Brake Questions that bug's the crap out of me! HELP!

[KaziKai]

Hey All.. I have tried to do the search.. either I am doing it wrong or Im just not good at the search tab.

I just have a few questions that keeps bugging me everytime I do my brakes...

1: When you change the pads.. do you have to re-surface the rotors? or can you just add the new pads and drive?

2: Can you use brake cleaner to clean the pads and the rotors? or just the rotors? I have been told not to spray anything on the pads... Anyone know what is the proper way to clean them?

3: Drum Brakes: (Yeah I want to do the swap but I dont know jack about it..) I need to find a way to change the drum pads/shoes/whatever it called... I was told that there are 5-9 spings in there that will pop out once i open the drum thingy. is that true? is there a thread that can teach me how to do it? or is anyone here in vegas that is willing to help me?

4: Brake fluid: Everytime I change or clean my brakes I do a flush in the system is that smart to do? or too much of it will kill something?

5: After the brake change I know your suppose to brake in the pads I do the process.. everything is fine after that.. after a week it starts to have a grinding sound and sometimes squeeks alot.. is that something I should worry about? The grinding sound and feeling make me shiver... A shop told me that there is a plate in the back that might me stuck between the pads and the rotor that would cause it to grind like that... (I think he is bs'ing me...)

I know I sound like a noob here.. and I know I am... But be gentle.. and tell me what to do!

Thanks!

<(^,^)>

[polishmafia]

Hey All.. I have tried to do the search.. either I am doing it wrong or Im just not good at the search tab.

I just have a few questions that keeps bugging me everytime I do my brakes...

1: When you change the pads.. do you have to re-surface the rotors? or can you just add the new pads and drive?

2: Can you use brake cleaner to clean the pads and the rotors? or just the rotors? I have been told not to spray anything on the pads... Anyone know what is the proper way to clean them?

3: Drum Brakes: (Yeah I want to do the swap but I dont know jack about it..) I need to find a way to change the drum pads/shoes/whatever it called... I was told that there are 5-9 spings in there that will pop out once i open the drum thingy. is that true? is there a thread that can teach me how to do it? or is anyone here in vegas that is willing to help me?

4: Brake fluid: Everytime I change or clean my brakes I do a flush in the system is that smart to do? or too much of it will kill something?

5: After the brake change I know your suppose to brake in the pads I do the process.. everything is fine after that.. after a week it starts to have a grinding sound and sometimes squeeks alot.. is that something I should worry about? The grinding sound and feeling make me shiver... A shop told me that there is a plate in the back that might me stuck between the pads and the rotor that would cause it to grind like that... (I think he is bs'ing me...)

I know I sound like a noob here.. and I know I am... But be gentle.. and tell me what to do!

Thanks!

<(^,^)>

1. Yes, its the best way to do it. If you don't, you aren't creating a flat surface for the pad to meet the rotor. New pads on used (unturned) rotors will only be contacting a small surface area.

2. You aren't supposed to spray the pads directly. You definitely want to spray the rotors if they are new, because they come with a glaze on them.

3. Haha yes, kind of. If you take off the drum, the springs will not fly out and hit you in the face. The springs hold together the shoes/cylinder. If you haven't done any work on them before, I'd find someone to help. They aren't simple the first time.

4. Its good practice to exchange the fluid. If you don't, you could cause problems down the road. Over time it will start to breakdown, plus it absorbs water, and can cause problems in the pistons.

5. He is either talking about brake pad shims or the backing plates. Are you sure its coming from the front? There shouldn't be any grinding noise after new brakes are installed.

Let us know if you have any other questions.

[RedGalant2k1]

Hey All.. I have tried to do the search.. either I am doing it wrong or Im just not good at the search tab.

I just have a few questions that keeps bugging me everytime I do my brakes...

1: When you change the pads.. do you have to re-surface the rotors? or can you just add the new pads and drive?

You SHOULD just replace the rotors with the pads. The brake rotor has to have a adequate mass to effectively dissipate heat generated during braking. But at the least yes, they should be resurfaced, BUT only if they are adequately ABOVE their minimum machining measurement (Discard thickness).

2: Can you use brake cleaner to clean the pads and the rotors? or just the rotors? I have been told not to spray anything on the pads... Anyone know what is the proper way to clean them?

Do you mean when new? or used? If new, the brake pads have a special coating to allow for quick break-in. In many cases the brake pads are already post-cured (pre-broken in from the factory). If the brake rotors are new, yes, as Polish stated, they require cleaning to remove their storage protectant.

3: Drum Brakes: (Yeah I want to do the swap but I dont know jack about it..) I need to find a way to change the drum pads/shoes/whatever it called... I was told that there are 5-9 spings in there that will pop out once i open the drum thingy. is that true? is there a thread that can teach me how to do it? or is anyone here in vegas that is willing to help me?

Nothing will 'pop out' unless maybe they are broken. There should be plenty of DIY: Drum brake videos or tutorials online. Though help (again as Polish eluded to) is good when dealing with drum brakes the first time.

4: Brake fluid: Everytime I change or clean my brakes I do a flush in the system is that smart to do? or too much of it will kill something?

Yes, its smart, do it.

5: After the brake change I know your suppose to brake in the pads I do the process.. everything is fine after that.. after a week it starts to have a grinding sound and sometimes squeeks alot.. is that something I should worry about? The grinding sound and feeling make me shiver... A shop told me that there is a plate in the back that might me stuck between the pads and the rotor that would cause it to grind like that... (I think he is bs'ing me...)

I know I sound like a noob here.. and I know I am... But be gentle.. and tell me what to do!

Thanks!

<(^,^)>

Noise from your brakes happen for a three reasons:

1 A. Improper installation. I'd be willing to be this is the MOST common result in noise from your brakes (or anyone's brakes). There is lubricant grease, shims, backing plates, and other hardware that is important to be used, or replaced when doing brake jobs. This includes any caliper guide pins, shims, or other hardware. Discarding or attempting to reuse old guide pins or other hardware can lead to improper break-in, then allowing the vehicle to make noise.

1 B. Improper rotor resurfacing. This is really encompassed in improper installation as it is the mechanic doing the job that has made the error. Another reason to simply just replace the rotors at each brake job.

2. Improper break-in. After the brake job is complete the technician SHOULD be doing this for their customers. This is supposed to be 30 stops, from 30mph. But the best recommended rule of thumb here is to not assume that was done for you. Allow extra stopping distance, brake more gradually, and do this for the first tank of gas after the brake repair. I'd even suggest you give yourself extra stopping distance anyways, and just in general.
Nothing is better at ensuring you don't overheat your brakes at any time when driving. Also, that you have adequate distance to the car in front of you, just in case others decide to not act as appropriately.

3. Improper pad and rotor matching. Some may think I'm crazy, but it doesn't really matter. Each vehicle and each driver is different. There are reasons many millions of people world wide always talk about how aftermarket brake jobs are generally more poor than original equipment or dealer brake jobs (even though the dealer is decidedly more costly). They are using factory designed brake pads that are specifically designed to not create excessive noise as their primary concern, especially on most standard passenger vehicles.

Using a pad that isn't specially formulated for your specific platform can lead to brake noises. This also matters for the quality of the brake rotor used. Take for example, why do high performance cars use such large brake rotors? Why can't they just use the same ones we do? At the same time, most aftermarket brake rotors are lighter, but have the same outer thickness as their more expensive counterparts? Well, the inner vane is MUCH thinner, as such the rotor does not contain enough mass to properly cool the brake pads, and in turn the brake fluid, hoses, caliper piston, piston boot, guide pins, etc etc...

This is a good area to also mention there is a reason R1 Concepts (a TGC supporting Vendor) is so well received here, and other forums... They use top shelf metallurgy with their brake systems and brake rotors. Highly recommended for that reason, unfortunately they don't seem to produce brake drums for those that have and do not want to convert to rear disc brakes.

Hope this helps out.