Any helpful tips for a brake job?, Looking for inputs Options

[94GT]

Hi, it's time for a brake job (2nd one since I bought the car 170,000 miles ago) and I'm looking for some input on how to do it right. For starters, I'm replacing the rotors this time. Last time (1st time) I just changed the pads and for fun I swapped out the brake hoses and bled the system. I did NOT resurface the rotors because I didn't think they were thick enough, so for the past 70,000 miles or so, it's been squealing. I used anti-squeal compound, but that didn't do it I didn't use brake cleaner on any parts. All I did was raise the vehicle, swap pads and hoses. Any of you guys who have tips on how to make my brakes sound happy for the next 70,000 miles, please drop a post. Thanks!

-Mike

[Bitter]

sand the rotors and pads with silicon carbide sandpaper (220 grit). when you didnt resurface the old brake pad compound got embedded into the new pads likely creating hard spots on the rotor and pad, which is causing your noise problems now.

use ONLY silicon carbide paper and wash both pads and rotors throughly with hot soapy water then clean them down with brake cleaner.

[eggman40]

i just changed my front rotors this weekend and calipers from a gt. the rotors are rotora slotted, i changed the brake lines for some steel ones.



I followed the rotors directions which said to clean the rotors with some brake cleaner to get rid of the oil the put on to keep it from rusting while it sits on the shelf. I put brake grease on the back of the pads to prevent squeeking. Then when i bled the brakes, i started with the rear pass. side rotor because its the furthest from the master cylinder, moving to the rear driver, then front right, finally front left. get all the air out of the lines and you should be good.

[94GT]

Thanks for the input, guys!

[DeW_H0e_GT]

we need a how-to thats what we need.....

[wind]

i will be diving into a caliper rebuild in the next month. I'll put one together then, unless someone else beats me to it

[6strngs]

as soon as my rotors come in I will be doing pads and rotors on all four brakes. but, me and a friend changed the front pads on his 91 240sx a couple weeks ago and it's incredibly simple. we didn't even need to bleed the system cause we never undid the brake line. it was seriously like four bolts, pull the caliper off, slide the old brake pads off, put the new ones in (at this point, the rotor could be removed to be replaced/resurfaced). pull the cap off the brake fluid resevoir, and using a c-clamp, compress the piston back into the caliper, slide the caliper back on, put the four bolts back on, and you're done one side!

Should be the same or almost the same for a celi. but, I suppose I could do a write-up on it anyway.

[wind]

Ive read that pushing the piston back into the caliper isnt the best thing to do as there could be small peices of debris in the fluid that may find there way back up the system.

[uberschall]

hydraulic brakes are self-adjusting, so the pistons usually have to be pushed in before the caliper will even fit back onto the rotor with new pads in it.

besides, if you have debris in your lines, pushing the pistons in isn't the biggest of your problems.

[DeW_H0e_GT]

ive read some haynes manual on a 5th gen but it should eb the same for 6gc too....my question is: when shall u compress the caliper with a c-clamp?....after the brake pads are off then immediately compress?.....i saw pictures of it but not somethin liek where the c-clamp goes.....pics of that specific area would help out great...BTW, i found somethin hat could help..its for a camry though....

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t92082.html

[6strngs]

I don't exaclty remember, but I believe we compressed the piston after the old were off, and before the new were on. as to where on the piston to compress at, we took one of the old brake pads, put it across the cylinder, and compressed that, that way you don't damage the clyinder, and it doesn't matter if you damage an old brake pad.

[CelicaST202]

used your old brake pad and a c-clamp to push back the piston.

[94GT]

I just did my brake job and I followed my Haynes manual and compressed the piston before I pulled the caliper off the car. I placed one end on the back of the outside brake pad and the other on the flat spot on the inside of the caliper next to the brake hose. By the way, Autozone has the wrong size rotor in their computer! I got the whole thing installed before I realized it was too small. Fortunately I was able to get my old ones turned (they had just enough life left in them) and got my money back from Autozone.

[jc47]

Ive read that pushing the piston back into the caliper isnt the best thing to do as there could be small peices of debris in the fluid that may find there way back up the system.

You will need to push the piston in; the best way to do it is connect a hose and open the bleeder screw while pushing the piston in, this way you can drain out the old oil instead of pushing it back into the master cylinder and/or abs unit. Most service manuals recommend doing it this way, especially for cars with abs.

[wind]

exactly what i meant