Do the rear brakes just not do anything or what? I guess what i'm asking is that if they are suppost to be more worn than pretty much new?
                      They probably need to be adjusted.
                      Ryan The middle child is always ignored
                      BP powered 97LX Touring Edition
                      Vibrant strut tower brace, KVR front brake pads, Tungsram Megalicht H4 headlight bulbs, Phillips Halogen H3 foglight bulbs.... 91 GT rims w/ 195 60 14 Yokohomo Mirada GTX sport

                      Comment

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