projekz Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 I will be looking at replacing my front pads and rotors soon. Has anyone upgraded to 2000 and up front brakes? I wonder if it's worth having the bigger brakes and if it's a simple upgrade. Any preferences in pads and rotors? Ceramic VS Metal pads, Slotted VS plain rotors? Worth the cost? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPLORx4 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 If you upgrade to the bigger brakes, you may need a new spindle (though I'm not certain of this), and will definitely need new caliper brackets and calipers besides the rotors and pads. There's a chance (though I can't be sure) that you might also need a different master cylinder too. Wheel clearance could also be an issue, depending on what wheel size you have now. That being said, I don't think the brake-size upgrade cost would be worth it. However, I would recommend getting slotted rotors and some performance pads appropriate to your model year. I am running PowerSlot cross-drilled/slotted rotors and EBC red pads. With those brakes, I was easily able to engage the ABS system on pavement with 32x11.50R15 Goodyear MTR's, and can do the same on 265/75R16 BFG MT KM2's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoesandsocks Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 ehhh i gotta say xplorx4 i have to disagree as i now own both a late and early model r50 the early model with brand new pads and rotors vs the 01 which has seen a couple thousand the 01 stops way shorter and everyone who drives them agrees i was thinking of doing this my self to be honest just my .02 cents though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPLORx4 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Hi shoesandsocks, just curious, what did I say that you disagree with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoesandsocks Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 just that the brake upgrade may not be worth it i should have been more specific if he ws just going for oem parts fit and finish i think swaping to the 00 might yield some good results but with everything else especially the rotors and pads to ebc pads i agree with u 100hundred percent bud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPLORx4 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Got it. Since upgrading to the newer brakes is more than just the rotors and pads, the upgrade cost could be substantial, also requiring at least new calipers ($200+ per side), and possibly new spindle ($300 per side), new wheels to clear the calipers, and a new master cylinder (though I am not certain of this). That's the main reason why I didn't think the extra cost was worth it, since I believe you can get a big boost in performance above OEM with just new slotted rotors and EBC pads. However, that's just me. Everyone has their priorities. I've spent over $3200 on lighting for my Pathfinder. Was it worth it? To me, yes. To another? Probably not. Just wanted to point out that you can't just slap on 2001 brake rotors and pads onto 1997 spindle and calipers and expect it to be plug-and-play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stioc Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 BTW, I was completely dissatisfied with my 2001 brakes until I put in the EBC 7000 SUV pads http://www.ebcbrakes.com/automotive/greenstuff_brake_pads/greenstuff_brake_pads_7000.shtml They're still not exactly confidence inspiring. Mainly due to the long free-play (time between the pedal is depressed and when I start to feel the resistence), flushing the brake fluid didn't make it any better so unless it's just my truck with a potential brake booster issue I would say the OEM brakes even on the newer trucks plain suck, especially after throwing heavy tires on it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towncivilian Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Make sure your rear brakes are in adjustment and maybe replace your brake booster check valve. The rear drums are responsible for most of the pedal feel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devonianwalk Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Make sure your rear brakes are in adjustment and maybe replace your brake booster check valve. The rear drums are responsible for most of the pedal feel. Yep. My mechanic buddy re-adjusted mine while we had it on the lift at his shop (welding new/used muffler). I could feel the difference in the pedal travel before I backed it off the lift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoesandsocks Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 just to clarify i found why my 96 is sooo much worse mainly or completly because my brake booster died today so i have to say disregard every thing i have said as they are null and void until i can fix it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
projekz Posted February 5, 2013 Author Share Posted February 5, 2013 I agree with Xplor, the cost is definitely not worth it for me. I'll just replace pads and rotors, and do a fluid flush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stioc Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Make sure your rear brakes are in adjustment and maybe replace your brake booster check valve. The rear drums are responsible for most of the pedal feel. Huh! why is that? I mean when you say the rear drums are responsible for most of the pedal feel. I've always subscribed to the logic that 80% of the braking is done by the front brakes, the rear is simply to stabalize the car under hard braking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPLORx4 Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 (edited) Yes it's true that most of the braking is accomplished by the front brakes, but if the rear drums/shoes are out of adjustment, much of the brake pressure applied to the pedal is "wasted" by the poorly-adjusted rear brakes. That's why he says "rear drums are responsible for most of the pedal feel". Edited February 5, 2013 by XPLORx4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stioc Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 (edited) I get it, the pedal feel. So I'm assuming like all rear drum brakes the adjustment is accomplished by simply turning the adjuster bolt that pushes the shoes out towards the drum? Haven't worked on a drum brake in a long time lol Edited February 5, 2013 by stioc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towncivilian Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Yep, the adjuster wheel is covered by a rubber plug on the backing plate. I don't know the adjustment procedure though. I just let Nissan clean, lube, and adjust my rear brakes for $40. Not bad for saving time and knowing it's done correctly. You may also want to adjust your brake pedal free play if there's any slack. The adjustment procedure is in the FSM, but I haven't had luck with that either. I'll probably have Nissan do that as well, heh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 (edited) What I did was adjusted it until there was slight drag on the drum, and then backed it off 1 or 2 clicks on the wheel. This is how I was shown to do it. I don't know if it is the right way, but it did work for me. Save the 40 dollars, get a can of brake cleaner and some brake lube and DIY! Then you'll have new skill. Edited February 5, 2013 by adamzan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towncivilian Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 I actually already have Sylglide, three cans of brake cleaner and a drum adjuster tool. I've pulled the drums off to clean it off, but now they're squeaking since I probably rinsed all the lube off. I did buy a cheap Haynes manual too but it doesn't say how to adjust them. I'll look into doing it soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stioc Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 So I found the long thin rubber plug on the back side of the drum about 2" below the bleeder nipple. I pushed the star wheel cogs down (towards the axle/ground) several clicks to adjust the brakes. The wheels now have a bit of a drag. I wanted to back the cogs off one or two clicks but there's a metal tab on the other side of the cogs that acts as a lock so it's not easy to back it off. I could've done it by inserting a thin pick to push the tab out but I left it alone, it's only a slight drag and shouldn't cause overheating. However, even with the adjustment the brake pedal pushes down several inches with a vacuum sound before I feel the resistance. *shrug* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theexbrit Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 That sounds like maybe a master cylinder problem. My brakes are like most peoples, they're not great but there's no "lag" such as you have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towncivilian Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 A brake booster check valve is a cheaper thing to rule out. It could be sealing improperly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stioc Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Thanks guys. TC, any idea of the part# or where to get the check valve? I checked Autozone's website and didn't see one listed for my truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towncivilian Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 See Alkorahil's reply in this topic:http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/33577-brake-pedal-question I wouldn't go for an aftermarket part in this case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoesandsocks Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Stoic if the noise is coming from inside the car the vaccum leak is coming from your brake booster this exactly what just happened to mine dude and it can go bad quickly try adding a lil extra brake fluid and start you car if the brake pedal gets way too hard to compress i would say brake booster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stioc Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Yep, the whoosh sound is heard inside the cabin when I depress the brake pedal. The brake fluid is clean and topped off to the max line. It doesn't get hard to compress unless the engine's off. Even with the engine off and the pedal becoming harder to compress it still squishes down an inch. Man, the brake boosters shouldn't go bad at 120k miles (it's been like this since I bought the truck, it now has 130k). I've had plenty of high-mileage cars over my lifetime and while I've replaced a few master cylinders I've never had to replace a brake booster- only once as part of a misdiagnosis by a shop. I hate throwing parts at a problem How did your brake booster replacement go? And what was the cost of it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towncivilian Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 You can test your brake booster, see BR-23 for instructions. If you have a vacuum gauge, you can test the check valve too - see BR-25. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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