Brakes
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Gold Member Username: SkdooleyRoanoke, VA Usa Post Number: 1239 Registered: Oct-09 | Anyone automotivally inclined and know a few things about brakes? Possibly help me troubleshoot what could be wrong with my braking system on my car? I'm looking to get them fixed soon and if it's something I could maybe do myself, I sure would give it a shot. If it's something more complicated I'll take it somewhere to have the work done. |
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Platinum Member Username: PlymouthCanada Post Number: 15054 Registered: Jan-08 | SKD List the Model and year! |
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Gold Member Username: Th3pwn3rI compensate... Post Number: 9680 Registered: Jul-06 | What's happening with the car? I know quite a bit about brakes. |
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Bronze Member Username: ToothpicPost Number: 33 Registered: Oct-10 | Its the primary seal in your master cylinder |
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Gold Member Username: Th3pwn3rI compensate... Post Number: 9682 Registered: Jul-06 | His car doesn't use a hydraulic braking system. It's either a drag brake which works through an electric drive system or it's his shoe size Fred Flintstone style which I'd guess his soles have worn thin but I'm not sure which of the two systems he's using. |
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Bronze Member Username: ToothpicPost Number: 35 Registered: Oct-10 | Oh sorry i thought his ride might be an 85 chev pickup lol |
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Gold Member Username: SkdooleyRoanoke, VA Usa Post Number: 1240 Registered: Oct-09 | Lol, its my 2000 celica. Has disc brakes in the front and drum in the rear. I bought the car years ago at 40,000 miles and the car was in decent shape. I've taken fairly good care of it and havn't been too hard on it I feel. The brakes though from day one have always been soft. When I say soft, I mean having to press the pedal much further than I should have to and even when the brakes are pressed firmly enough to stop the car, it never has felt tight. For instance, if I had to lock up the brakes, I'm not sure they would 100% lock up. Imagine braking with a thin layer of oil or lubricant on the rotors, thats what it kind of feels like. My emergency brake doesn't work, period, never has. I think it may have a little at first but hasn't in years. I can jack it all the way up and on a slight incline my car still rests on my transmission (automatic). (Which is leading me to worrying about my transmission now) So I'm assuming my rear brakes arn't working at all for some reason, maybe the same reason why the e-brake isnt working, and perhaps my front brakes are ok, but since theyre doing 100% of the stopping power, thats why I have to press them so hard to stop the car. My front rotors get warped over time as well, I've already changed them out twice now and they're getting a little warped again. Driving my car is so annoying though, it really is a pain sometimes. I have to forsee any stop coming and drive a little slower sometimes just because I know my brakes wouldnt be there if I really needed them. So in summary, my brakes SUCK |
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Gold Member Username: SkdooleyRoanoke, VA Usa Post Number: 1241 Registered: Oct-09 | Oh, and I did a few years back take my car to a guy here in town who was highly recommended. I don't know what all he truely did, but he charged me a ton of money and didn't solve any of my issues. That's sort of why I put off going to another shop because I'm not looking to get ripped off again. He put on cross-drilled rotors which still got warped, new pads all the way around (supposedly)and my emergency brake worked better, for a couple weeks, then went back to how it was. I didn't go back to the guy because for one, he kept my car much longer than he first said he would and I didn't feel like having my wallet raped again. Also.. he said I had a bad CV joint, which he had to "special order" and costed $400.. (BS) and ever since he replaced it I have a vibration in my car when I stop at a stop light. Not every time, but most of the time when I'm at idle at a stop light, it feels as if my car may be trying to drive, instead of just sit idle and it just comes off as a rough idle sort of. If I put my car in neutral it goes completely away. Any idea what that could be? Like I said, it never did that until after this guy worked on my car. |
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Platinum Member Username: PlymouthCanada Post Number: 15060 Registered: Jan-08 | SDK I had same problem of warped rotor on my 2007 Charger, the problem was the brake shoes, the rotor was made by Bosch but the shoes was in ceramic, the adventage of this kind of shoe is that not make dust on the rim but overheat the rotor, I replace it with Carbon metalic shoes the now my brake are fantastic. Be sure that your rear brake does work properly, yo may need to purge the Galipers and rear pistons if you experiment soft pedal. Ceramic suck, I use now Kevlar carbon ceramic because I can't found the good old Carbon metalic. |
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Silver Member Username: JbpittPittsburgh, Pa. Usa Post Number: 837 Registered: Jul-09 | I would check the muffler bearings an turn signal fluid before taking it anywhere. |
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Bronze Member Username: ToothpicPost Number: 45 Registered: Oct-10 | Plymouth you are jack of all trades eh. |
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Gold Member Username: Th3pwn3rI compensate... Post Number: 9683 Registered: Jul-06 | First fix your rear brakes, there's a great chance excessive heat is causing your rotors to warp due to your front brakes doing 100% of the stopping duty. |
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Gold Member Username: SkdooleyRoanoke, VA Usa Post Number: 1244 Registered: Oct-09 | What all is involved in rear drum brakes? I was thinking of getting a new drum itself (the outer shell part) and new pads. I saw online where I can order new parts, like springs etc, should those be replaced as well? I think if I can get my rear brakes fixed it would stop a lot of my issues. Anyone know a good instructional video or site on how to work on drum brakes? |
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Platinum Member Username: PlymouthCanada Post Number: 15087 Registered: Jan-08 | Usualy rear brakes are for 30%! Search on Youtube under repair drum brake! |
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Bronze Member Username: ToothpicPost Number: 54 Registered: Oct-10 | Id pull off the rear drums and see how much pad you have left on your shoes. New shoes should only be around thirty bucks. Get a spring kit two if springs r all rusty. You can free up the adjusters if there seized or rep[lace them too. Just take one side apart and use the other side for a reference to put back together.Maybe the self adjusters r seized and just need adjusting. All you really need is a hammer and a pair of pliers. If everything is fine in there id be looking at master cylinder or the proportioning valve. |
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Gold Member Username: SkdooleyRoanoke, VA Usa Post Number: 1245 Registered: Oct-09 | I found a great video last night on how to take them apart and reassemble them. I'm going to pull off the back drums and see how everything looks. |
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Gold Member Username: SkdooleyRoanoke, VA Usa Post Number: 1246 Registered: Oct-09 | Ok so I pulled off the back drums and looked at my front brakes that were making a noise. How do you guys think the rear pads look? I think they look a little low on pad. I went by Advance and talked to a guy there and showed him these same pictures. He didn't think the pads were real low, he said new shoes don't have much pad to them anyways. He said if I don't have much pedal (a weak pedal) its because the rear drums need to be adjusted. He said I could keep the same adjuster, just make sure its cleaned up and moving freely. For new hardware, new drum shoes, new rotors up front and new pads up front, it'll be around $145. He said the rubbing up front on the rotor could be from dirt build up under the pad. He said I should be able to keep the outside shell drum part.            |
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Platinum Member Username: PlymouthCanada Post Number: 15091 Registered: Jan-08 | SDK The rear brake are very good, do not spend money on it, now adjust the thing in red on the picture, it will be OK, put oil on this to be sure that it work properly. How work the automatic adjustment: with the hand break then you goes from drive to back severals times but you have to adjust before until you are able to turn the wheel with your hands  Now for the front break you can replace the shoes for Carbon metalic, the problem of this car is the too small rotor for the car, put sillicone glue on back of each brake shoes to reduce the noise. you must put anti-grip grease on the slot of galipers. |
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Bronze Member Username: ToothpicPost Number: 55 Registered: Oct-10 | Your front pads look good to me. Just adjust rear shoes till drum goes on a little snug. If u have to take some sandpaper or a grider to the rusty edge of the drum so you can get back on after you adjust rear shoes |
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Gold Member Username: SkdooleyRoanoke, VA Usa Post Number: 1247 Registered: Oct-09 | How do I tighten them up? I know I use the adjuster but I'm not sure exactly how it "adjusts". From what I see there is a sprocket on the adjuster, I'm guessing I turn that and it will tighten or loosen my brakes. |
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Gold Member Username: SkdooleyRoanoke, VA Usa Post Number: 1248 Registered: Oct-09 | Alrighty so I figured out a couple of things. The adjuster was apparently completely loose. I wasn't sure which way to turn it and so I turned it the only way it would move, which was the correct way. After refitting the drum and adjusting I got both sides tight. When I first jacked the car up, I pulled the e-brake and could turn the back wheels easily by hand. Now the e-brake is nice and tight and the braking of the car feels better. I wouldn't say 100% better, but definetely more normal. Now, I pulled off the front driver side wheel where the squeek was coming from. Apparently the D-bag who changed my pads used the cheapest set on the planet.The back of the pad itself had come un-adhesized to the pad and so when the brake was releasing, the back of the pad was but the pad itself was loose and not attached to anything. I'm going to get new rotors and pads this weekend and change them out. In the meantime I've got the pad clamped to its backing with gorilla glue and letting it dry at the moment. |
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Bronze Member Username: ToothpicPost Number: 57 Registered: Oct-10 | LOL that might work. You should be good to go now anyways at least till spring. Worst case scenario you buy a new set of front pads. If you do use a c clamp to squeeze the calipers back in so they will fit over the rotors. good luck |
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Gold Member Username: SkdooleyRoanoke, VA Usa Post Number: 1249 Registered: Oct-09 | The pad didn't stay glued,I'll have to deal with the squeek until Saturday. Its looks as though the outside pad, the one that is visible to me standing beside the car, was glued to the caliper itself, instead of being free moving. That isnt right is it? I believe thats why the backing came off the pad, was because it had been glued to the caliper. When I press the brakes, are both pads supposed to move or just the back one thats against the caliper piston? One last issue I've had for a long time as well is a squeek when I release my brakes. It doesn't effect my braking but whenever I take off and release my brake pedal there is a "sqqquuueeeekkk". What moves back and forth from the pressing of the brake pedal? I'm assuming only the piston. Both sides do it though. Have for a long time. |
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Platinum Member Username: Nd4spd18Philadelphia, PA Post Number: 11468 Registered: Jul-06 | This thread reminds me, I forgot to adjust my rear brakes when doing my last maintenance... looks like i got a weekend task lol |
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Bronze Member Username: ToothpicPost Number: 60 Registered: Oct-10 | The pads usually have a clip on them to hold them tight into place on the caliper. Not moving around. Brake pads usually have a scraper bar on them called squeakers to let you know the pads r low. That could b the squeek. Not sure about your car though.And yes the one against the piston pushes against the stationary one. Sometimes calipers stick cause the pads r worn and the caliper is out so far. I think when you put pads on and squeeze the calipers in with c clamp you will b good to go. |
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Platinum Member Username: PlymouthCanada Post Number: 15095 Registered: Jan-08 | SDK Good job for the rear brake! You must clean and oil the 2 pins on both front galipers. |
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Platinum Member Username: Insearchofbass2 hifonics 2607s, 2dcSounds12xls SPL\idmax12SQ Post Number: 15545 Registered: Jun-04 | good luck skd I know youll get it all fixed up with their help |
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Gold Member Username: SkdooleyRoanoke, VA Usa Post Number: 1250 Registered: Oct-09 | Got my new rotors, pads and lubicant for the calipers tonight. Also got oil and a filter for an oil change, and new windshield wipers. I got these new Wagner Thermo Quiet brake pads. They were more expensive, but the guy said they were some of the better pads I could get and they have a $15 rebate on them. I went with ceramic, he said that'd be the best thing for me to go with. If all goes to plan I should have them installed in the morning. |
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Platinum Member Username: PlymouthCanada Post Number: 15129 Registered: Jan-08 | SDK The ceramic pads was the worst that I had! If you run like a old mama, that's good but if you like press on the mushroom??????? |
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Bronze Member Username: ToothpicPost Number: 83 Registered: Oct-10 | Ceramic pads r ok for cars but not for trucks or vehicles that tow.The ceramic ones retain their heat longer causing rotor warping. I find you have to push the brake pedal harder also.Oh well you got them now. You can change them again when you do the rears. LOL |
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Gold Member Username: SkdooleyRoanoke, VA Usa Post Number: 1255 Registered: Oct-09 | Well things went smoother than expected. Got everything put on, oil changed and tried to tighten up my rear brakes a little more. I lubed up the parts where the pads slide and that eliminated my squeak I had. I'd like to get my rear brakes a tad bit tighter but I'm having to pull the drum off to adjust them, then slide the drum back on. Once they get so tight the drum won't go back on. There is a place behind the drum to adjust with the drum assembled but its in a really bad position. I might tackle that another day. Next I think I'm going to flush/change my automatic transmission fluid. Is there anything I should know about doing that or is it pretty straight forward? |
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Bronze Member Username: ToothpicPost Number: 85 Registered: Oct-10 | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsdPAadc9fY |
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Bronze Member Username: ToothpicPost Number: 86 Registered: Oct-10 | I would think there would be a filter inside you have to change and gasket when you take the pan off. Didn't show that in the video. Not sure if your car has a tranny filter lol |
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Platinum Member Username: PlymouthCanada Post Number: 15151 Registered: Jan-08 | SKD On back plate of the rear break you must have a oval rubber cap, you put out this cap then you can adjust the shoe right there with a screwdriver by turning the thumb wheel on the picture:  Toothpic is right! You must buy the filter and pan gasket for your automatic transmission. I recommend a Winn's additive in your transmission to reduce wear and keep all seals like brand new. |
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Platinum Member Username: Insearchofbass2 hifonics 2607s, 2dcSounds12xls SPL\idmax12SQ Post Number: 15590 Registered: Jun-04 | gettin er done thats good |
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Platinum Member Username: PlymouthCanada Post Number: 15152 Registered: Jan-08 | Sorry! Wynn's |