Originally Posted by humfrz (Post 3255429)

"I can't even see if my pads are low. Worst brake design ever."

Well, I don't know bout that - :iono:

Back in the day, to inspect the brake shoe thickness, one had to first jack up the car with a flimsy bumper jack, then go find the cement blocks (that your dad used for something else) to put under the car, then find the big star lug nut wrench (that your brother used and didn't put back), then take off the wheel.

Next, pull on the brake drum and see that it is stuck, so go find the BFH (that someone didn't put back in the combine's tool box) then beat on the drum to the point you were afraid you were going to break it. Then if you were lucky, the drum would pop off, exposing you to a face full of finely ground asbestos fibers for you to inhale.

NOW, you can inspect the brake shoes for wear.

Oh, did I mention that, just as you started, it was getting dark and starting to snow and the wind was whipping snow around from both sides of the car?

:sigh:


humfrz

PS - I left out important step, who knows what it was?

Originally Posted by GrantedTaken (Post 3255409)

Clueless idiot.
Go to any parking lot, moron, and look at the calipers of any car.
You will clearly see the brake pads

Originally Posted by soundman98 (Post 3255457)

i know of a few cars that the bearing hub is integral to disc assembly. were there any drum brakes that had the bearing hub integral?

because just the thought of having to repack bearings to check pad thickness could keep me up at night..

i'm sure there's a few...

Originally Posted by humfrz (Post 3255462)

Yep, you would be correct, for the front brakes - the bearings have to come out.

I was thinking of the rear brakes. On the higher mileage older cars, the shoes may have warn down the center portion of the drum, leaving a lip on the outer part of the drum. For the drum to come off, especially if the brakes had been adjusted, the adjusting screw mechanism should be screwed to adjust the shoes to more of a closed (inward) position, so the lip on the drum will clear the shoes.

Oh, humfrz - go take a nap - you're flashing back again - :(

Originally Posted by GrantedTaken (Post 3255836)

Brakes. Buy from dealer? What else to replace?

At 50k, I'm going to replace my pads and rotors.
I don't want racing crap for basic street driving.

What are my options besides dealer prices?
$85 for a rotor is more than I've ever paid for any car ever.

Besides the pads and rotors,
are there any little parts and extras I should also buy?

Originally Posted by GrantedTaken (Post 3255836)

Brakes. Buy from dealer? What else to replace?

At 50k, I'm going to replace my pads and rotors.
I don't want racing crap for basic street driving.

What are my options besides dealer prices?
$85 for a rotor is more than I've ever paid for any car ever.

Besides the pads and rotors,
are there any little parts and extras I should also buy?

Originally Posted by FR-Sky (Post 3255927)

You can feel it when you drive it.

Originally Posted by GrantedTaken (Post 3255836)

Brakes. Buy from dealer? What else to replace?

At 50k, I'm going to replace my pads and rotors.
I don't want racing crap for basic street driving.

What are my options besides dealer prices?
$85 for a rotor is more than I've ever paid for any car ever.

Besides the pads and rotors,
are there any little parts and extras I should also buy?

Originally Posted by JoeC (Post 3255850)

So after all this, do you even know if you need to replace them? It's hard for me to imagine that the pads or rotors need to be replaced at 50k. Maybe the rotors if they've seen a bunch of track use but this thread wouldn't exist if that was the case...