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Brake Maintenance in my opinion is one of the most highly neglected routine vehicle maintenance.

Frequently, the only time brakes are maintained by the average user is when they are gone, which so happens to be when the real damage begins.

Many also don't realize they need to MAINTAIN their brake system even when the pads aren't worn.

With a second car available to me, I have parked my RS and been doing past-due maintenance on her.

Right now, my focus is on the drivetrain. My CV Axle is just about dead, so it's very convenient to go ahead and do a complete overhaul on the brake system.

BRAKES:
Change them.


WHY?
Because.

And if that's not a good enough reason, maybe this is:

This is not a time warp... not in the sense you're thinking of.



Or this:


Do the math: y = M C (squared). Input the variables
answer comes out: F'ed!

WHEN
Should you change them?
Now. Well, it's dark, maybe tomorrow.


WHO
Is responsible for this?

CALIPERS! (In my case, at least)

The sliders on my calipers were more stiff than my... You know what, let's not go there. They were just frozen in place, and there were no sweet words that would free them.

Ok, I've ordered remanufactured calipers myself, but I tore my own caliper apart to show you exactly what you'll want to look for when rebuilding your caliper.


The Frozen Slider on the Caliper

So here's my caliper issue in all it's glory.
Note there are two sliders, I already have one out.
One slider on the RIGHT has a rubber boot on each end
The metal slider contacts the metal on the caliper directly.
The slider that would be on the RIGHT (the hole my thumb is on)
has a rubber sheath that runs through, and the slider slips through the sheath.


Knocking the Slider Out

I used a bolt, slipped it in the slider, then hammered away. However, the bolt was too big to fit through the caliper.


This baby doesn't want to leave!

I found a 10mm socket that I didn't need, took a crappy extension, and hammered it through the caliper.
The 10mm is JUST small enough where it doesn't damage the caliper innards.


Rusty Caliper in all it's Glory

Notice in the 3rd picture, that slider and the black stains on it? That is... WAS grease. Highlighted here is what I recommend you grease the dickens out of. These sliders SHOULD be able to move my other means OTHER than a hammer and a strong arm.

The lower slider and it's rubber sheath are pictured here. That's the slider that goes in the sheath that goes through the caliper on the lower hole.

Note, the caliper piston should also be checked. My piston could not be cleaner in it's chamber.
However, if it has contaminants, a rebuild kit will come with a replacement O-ring that goes inside the caliper, and is barely visible in the picture.

These calipers will be good to go after some greasing, however, I still want new ones for myself ;)

Now ask yourself:

When was the last time you performed maintenance on your calipers?

When have you greased the slider arms?

Depending on your answer, you might want to check!

(Note: Gro Harlem posted a FAQ about brakes which is very helpful. Go read it!)


Here is what I am purchasing:

Remanufactured Front left/right calipers w/semi-metallic pads: 30/pair (no core charge)
Brembo Slotted Disks: 120/Pair (Closeout Sale, very cheap!)
Akebono PROACT Ceramic Pad pair: 50/Front Set

You could simply get away with just purchasing the calipers and standard disks, which would reduce the price to $120.

Tirerack.com has the Brembo deal
Rockauto has the Calipers/Pads.

i lube my pins every 3rd or 4th oil change...... so roughly 15000 - 20 000 kms. depends how much driving i do. but maintenance for brakes is definately the most neglected service out there. just working at a ford dealership we recommend doing the brakes every 20 000 kms.... so many people come back a month or so later with the brakes wearing funny and we actually had one customer wear out the inside part of a rotor so bad he was actually out of rotor and was into the cooling fins already. so i am agreeing with you 110%.

While you're in there, you should post a few pics of exactly where to apply grease and what maintenance to do.

I just completely rebuilt my brakes with reman calipers and new rear rotors for about $400. The previous owner had totally neglected them. It was so bad, I had to change the proportioning valve as no fluid was getting to the rear of the vehicle at all.

wytbishop wrote:While you're in there, you should post a few pics of exactly where to apply grease and what maintenance to do.

+1

wytbishop wrote:I just completely rebuilt my brakes with reman calipers and new rear rotors for about $400. The previous owner had totally neglected them. It was so bad, I had to change the proportioning valve as no fluid was getting to the rear of the vehicle at all.

how do you check if there is fluid going to the rear? I have drums on my rear and my e-brakes are so weak..

My car I bought certified so verything "should" be great, but I decided to upgrade teh front pads to Hawk HPS, that was my first mod. After taking the pads out i found the pins and sliders were solid. So I replaced them all. My barkes seem to work fine.

Right now I am in the works of making my car a daily drive track car. More for road racing and autocross. so replacing stuff in the suspension is my main aspect aside from getting the motor back in the car. at the moment I have a disasembled set of calipers that i am going to get powdercoated and then put back together with new parts all new stainless lines and probably replace the master cylinder. Brakes t me are the most important part of the vehicle and I need to make mine good.

rekognize wrote:how do you check if there is fluid going to the rear? I have drums on my rear and my e-brakes are so weak..

Try to bleed them. After I installed all my new parts, I went to bleed the rear passenger side and couldn't get any fluid out. I actually disconnected the flexible line from the caliper with my helper holding the brake and nothing came out.

If your e-brake is weak it likely means that the shoes and/or drums are badly worn and the e-brake is at the end of it's travel. The e-brake is a purely mechanical system and doesn't require hydraulic pressure to function.

wytbishop wrote:

rekognize wrote:how do you check if there is fluid going to the rear? I have drums on my rear and my e-brakes are so weak..

Try to bleed them. After I installed all my new parts, I went to bleed the rear passenger side and couldn't get any fluid out. I actually disconnected the flexible line from the caliper with my helper holding the brake and nothing came out.

If your e-brake is weak it likely means that the shoes and/or drums are badly worn and the e-brake is at the end of it's travel. The e-brake is a purely mechanical system and doesn't require hydraulic pressure to function.

I just changed the shoes and drums with a brand new set.. I can't figure out where to adjust the cable tension..

I placed some caliper information and pictures in the original post.
Start greasin' !

but maintenance for brakes is definately the most neglected service out there.

I'd agree with you with one exception on that.. Auto Transmission servicing has got to be the most overlooked service. Brakes go out sooner than a ATX will usually die.. so the brakes are something you eventually will have to come to terms with. Most ATX trannies will last to the point where someone sells the car (assuming they bought it new) and the second or third owner of the car ends up with a tranny thats been severly neglected and ready to die at the drop of a hat.

Tunes67

here's my 30 dollar remanufactured caliper that just came in the mail:



It looks brand new to me.... paint!

rekognize wrote: I just changed the shoes and drums with a brand new set.. I can't figure out where to adjust the cable tension..

http://www.mx-3.com/manuals/showimg.php ... /P-043.gif

The MX3 rear drum brakes are designed to be self adjusting. In theory, when you apply the brakes, whether with the foot pedal or the handbrake, and the shoes are moved out toward the drum, the "Operating Lever Assembly" (item #11 in the diagram) expands with the shoes and holds the shoes at a point where the just leave contact with the drum. So, in theory, once you use your new brakes a few times, the shoes should adjust themselves to a position where they are just off the drum and the hand lever should only have to be moved 3 or 4 clicks to hold the car.

However, no brake system is truly self adjusting so I find that you usually have to address this to a degree during installation. Try to install the shoes and lever asssembly so that the drum has just a slight amount of drag on the shoes. It should still be easy to move the drum by hand, but with slight contact on the shoes. That should give you a good firm handbrake.

rekognize wrote: I just changed the shoes and drums with a brand new set.. I can't figure out where to adjust the cable tension.. :oops:

On page 46 and 47 of the manual (where wytbishop posted)

the diagram shows the adjustment nut on the e brake lever assembly itself.
That might be what you're looking for, I am assuming you simply want to tighten the cable.