I just finished changing the front brake pads and rear brake shoes and tested the car and all and it seemed fine, but when I pulled the parking brake up like usual, it went all the way up in the e-brake slot, is this normal after a complete new brake job? It seems like it still grips cuz it didnt go downhill but the e-brake stopped at half ways before the change
E-brake after new pads and rear shoes
- Thread starter LXDriver
- Start date
How?
Thats it? Any speed in reverse in specific or just about 10-20 feet is good?
One more thing about this change. I took the disks out (at time of brake pads change) and took them to get them turned and after about a week or 2 with the new brake pads, the driver's disk is already scratched (in other words the brake pad is gripping) but the passenger's aint scratched at all, its still smooth like it barely came out of the turning machine. Anyone know if either brake pad is not gripping right or one is gripping more than the other? And how can I fix this?
You mean the brake pad is eating into the rotor? You might have a bad caliper. When you do brake jobs, you should always lube the sliding pins and brackets and check to make sure the piston is good along with its seal.
Thats the crazy part cuz I did lubricate the driver's side and thats the one that is being eaten by the pad and/or caliper. The passenger's I forgot to lubricate and that disk is fine, but I'll check it this weekend and will re-lubricate if needed...
did you bleed your braking system?...
I wanted to bring this thread back to life cuz I dont think my baby is alright.
Anyways the problem is that the passenger caliper aint gripping at all and I need to get that working otherways it might cause some more problems later on. The only thing I think I need to do to solve it is bleed the brakes but if that doesnt solve the un-gripping, what do you guys think the problem might be?
Anyways the problem is that the passenger caliper aint gripping at all and I need to get that working otherways it might cause some more problems later on. The only thing I think I need to do to solve it is bleed the brakes but if that doesnt solve the un-gripping, what do you guys think the problem might be?
you said you lubed up the drivers side hardware, did you do the passenger side? it could be the "scratching" that your talking about it normal wear on the driver side rotor and the passenger side caliper isn't gripping because its frozen up due to no lubrication
Personally, I would take the passenger side apart again and lube everything. Compress the brakes too before hand and try to push the piston back into the caliper before you slide the caliper back over the rotor. If it has a hard time going in, that should indicate a problem. If not, maybe bleed the brakes?
Jersey8: At first I didnt lube the passenger's side cuz I forgot but then I went back to it and lubricated it but still, no grip 
JohnS: I'll go bleed the brakes rightnow and let u guys know
Thanks for the info everybody, I'll report back when I finish bleeding and testing the brakes for proper grip
JohnS: I'll go bleed the brakes rightnow and let u guys know
Thanks for the info everybody, I'll report back when I finish bleeding and testing the brakes for proper grip
stateofjustin
New Member
Whoa!
Time out.
Your rotors SHOULD look the same. Grey, non reflective and slightly rough to the touch.
If they looked different from that when they gave them to you, both are suspect and I
would scrap the rotors and replace them.
Next, after a week of driving, you should have a semi shiny rotor surface. They also might have
changed color slightly. There should be no appreciable wear, no irregular grooves. They also should
not be super shiny and yellowish. If they are the pads were not broken in properly and the pads and
rotors are glazed. More on that later.
Either the floating pins or the piston itself can seize, and both can do so intermittently under the force
of braking. Both usually show up during a brake job though, through excessive difficulty pushing the piston
in, or difficulty getting the calipers over the new pads.
A seize can be slight, simply causing pad contact with the rotor when you are not braking which dramatically
increases wear on pad and rotor on that axle. Or it can be extreme enough to completely freeze the piston
so that while you have a hard pedal, no braking takes place. That is pretty rare, usually it's the first kind.
Take the pads out of the pad carrier and bolt the caliper back in place without them. Now pull the caliper
toward you and push it away from you. It should move both ways very easily. If it does not, remove the caliper
bolts and boots, use brake cleaner and pull a rag through the passages to remove any old grease and clean the
sliding pins on the pad carrier the same way.
Inspect the sliding pins for excessive wear spots, most of it should be shiny and new looking. Also, shine
a light down the passages the bolts slide into in the caliper. Look for wear or signs of damage there.
If the bolts look seriously worn, replace them. If the passages in the caliper look rough, replace the
caliper as well. If neither is true then...
Re-lube the caliper sliding bolts with a quality synthetic grease MADE for brake assemblies. Clean the boots
by pulling the rag through and add a little grease inside those,then reassemble. Try the push pull test again
after assembly, getting the caliper to slide toward you and away from you should be easy. If it still isn't
something got missed on inspection or the parts are too worn and should be replaced.
Don't forget to put the pads back in after that
If you are inclined, while the calipers are off, you may wish to expel the main piston and inspect the sides and
the bore. Also inspect the seals. If you do not know the procedure for doing this let us know first. It's
potentially dangerous operation.
If you have the other style of caliper, instead of sliding pins you will have sleeves. Same procedures apply.
It is interesting to note that the factory does not instruct you to lube anything EXCEPT the caliper piston seal
and boot (if you remove them), the back of the pads and the backs of the anti-squeal shims, and the sliding pins
for the calipers. All rubber parts are supposed to be replaced, most of us inspect them and reuse them if they
are not hard or torn.
Also, pads these days usually make noise of one kind or another, squeaking or a slight grind depending on the pad
material. So regular inspection is the best policy.
My right front brake squeals like a live pig over an open fire when I have light to medium pressure on it.
Nothing wrong with it though. It is kind of irritating and embarrassing so I'll probably check and re-lube
contact points this weekend. PM me if you want me to take pictures of what a rotor should look like
normally and what they shouldn't usually look like.
***
During a normal 'break in' period, if you do not perform a specific break in procedure your pads may
take up to or over 100 miles to build a level of material on the rotor necessary for proper braking.
If the brakes are used heavily during this period or abused, the pads and rotors will glaze and a decent reduction
in stopping power results. going over the rotor surfaces with some 400 grit or so sandpaper will break the glaze
on the rotors and will rough them up enough to break the glaze on the pads. No need to get crazy, it just takes a
good once over on both sides.
***
Re-bleed your braking system as a matter of caution and diligence. Something tells me if you had enough air in
the system to get a caliper piston not to move, you would be in much worse shape than you are now. The pedal
would be soft or worse, and you would have virtually no stopping power without really getting onto the pedal.
***
It's true rocks can get between the pad and the rotor and make noise, but it shouldn't last very long since you will
wear the rock down thin enough to drop out in no time. I can stick in the pad, but because of temperature differences
they don't usually.
***
Try all that and see where you are at. Take your time with the inspecting, take pictures and post them if you can.
Brakes are the most important part of a car, none of us can afford not to have them when we go to press that pedal...
Time out.
Your rotors SHOULD look the same. Grey, non reflective and slightly rough to the touch.
If they looked different from that when they gave them to you, both are suspect and I
would scrap the rotors and replace them.
Next, after a week of driving, you should have a semi shiny rotor surface. They also might have
changed color slightly. There should be no appreciable wear, no irregular grooves. They also should
not be super shiny and yellowish. If they are the pads were not broken in properly and the pads and
rotors are glazed. More on that later.
Either the floating pins or the piston itself can seize, and both can do so intermittently under the force
of braking. Both usually show up during a brake job though, through excessive difficulty pushing the piston
in, or difficulty getting the calipers over the new pads.
A seize can be slight, simply causing pad contact with the rotor when you are not braking which dramatically
increases wear on pad and rotor on that axle. Or it can be extreme enough to completely freeze the piston
so that while you have a hard pedal, no braking takes place. That is pretty rare, usually it's the first kind.
Take the pads out of the pad carrier and bolt the caliper back in place without them. Now pull the caliper
toward you and push it away from you. It should move both ways very easily. If it does not, remove the caliper
bolts and boots, use brake cleaner and pull a rag through the passages to remove any old grease and clean the
sliding pins on the pad carrier the same way.
Inspect the sliding pins for excessive wear spots, most of it should be shiny and new looking. Also, shine
a light down the passages the bolts slide into in the caliper. Look for wear or signs of damage there.
If the bolts look seriously worn, replace them. If the passages in the caliper look rough, replace the
caliper as well. If neither is true then...
Re-lube the caliper sliding bolts with a quality synthetic grease MADE for brake assemblies. Clean the boots
by pulling the rag through and add a little grease inside those,then reassemble. Try the push pull test again
after assembly, getting the caliper to slide toward you and away from you should be easy. If it still isn't
something got missed on inspection or the parts are too worn and should be replaced.
Don't forget to put the pads back in after that
If you are inclined, while the calipers are off, you may wish to expel the main piston and inspect the sides and
the bore. Also inspect the seals. If you do not know the procedure for doing this let us know first. It's
potentially dangerous operation.
If you have the other style of caliper, instead of sliding pins you will have sleeves. Same procedures apply.
It is interesting to note that the factory does not instruct you to lube anything EXCEPT the caliper piston seal
and boot (if you remove them), the back of the pads and the backs of the anti-squeal shims, and the sliding pins
for the calipers. All rubber parts are supposed to be replaced, most of us inspect them and reuse them if they
are not hard or torn.
Also, pads these days usually make noise of one kind or another, squeaking or a slight grind depending on the pad
material. So regular inspection is the best policy.
My right front brake squeals like a live pig over an open fire when I have light to medium pressure on it.
Nothing wrong with it though. It is kind of irritating and embarrassing so I'll probably check and re-lube
contact points this weekend. PM me if you want me to take pictures of what a rotor should look like
normally and what they shouldn't usually look like.
***
During a normal 'break in' period, if you do not perform a specific break in procedure your pads may
take up to or over 100 miles to build a level of material on the rotor necessary for proper braking.
If the brakes are used heavily during this period or abused, the pads and rotors will glaze and a decent reduction
in stopping power results. going over the rotor surfaces with some 400 grit or so sandpaper will break the glaze
on the rotors and will rough them up enough to break the glaze on the pads. No need to get crazy, it just takes a
good once over on both sides.
***
Re-bleed your braking system as a matter of caution and diligence. Something tells me if you had enough air in
the system to get a caliper piston not to move, you would be in much worse shape than you are now. The pedal
would be soft or worse, and you would have virtually no stopping power without really getting onto the pedal.
***
It's true rocks can get between the pad and the rotor and make noise, but it shouldn't last very long since you will
wear the rock down thin enough to drop out in no time. I can stick in the pad, but because of temperature differences
they don't usually.
***
Try all that and see where you are at. Take your time with the inspecting, take pictures and post them if you can.
Brakes are the most important part of a car, none of us can afford not to have them when we go to press that pedal...
I am reporting back with the problem. I bleed the brakes about a week ago and it seems like that solved it because the passenger rotor now has a feeling that the pad is gripping when I apply the brakes but only time will tell more on that. If its not to late or 2 much of a hassle, stateofjustin will you please post pics of how a proper rotor should look like so that I can maybe get an idea of what mine should look like
stateofjustin
New Member
I'll be at the dealership tomorrow, I'll try and catch someone while they are turning a rotor.
It's not unusual for one side to have a little bit more grab than the other... if for no other reason then the tires may have different amounts of traction on whatever surface you are on when you brake. But anything with the brakes is worth looking into, better for you to waste your time and not your life or someone else's, right?
It's not unusual for one side to have a little bit more grab than the other... if for no other reason then the tires may have different amounts of traction on whatever surface you are on when you brake. But anything with the brakes is worth looking into, better for you to waste your time and not your life or someone else's, right?
Yup...