1985-1998 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
If your brakes are "soft" you may need to bleed the calipers. This invites breaking off the rusted in bleeder valve and getting a new caliper. If you have enough pad material on inspection, hold off on parts and just have a mechanic bleed the brakes all around. That's maybe two hours labor. Many shops want to drain your brake fuid and replace it for a fixed price, not a bad idea and it gets you to the same place. If they say you need rotors and pads, then you can DIY.
The only real secret that gets some first timers is the small hex screw in the rear calipers that has to be turned to retract the piston into the caliper. If you force them back with the usual big c-clamp trick, then you will ruin the rear caliper. The hex screw resides under a 14mm nut on the back of the caliper. Search for the procedure to use the set screw to adjust the e-brake on reassembly. Rear rotors can be removed by taking the sliding part of the caliper (that holds the pads) off, the caliper mounting bracket does not have to be removed. The set screw and set pin in the rotor face sometimes strip, they are not really needed and you can drill them out if needed. You need the star style bits to remove the screw, 10MM wrench for the pin.
Fronts are pretty much like all other calipers, use a Lisle brand piston retractor ($15 at any auto parts store - much easier and better than a big C-clamp) to push the piston back in. Take the cap off the fluid reservoir to relieve pressure, don't forget to put it back when done. You may run into trouble getting the wire retainer back into the caliper, it prevents vibration of the sliding caliper when in use. I set one end in place and use a vice grip to guide the other end into its hole and use a large screwdriver to force the loop end onto the carrier. Its not supposed to be easy, so be patient and don't bend the wire. Replacement wire retainers are $13 a pair from eEuroparts.
I just did my front rotors and pads, use eEuroparts for free next day shipping and no tax. As for replacing the rotors, I can never decide whether to throw the old rotors away and use new ones, or have them sufaced and then throw them away and use new ones. New rotors cost about what two passes at a machine shop would cost, so get the new ones. Clean them in brake cleaner to remove the rust preventing cosmoline from the factory.
Good luck.
posted by 216.187....
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