Gentlemen:

I have a 1997 PSD F-250, 145k. Recently replaced vacuum pump. Have noticed a low scraping or grinding noise from front brakes when stopping. Truck tracks true when driving and braking.

How can I tell for sure if it is the brake pads, since I do not want to spend $400 if I can simply replace the pads myself. Also, how big a job is it to replace the pads?

Thanks,

James

 

Not a bad job with a little bit of skills. If you replaced the Vacuum pump you can easily do the brakes.

Remove the tires. Remove the caliper by taking loose the two bolts one at top and other at bottom of the caliper. Sometimes I will push the piston of the caliper back in a bit before I remove the caliper. I usually use a large screwdriver. Be careful not to scrape the rotor or get the piston in a bind. This is not the recommended way. The recommended way is to use and old pad on the piston and a C-clamp and tighten to compress the piston, this will be done after the caliper is removed. After you have the caliper off (be sure not to let it hang from the brake line) remove the pads from it and compress the piston as I stated. Look at the rotor and be sure it does not have any grooves in it if so it will have to be turned or replaced. It is recommended to have them turned though, but I do know some people that will just replace the pads if the rotor is OK. To remove the rotor gets a little more complicated and directions will depend on whether it is a two or four wheel drive and if it has manual or automatic hubs. Next you will replace the pads the same way you took them off. Then you can put the rotor back on and reinstall the two caliper bolts. put the tire back on and start the truck and test the brakes. The pedal may go down further than normal the first or second time you press them. This is just seating the pads back on the caliper where they should be. Check your fluid and add some if necessary.

You may want to look at the rotor before you remove the caliper and if is gouged or has grooves in it plan on having it turned or replaced. If you don't feel comfortable removing the hub and rotor you may want to spend the $400 or get someone that has done it before to help you.

It is not a hard job just time consuming and it takes a special socket to remove the hub.

 

Dear Neal:


I may try it this weekend. It doesn't sound bad. Usually I can follow my nose through such repairs but it helps to have someone who knows what the score is.

On the other hand, 130.00 at Midas, all in, ain't bad since I would have to buy jackstands this time.

Thanks,


James

 

James ... first is your truck 2wd or 4wd? It's not a bad job to pad slap it. You should turn the rotors anytime you replace the pads but some don't. Neal's response is a good guide to follow.

On the Midas thing ... if you think you're gonna get out of there for $130.00 I'm sorry to tell ya they'll get you in there and add and add and add. It'll be $500+ by the time they get done telling you ... " Well Mr. James we found your hoses are bad, you need new calipers, ect.., ect.."

Trust me .... I used to run a Midas shop but quit because I can't rip people off and lie and then sleep at night.

 

James ... take a look at this tech article on here ... it covers replacing rotors and pads on a 4wd. It'll give you some pictures and idea of the process. If yours is 4wd it'll be bang on if you've got a 2wd it's the same process just the rotors have to come off the spindle.

HERE

 

That is a good link but it our rotors aren't that easy to get off. Our hub has to be removed and the studs beat out then replace the rotor and drive the studs back in. Then repack the bearings etc., etc., etc.

Hopefully someone will be along shortly with better drawings. I know CudaJim has awesome ones.

 

yea ..... it was all I could find on the quick. It'll give him a basic idea.

 

True so true. Hopefully Cuda will chime in.

 

welcome to the site. if you like to wrench, you will learn a lot and save even more money here. buy the jacks stands, you'll use em again. a lot of people live by turning the rotors everytime the pads get replaced. i don't like to do that. if they are grooved, yes turn them(sometimes if the grooves aren't bad i dont even do it then, but that's my truck and wouldn't "recommend" that to anyone). when you turn them, they get hotter easier and quicker whichs means warpage sooner than is needed IF they are smooth to begin with. having said that, with the price of rotors these days, you might as well replace them instead of having them machined. if they have been machined once already, i dont do it a second time, because of my point about them getting too thin. my .02

if you have a large micrometer to measure the rotors i can get you specs on minimum machining and discard thickness.

 

Gentlemen:

Mission accomplished, I think.

I jacked and supported the beast, pulled one tire off, removed the caliper bracket (13/16 bolts needed breaker bar), removed the cailper, replaced pads, replaced caliper, replaced bracket, and repeated. Units were not properly cleaned but the next time I pull the tires I will hose the calipers, etc down again with brake cleaner and blow them out with compressed air.

Three of four rotors were okay, but driver's inside rotor was scored, and the pad worn through as of apparently 2-3 days ago judging from the noise. Time was a factor and I did not have a clue how to pull the hub, etc, so I slapped everything back together, test drove it, re-tightened everything: the caliper bolts, caliper bracket bolts, and the lug nuts.

No noticeable pull when driving, very slight pull to left when braking but much better than before, tested with light and hard braking, no problems.

Now all I need is some idea of the proper torques on the caliper bolts (1/2 and 13/16 - which was a cast iron bitch to break) and I will be good to go until I can get the rotor turned.

Thank you all for your advice.

James

 

glad to hear it. i know what i "would" torque them to but that's just standard torque for those size bolts, so i'm not just gonna throw average numbers at you, but someone will know the exact specs.

 

James, Did you use lock tight on the caliper braket bolts?? Very important! If not get some and use it. That's the reason you had to reef on those 13/16 bolts to break them loose....

Sorry guys no picts, my DVD's are out on loan. Get a repair manual, safety first!

How bad was the rotor scored? Not a good idea to just replace the pads if the rotors are trashed. It will wear out pads quickly and pull under breaking.

 

Good job .... see that wasn't so hard. Eventually you'll want to replace that scored rotor though.

 

Gentlemen:


Loktite will be put on the bolts this weekend. As for the scoring on the rotor, I will need to replace the rotor. It's bad enough so that the vehicle pulls to it's right some when braking. The scored rotor is on the driver's side (left) and the grooves are of course not in contact with the pads, hence less brake power.

All of the pads were worn almost to the metal, pretty uniformly, so I don't think the calipers are binding.

I had to buy some time before I had the major work done, and will begin looking for a rotor this weekend. But in the meantime I needed a 4wd to put my jetski in the drink this weekend.

James

 

post the stats on the rotors you end up using. i need to do mine and am not sure where i'm gonna get em from