replacing brakes.

[DJ_WhItEnEsS]

Is this easy? I bought pads today but am not sure if this is something i can do myself. I've always been good with Legos and following directions so I can give it a shot here too. anyone can tell me what ill need....

my car: 1992 Corolla DX

problem: front passenger side brake is medal to medal.

my solution: DIY? safe or no? easy or no? btw do i need to turn my rotors and WTF does that mean?

thanks for reading PLEASE help.

oh and i noticed that my front brakes are disc..back brakes are drum. can i convert drum to disc easily? cheap? myself? what will i need?

[Slaughter]

Replacing brakes is very easy. Do em wrong and it can be costly LoL..

But not hard at all.. Inspect your rotors. Look for gouges? and uneven wear.. :P

As for switching from Drum -> disk I don't know

I've been doing my own brake jobs since I was 13. Not too hard

If your rotors are worn, but aren't that thin, then you can have them put on a lathe.. otherwise new rotors.. $30+ each
:P

[pdrover]

Putting the rotors on a lathe and having a thin layer of metal removed to produce a smooth even surface is what is meant by having them turned or cut. If there is a grinding noise from the brakes (before pad replacement) it's likely they'll need cutting to remove gouges from metal on metal. If your brakes pulsate (before or after pad replacement) then it's likely that at least one of your rotors are warped (out of round) and need to be cut. There is a finite limit to the number of times a rotor can be cut before it becomes unsafe. Reputable machine shops will refuse to cut a rotor that would become unsafe. If you can't cut them, they need to be replaced.

I've replaced pads & rotors on a Honda Civic, Chev Cavalier, and a Toyota 4 runner. I expect that my 89 Carolla is due new pads in the near future, so I'd be interested in hearing about your job. Let us know how it goes. Take some digital pictures and post 'em.

Paul.

[Slaughter]

Brakes are very easy to replace. You could almost do them without tools hah.. Just remember whatever you take off you have to put back on : ) but if you have any questions feel free to ask!

[falnfenix]

there IS a conversion from drum to disc, someone on another forum did it, but he's "bound by contract" not to share info yet...so we don't know how or who made the conversion.

[hdsalinas]

I recently had my front brake pads replaced. But i have been hearing a "metallic rattle" coming from the front brakes when going over rough roads or bumps. My cousin told me that it could be the "anti-squeal springs" that where probably not replaced when they reassembled the brakes.

Could this be possible?

BTW DJ_WhItEnEsS,

If I were you, I would probably had the pads replaced at a shop or have someone you know well do it for you. Just keep an eye on how its done.

You can also just get a haynes manual and go for it!!!

[Slaughter]

Replacing pads is a snap :P

[hopeful]

Originally posted by hdsalinas
I recently had my front brake pads replaced. But i have been hearing a "metallic rattle" coming from the front brakes when going over rough roads or bumps. My cousin told me that it could be the "anti-squeal springs" that where probably not replaced when they reassembled the brakes.

Could this be possible?

BTW DJ_WhItEnEsS,

If I were you, I would probably had the pads replaced at a shop or have someone you know well do it for you. Just keep an eye on how its done.

You can also just get a haynes manual and go for it!!!

No, im sorry to dissapoint you but the hitech corolla never came with "anti-squeal springs", and neither has any other car that I've worked on...

Its probably the backing plate, a thin metal plate that keeps water and otherstuff from splashing onto the rotor, peel it back a bit, its probably coming in contact with something, worstcasescenario - tear it off

oh and yeah, brakes are dead easy to change, but its easy to mess up, not somethign you should do yourself without seeing anyone else do it before.

if you've got a metal to metal situation, most likely, its already too late for your rotors.

[Chris Corolla S]

^ The anti squeel spring or clip is found on many car's brakes for instance my 1984 CAmry and my 2001 Corolla had them. The thing is they often get left out. And running without the factory backing plate will make your brakes squeel, don't take those off.

For the original poster yes get a Haynes manual and everyone is saying swapping pads is dead easy (which it is) but it is likley you will have to bleed your brakes afterwords which is not as easy and you need a helper.

Chris.

[hdsalinas]

Thanks guys, I might take a look at it this weekend (I love fun projects )
I just want to make things clear for you guys, the noise I hear is not very loud but anoying. I hear it only when driving over cracked roads or small putholes. The rattles sound as someone shaking a bag filled with iron pieces

BTW I can also hear it if I kick any of the front tires.

[hopeful]

Originally posted by Chris Corolla S
^ The anti squeel spring or clip is found on many car's brakes for instance my 1984 CAmry and my 2001 Corolla had them. The thing is they often get left out. And running without the factory backing plate will make your brakes squeel, don't take those off.

For the original poster yes get a Haynes manual and everyone is saying swapping pads is dead easy (which it is) but it is likley you will have to bleed your brakes afterwords which is not as easy and you need a helper.

Chris.

It is never a spring, but if anything it is a clip.

[hopeful]

in some high end cars its even sometimes a wire going thru the brake pad.... when it gets low enough, the wire grounds and a light goes on in the dash indicating low brakes...

[|PuNiSh3R|]

Eh if you don't know much about cars the rear drum to disc swap can be intimidating.. I did it on my ae92 coupe.. I got the rear discs from a GT-S coupe and put them on my sr5.. Hardest part is getting into some of the spots to undo the bolts.. a lot of the nuts/bolts are rusted in place and I had to cut them off with the angle grinder.. That is really the hardest part.. You need to change the metering block as well, the block that is mounted on the firewall, what it does is meter how much fluid goes to the front and rear.. You can get adjustable proportioning valves too.. so you can adjust it manually.

As for pad changes, it isn't that hard.. 2 bolts to undue the caliper so that it swings from the brake assembly.. pads come right out.. take off the hardware from the old pads and put it on the new pads.. with someone pressing the brake peddle down, undue the brake bleed nipple.. just have to turn it a half turn open.. with it open you will need to use a hammer or something to wedge into the caliper and push the piston back all the way in.. then close the bleed nipple.. put the new pads in.. and put the caliper back down and bolt it up..

[DJ_WhItEnEsS]

i read up a lot last night on rear drum to disc conversion. Not worth the trouble i dont think. most of the force goes to your front brakes anyway. replacing my disc brakes i can figure it out...i have a Nissan NX2000 that i watched being done (4 wheel disc <33333) my neighbor can do it for 15 bucks a wheel but im going to attempt it myself first. maybe just have him supervise
bleeding the brakes is gonna take 2 people...i had to help the guy in the shop last time cuz it was afterhours...so i sat in the car and pressed on the brake...what is the other job?

[DJ_WhItEnEsS]

started this hours ago. took a few pics i will post later. had to replace 1 rotor. metal to metal does that i guess.. right now im busy trying to unstick the sliders. silicone spray here i come.