mightyjak Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 Brakes are squealing on my 150,000 mile '87 PF. I've been reading up on the job and was wondering if anyone had any advice or suggestions for doing this job. I haven't yet checked the rotors, but at the mileage they are probably due for replacement. In reading, I've noticed the need for a dial indicator for runout and a spring scale for measuring wheel bearing preload. Any suggestions on where to get these, specifically the spring scale? Is this an easy deal or am I getting in to a can of worms? I've done drum brakes on old Fords in the past, but that is the limit of my experience. I know enough to get myself in trouble and this is my daily driver. Thanks for the help, Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 Ok, there are a few different ways to handle this. First ( I don't recommend) is as long as there is no real play in the wheel bearings, just put new caliper pads on it and drive. Second, see if you can get someone (co worker, friend, inlaw, etc) that has some mechanical experience (that you trust) to help you. You don't really need a spring gage or indicator, they just help you be more accurate. Third, pay someone to do it. The fact that it's your daily driver and you don't feel confident limits your choices considerably... B Where are you located. There may well be a member near by willing to help for a 6 pack and some pizza... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nunya Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 Ok, there are a few different ways to handle this. First ( I don't recommend) is as long as there is no real play in the wheel bearings, just put new caliper pads on it and drive. Second, see if you can get someone (co worker, friend, inlaw, etc) that has some mechanical experience (that you trust) to help you. You don't really need a spring gage or indicator, they just help you be more accurate. Third, pay someone to do it. The fact that it's your daily driver and you don't feel confident limits your choices considerably... B Where are you located. There may well be a member near by willing to help for a 6 pack and some pizza... I agree with B, post up where your at and remember what forum your on here, cold be someone close to you willing to give a hand, otherwise if your not confident about it, break out the wallet. My .02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightyjak Posted September 17, 2008 Author Share Posted September 17, 2008 Thanks for the advice. I'm totally confident in my mechanical skills and will be doing this myself. I didn't mean to sound like I'd never seen a wrench before. What I'm after is advice from others who have done it on '87ish PFs. The manual mentioned the spring gauge and dial indicator and if those aren't that important, then I'm good with turning the rotors and getting new pads. Thanks again for your help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagwoodzz Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 I've done mine at about 150k, took the rotors to the shop to have them turned. The shop said they had plenty of meat, no replacement necessary. Do not know if they were factory original or not. If you can just have them turned it will save a lot of money. I get in water pretty regularly, so I also took the opportunity to repack the bearings and replace the grease seals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 What I'm after is advice from others who have done it on '87ish PFs. The manual mentioned the spring gauge and dial indicator and if those aren't that important, then I'm good with turning the rotors and getting new pads. Ok, understood. You should not have any problems then, it is quite straight forward and you have a manual. As dagwood said, be sure to have some high temp disk brake grease and repack the bearings. I tighten them 'snug' by feel (no play +1/8 turnish depending on the lock point, it's not a fine adjust) and then check them again after 20+ miles of driving... I have had no issue with this method what so ever. Also, I believe the manual says 3 or 5lb of tightening? The first time I did the hubs, I used a 1 foot bar and hung a 5 lb weight from it vertically while tapping the rotor lightly to let it settle. It equals the same thing and was good for a few years before I repacked the bearings... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightyjak Posted September 18, 2008 Author Share Posted September 18, 2008 Thanks for the info, Precise. I didn't mean to sound off, but I realize my first post sounded like I didn't know my left from my right. No worries! I appreciate you and everyone else helping out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 Just to give you an idea, I went 320,000kms on my old truck without having to replace the front rotors at all. They were still straight, no gouges, nothing. All I ever did with them is scuff up the glaze with some sandpaper (or a fine grit sanding disc on and angle grinder) and threw new pads on. Personally, I don't believe in turning rotors. That really only needs to be done if you've had pads where way down and they're scored, or if they're warped. As far as I'm concerned, if the rotor warped once, it'll happen again, especially if, by turning them, you're making the already weakened steel thinner. For what they cost to replace nowadays, I wouldn't even bother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 ^ I agree other than the warping rotor part. They are cast so little or no internal stress, what warps them is heat. Heat from unsufficient braking power design, dragging calipers, heavy towing, bad driving habits., etc. You can turn rotors without harming them at all, if they quickly warp again, odds are something else is the problem. I didn't mean to sound off, No worries, I didn't take it that way. It's all good Bud!! B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 ^ I agree other than the warping rotor part. They are cast so little or no internal stress, what warps them is heat. Heat from unsufficient braking power design, dragging calipers, heavy towing, bad driving habits., etc. You can turn rotors without harming them at all, if they quickly warp again, odds are something else is the problem. No worries, I didn't take it that way. It's all good Bud!! B Right, they warp from heat. Exactly my point. IF there's less metal (after turning them) to distribute the heat through, do you not think it'll warp faster after turning? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 Yes, but unless it's a design issue, what needs to be addressed is the cause of the excessive heat. When you turn rotors, its usually less than .5mm per side so the mass is not greatly reduced, but technically, you are correct. I just know from experience of turning rotors that up to a point, it is perfectly acceptable. Besides, you want a slight amount of warp/out of parallel; thats what helps back the pads off the rotors when you release the brakes. As long as you don't feel it in the petal, all is well. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 Fair enough. I've found, though admittedly, not on Pathfinders, that the rotors warp so quickly nowadays, and they're so cheap, that it's not worth turning them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unccpathfinder Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 for a spring scale you can go to wal-mart and get a cheap fish spring scale that will be good enough... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now