QuismO Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 my brakes are starting to squeak...definitely wearing thin. i'm going to do the front brake pads this weekend, but how hard is it to replace the rear drum brakes? they're starting to squeak too. do i need any special tools? or should i just get those professionally done? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 well, they aren't that hard but a little more involved then rotors but you can do it. you'll need a flat shorty screwdriver to back them off, and then a pair of vice grips for dealing with the springs. i use a pair of pliers for removing the round ssprings. push in and turn. do one side at a time that way if something isn't jiving you can check the other side. good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuismO Posted April 8, 2006 Author Share Posted April 8, 2006 sweet...thanks mz! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unccpathfinder Posted April 9, 2006 Share Posted April 9, 2006 havent ever changed them on a newer pathy but they cant be that much diff from any other thing i've worked on.... they're not hard just can be a huge PITA with the springs...i'd also check the wheel cylinders for leaks and what not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted April 9, 2006 Share Posted April 9, 2006 not pita if you use vice grips on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuismO Posted April 21, 2006 Author Share Posted April 21, 2006 (edited) ok so i decided to give it a shot by myself this morning...opened up the rear left drum and changed my mind...buddy's going to show me how later today. however, i did go and change the front pads. but now my brake pedal travel is all the way to the floor w/o full braking force. if i keep pressing the brake pedal...it eventually starts to act normal, but 30 seconds of not pressing the brake pedal, and the full travel occurs again--definitely unsafe and undriveable at the moment. did i do something wrong? i bleeded the brake line and uncapped the master cylinder while pushing the two brake pistons in. i only put the top backplate of the original brake pad onto the new pad (for both left and right brakes, but only on the pad that's on the inside where the pistons are) because the new pads already had one backplate per pad. should i add more of that compound/grease to the backplate? does that really make a difference? also, i just noticed that the aftermarket backplate doesn't cover the whole brake pad like the original one did...of the 3 "prongs" on the caliper, only the center one has good contact with the backplate...does this make a difference? does the drum cover go on at a specific alignment as in i have to put the bolts through their original bolt holes? <--i hope you guys/gals get what i'm asking here. yes i put more brake fluid in the cylinder, DOT 3, retightened the bleeder bolts, i just don't get it. i need help asap! she can't roll as is =( Edited April 21, 2006 by QuismO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 ok so i decided to give it a shot by myself this morning...opened up the rear left drum and changed my mind...buddy's going to show me how later today. however, i did go and change the front pads. but now my brake pedal travel is all the way to the floor w/o full braking force. if i keep pressing the brake pedal...it eventually starts to act normal, but 30 seconds of not pressing the brake pedal, and the full travel occurs again--definitely unsafe and undriveable at the moment. i think you need to bleed them again. the symptoms you describe sound like air in the lines. wait for your buddy to help you with that too. did i do something wrong? i bleeded the brake line and uncapped the master cylinder while pushing the two brake pistons in. i only put the top backplate of the original brake pad onto the new pad (for both left and right brakes, but only on the pad that's on the inside where the pistons are) because the new pads already had one backplate per pad. should i add more of that compound/grease to the backplate? does that really make a difference? also, i just noticed that the aftermarket backplate doesn't cover the whole brake pad like the original one did...of the 3 "prongs" on the caliper, only the center one has good contact with the backplate...does this make a difference? i'd try to get it flush so all three pieces touch the back the same way otherwise it's gonna wear funny and you're not getting the exact contact that they designed them for. does the drum cover go on at a specific alignment as in i have to put the bolts through their original bolt holes? <--i hope you guys/gals get what i'm asking here. no yes i put more brake fluid in the cylinder, DOT 3, retightened the bleeder bolts, i just don't get it. i need help asap! she can't roll as is =( at this point just wait if you can. i don't have time to describe the whole proper bleeding procedure and i am not sure if that's not what happened here. search maybe, becuase on more then one occasion prices1 wrote it out. others have too. good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuismO Posted April 21, 2006 Author Share Posted April 21, 2006 thanks mz, yea i put the oem backplates on just right now, and still no difference. it is my understanding that the rear and front brakes are self adjusting. do the front brake adjustments depend on the wear of the rear brake shoes? because the rear shoes definitely need to be replaced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 there is really no adjustment up front. just push the pistons in and put new pads in and close the cage. tighten them and you're done. your prob is most likely air in the lines. on the back however, you have to tighten the ratcheting adjuster to snug (besides springs and pins and e-brake) the drums shouldn't spin easily. google drim brakes, i know i posted a link somewhere here before that gives you pics and step by step plus bleeding procedure from a search like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuismO Posted April 21, 2006 Author Share Posted April 21, 2006 yup mz you were right...hmm that never happened to me before so i never thought of bleeding the lines a little. so i drove over to kragen auto parts in the maxima and bought a cheap $6 bleeding kit and it worked like a charm. thanks for your quick responses mzxtreme =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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