Hey all, I just did my first brake job on my 92 e150.

Problem #1

I took it around the block and the left front brake was very hot.

I put on new ceramic pads, rotors, and calipers. And hoses. I also did the shoes

When I opened it up and used my c clamp this did not unstick the pad/rotor. Then I hammered on one sliding pin ( 92s had the old style brakes where you hammer out the slide pins) and the brakes freed up. I find these slide pins sort of scary and I don't quite understand how they work. So they are triangles that fit, very tightly, into triangle style hole. Is the caliper supposed to freely slide? How do I check they are working properly? Like am I supposed to be able to slide them by hand? And do I just lube the slides or do I also lube other parts? Do I hammer them all the way in (till the head of the outside (away from the van) part of the pin touches the caliper) or do I just barely tap the in so the head of the inside part of the pin is touching the caliper. Any advice dealing with these cast iron beasts would be appreciated.

Problem #2

Spongy feel in the brakes. I bled all four brakes multiple times. I noticed for the front right caliper (not the hot caliper) when my wife pumps the brakes and I release the valve it sprays fluid out like a very powerful squirt gun. It did this for like 10 times. It was very powerful. This has me concerned as it suggests a lot of air is in the system. Has anyone else had this happen. My chitons suggests that I bleed the master cylinder in the van ( put a towel under the mc hoses and allow air out), is this advisable? Any advice here? Why would I get a full on massive powerful stream when bleeding one caliper?

#3

I replace the shoes too and hoped that the ebrake would work. It does not, but my chilyons says there is no Adjustment. Any advice? I didn't have one before either.

thank you any advice I clearly have a lot to learn about brakes.

 

I noticed that the caliper sits sort of cockeyed too. Is this normal? I just greased the heck out of the pins, too.

 

Been a long time since I've done the slide pin calipers, but give it some time, for the new calipers and pads to "wear" in as everything is really tight right now.

Do you have Rear ABS brakes?? If so, you need to bleed the RR first, LR second, ABS modular third, RF forth, and LF last. DON'T let the master cylinder get dry at all, or you'll have a real problem, bleed a wheel, add fluid and do the next wheel.

The rear drums do have an adjustment, you'll see that in the book. If you replaced the rear shoes, and adjusted them until the wheel just drags slightly, then the "self-adjusters" will work correctly, and the parking brake, if the cable is hooked up correctly, will also work. Could also be the problem with your "spongy" breaks, the rears are not making contact to the drums.

Most often, the parking brake cables are rotted inside, and will not "pull" the shoes to make contact with the drum, replacing the cables is the only option.

 

That's not right, are you sure you didn't mix them up from side to side or get two of the same side? Hard to tell in the pic...........

 

They look the same way (on both sides) when I put the original callipers on there, too (before I decided to go with new callipers and before I removed the hoses). So, I put them on the correct side . I just don't know if there is any trick to putting them on? They slide a lot better now that I greased them up a little bit.

 

Thanks for the advice...

Where is the ABS modulor? (I have RWABS)

By RR you mean passenger rear correct? ?

My book didn't say to adjust the rears, it said it did it automatically, but it has the adjuster stars.. I think my book is sponsored by Midas or Brakes Plus... It actually says make a bunch of forward and reverse stops to adjust them....That's stupid... I'll do the mechanical adjustment first. .

 

Yes - RR = Right Rear, LR = Left Rear, ect......

The ABS mod is mounted on the inner frame, about right under the drivers seat.
on the side, facing the transmission, you'll find a bleeder which I think takes an 8mm.

I'm on the road this week, so to save a lot of typing........I'll cheat.......

Watch this video,
Before you ask........trust me, Jeep drum brakes are very similar to in this era.

 

I've replaced calipers before that are that style, I can't tell from the picture, but that doesn't look right. I'm trying to remember, you have a sliding pin, and on top of the sliding pin, you have what looks sorta like a long skinny staple. And you have to drive in the sliding pin with the staple looking thing already mounted on top of it in the indented area. And yes, grease helps, but it's a tough fit regardless. I recall using a flathead screwdriver to push upwards on the bottom of the caliper to get the wedge sliding pin thing going in, and you have to hammer them in. I'm having a hard time telling from the photo.

 

the heavier "wedge" sliding thing never comes with the rebuilt calipers, and the long skinny staple sorta of thing that goes on top of it sometimes doesn't. I replaced 2 calipers just like that several months ago, one box had a new springy staple thing, one didn't. It is hard to figure out the design logic of this style mount, but once you finally get it right and fight the wedge assy in place, it's pretty impressive. There should be no break in period for it to fit together, should work perfect once bled fully.
Heat can be caused by wheel bearings being too tight. IF you could take some more pictures , from a lower angle, we might could see if you've got your wedges driving in correctly. If you didn't use the required long skinny staple thing on top of your wedge, you would have been able to get the wedge slider thing in too easy. If you've done it right, with BOTH pieces, you have to use a hammer to drive it home, it's tight. The calipers themselves don't float, it's the pistons inside them that float in and out based on hydraulic pressure. Again, hard to tell from the angle of your pic, but I don't think you have your wedge-spacer assemblies either completely assembled or driven in correctly or something, shouldn't appear cocked like that.

 

if the bleeders are pointing up,, they are on the right side