Brake Pads =PBR? NPN?

[Chris Corolla S]

I will be replacing my pads and shoes soon.
I have been checking prices on line. A lot of places will offer two or three (OEM style) pad sets with only slightly diff. pricing. They are differentiated by "PBR" and "NPN" Anyone know what this means?

Thanks
Chris

[Chris Corolla S]

NPN?? PBR??

What do they stand for?

BUMP

[Chris Corolla S]

O.K. I'll Bump this one more time before I let it die

[Xevuhtess7]

why dont you ask the guys who sell them?

[boroEF]

iano but may i suggest u get some KVR pads....

they are performance street pads and i used these at the track last year.....fade was much reduced and pedal feel/modulation was wayyyy better.

PVR/PBR whatever metalmaster pads are supposed to be good too, so i'd give those a shot as well.


anything but oem organic shit please, they just fade fade glaze glaze and have shit feel for days

[RedruM]

or you can be like me and get rotors for 15 bucks and pads for 20

so who cares bout fade when you can change um every 4 months


probably the only boro mod on my car

[TRDragoon]

i think he already replaced his pads
may 7th?....been 3 weeks.....

[Chris Corolla S]

Actually I haven't because of $$$$ issues. I have to move soon so I am broke. I can't wait to long though because my brakes are fading. I have 40,000 miles on the shoes and 25,000+ on the pads. Damm I have to change my oil too

I think I will get OEM shoes, and If I don't get OEM pads I will probably go with the Hawk HPS Street pads. I have heard really good things about Hawk pads from guys who track their cars, anyone got opinions on those?

I'm kinda worried about doing the shoes though, it will be my first time with drum brakes. I'm sure the Haynes will help me through, but I recently did a dry run where I opened up the drum brakes to clean them. I popped off the RR no problem and cleaned out all the brake dust, but when I went for the LR, I couldn't pop off the cover. I followed the instructions to move the star gear but it still didn't come off. So I'm kinda worried about that... Plus the manual says to replace the return springs, I think it is, at the same time as the shoes. So I'm wondering if they come with that or I have to get it separately...and I have to get some little spring compressor thing I think... whew .... at least I can do the pads and the bleeding by myself with no problems.

[Nick]

make sure the parking brake isn't on ( i dont know which wheel it locks up on a rolla)

don't be afraid to beat the shit out of it with the biggest hammer you can find, between the lugnuts, all around it

sometime they're a bitch to take off but you just have to work them out

as for changing the shoes, just make yourself a little drawing of how everything goes (brake tools are a fun thing to have) but not nessasary

you might want to push the cylinder piston back in with some prybars

once you're done slam that sucker into reverse and try to lock up those back wheels, (its how the parking brake is adjusted)


as for the return spring, talk to the dealer (or wherever you're getting parts from) i'm sure a sprign can't be that expensive

[Chris Corolla S]

Hey, great info!

Yeah I was smart enough to take off the E-brake first

I was afraid to beat on it so maybe that will work. The hayne's manual told me to move the star gear but that didn't work.

I didn't know drum brakes had a cylinder piston too... I guess I have to read my Hayne's a little better before I get ready to do this.

So I don't need any brake tools? I will see what Hayne's says to use and price it out I guess. If it's cheap, why not...

As for adjusting the brake by zooming in reverse then slamming on the brakes I did know that one

thanks again for the info!

[boroEF]

to take off the drum brake cover thing do NOT use a hammer. i see ppl do that and cringe at the sight of it. if u love ur car, please find some bolts that fit into the 2 visible holes and screw those bolts in...as u screw, the drum will come out.

to adjust the drum brake simply move the exposed gear(near the top) downwards with a flat head screwdriver..then ur set

as for changing shoes...never did that before

[rezzle]

You don't need brake 'tools' but getting a pair of mid sized needle nosed visegrip pliers makes reinstalling those silly springs WAY!!!! easier.

Using a hammer isn't ideal ... see BoroEF's post ... and don't blow any of the dust off with compressed air or your mouth. Brake dust isn't exactly healthy.

The parking brake is adjusted by the cable inside the car and it is very difficult to pry the pads of drumbrakes as they are inside the drum, that is very good advice for disk brakes however.

You can use a couple of screwdrivers and or your new visegrips to play with the little wheels (AKA adjustment screws) so that the new pads 'just about' touch the drum as you slide them off and on. Depending on the type of drum brakes you have the brakes self adjust by either the application of the emergancy brake or by driving in reverse and stopping. Make sure to put a dab of high temperature grease or molybdenumdisulfide dry lubricant in the lug nuts before you put them on. (great stuff for keys and locks too because it is dry and doesn't collect dirt) They wont sieze if you do and it makes torqueing them on more accurate. It also make removing that flat a lot easier.

[Chris Corolla S]

Boro:

please find some bolts that fit into the 2 visible holes and screw those bolts in...as u screw, the drum will come out

Hmmm I don't remember any holes but O.K. that sounds better than beating on my poor car

as for changing shoes...never did that before

Well didn't your EF have drums?? Don't tell me you took it to the shop to do the shoes?! And anyway how do you know about getting off the cover if you've never done shoes?

Rezzle:

You don't need brake 'tools' but getting a pair of mid sized needle nosed visegrip pliers makes reinstalling those silly springs WAY!!!! easier.

Shit I have vice grips and needle nosed pliers I didn't know there was a combo, sounds like a great little tool though

and don't blow any of the dust off with compressed air or your mouth. Brake dust isn't exactly healthy.

Yeah I used water to clean out the one I got open.

Make sure to put a dab of high temperature grease or molybdenumdisulfide dry lubricant in the lug nuts before you put them on. (great stuff for keys and locks too because it is dry and doesn't collect dirt) They wont sieze if you do and it makes torqueing them on more accurate. It also make removing that flat a lot easier.

Grease the lugs? I've never ever heard that man. Remember I have a 2001 Corolla, we're not talking about some ancient AE86 with rusted lugs here. I take my wheels on and off all the time(sometime just to clean them) and they have never seized. If some tire tech gets over zealous with his impact wrench I just stand on the tire iron and that gets 'em. Hmm I guess it wouldn't hurt, I have that silver gunk that I use on my spark plugs is that the stuff? I'm worried that they wouldn't hold as well if I grease 'em though...

[boroEF]

Originally posted by Chris Corolla S
Boro:


Hmmm I don't remember any holes but O.K. that sounds better than beating on my poor car


Well didn't your EF have drums?? Don't tell me you took it to the shop to do the shoes?! And anyway how do you know about getting off the cover if you've never done shoes?

my shoes never needed changing....i just took off the cover to adjust the drum brakes...they need constant adjustment because they are not self adjusting....

as the shoes wear down, the distance between them and the drum becomes further...so u must press the brake pedal down further in order to get the same braking effect....so to counter act that u must adjust the shoes...

there are 2 holes once u take off the rims....it's near the center hub thing....every drum brake has em

[Nick]

hahaha maybe you love your car, but the garage dosen't and they got lots of 5lb hand sledges handy for drum brakes

what an obsolete peice of technology