I got the news today that its time for new front brake pads and rotors....so my questions for you all....

Anything I need to be aware of? I have done the brakes on my old Ranger but its been awhile...

As far as pads and rotors go...are there any particular brands I should look at? I figure I might as well upgrade to some better brakes if I need new ones anyways...

Right now my brakes squeak and have for awhile. At my last tire rotations Les Schwab turned the rotors and "de-squeaked" them...which only last a month or so. Anybody know what causes this? Is it typical of Dodges?

 

I just put ac delco on my 03. They were $60 a pair or $120 total for front and back. Stop great, and no noise. They were recommended to me by a local mechanic.

 

I just had my brakes checked on my 06 today because they have been sqeeking pretty bad. They told me I have a little over half the pad left and my rotors were good. My truck only has 30k on it so i'm guessing I just have some squeeky pads.

 

it's a piece of cake... floating rotors, pads pop right out.

 

Here is how Demon answered that question a while ago ...


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Bendix severe duty slotted rotors, and a set of Duralast Gold carbon/metallic pads. A good pad and rotor combo that work VERY well together. I personally avoid cross drilled unless it is the setup where the rotor has 5 or 6 slots, and only 3 holes between each slot. That is a nice setup, IF, it's ordered in the severe/heavy duty version. The rotors with the "swiss cheese" look can tolerate heat, but now you have about 10,000 times the surface area for corrosion to set in. And in heavy brake applications, they have been know to warp as bad as unslotted/cross rotors. And one good salty winter speeds up the corrosion process.........lol. Just be more educated when you go to the parts store. Most if the time they assume slotted/crossed ARE heavy duty. Not necessarily.

The trick to Dodge Ram brakes is keeping the bushings and slider pins greased well. I do my truck three times a year.

Just my opinion.


Good luck.
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Les Schwab wants almost $600 just for frontsand I figured I could get a better setup then direct stock replacements and just do it myself.

 

you can do the fronts for $65 bux for Mopar pads & unless your rotors are warped... take a sanding block to them and take the glaze off of them (or turn them). I did the sanding block back when I did mine and they still work awesome... no warpage, pads grab really well (still alot of brake dust though).

 

How in the heck do you need rotors already? There is no way they need to be replaced already. Did a brake shop tell you they neaded to be replaced? My 04 3500 got its first pads at 70k and all I did is scuff the rotors with sand paper and it stopped as good as it did brand new. Now if it has been abused i would see rotors and pads, but under normal circumstances all you would need is the pads replaced. Do not get scammed into replacing the rotors unless you know for yourself they are shot. We put a few hundred thousand on our trucks before we even consider doing the whole deal. As long as you catch the pads in time rotors are never even touched. Get another opinion and good luck.

 

As a tech, brakes (especially on Lexus cars) are subject to extreme scrutiny for noises. Most of the time our squeaks are coming from glazed pads and rotors. Most rotors should be turnable at least 1 or 2 times, depending on how badly they are warped and the quality of the rotor. Depending on the compund, brake dust can contain different metal particles which can be the cause of SOME squeaking. Much of the time, the combination of dust and rotor/pad surface condition is the cause of squeaks.

As a rule of thumb when i do a brake job, I clean all the shims by hand as well as the clips in the bracket. I coat the pad and the shims with 3M antiseize. Also recommend the contact points for the pads in the bracket.

Turning the rotors Ill try to take off as little as I can; just enough to give me a true cut with a clean finish. There IS a minimum thickness for the rotors! After the finishing cut, I take my die grinder and a 3M Roloc (brown) disc to the rotors surface. With light pressure Ill start at the top hat and work my way to the edge. this will give the rotor a very nice non directional finish. In english that means squeak free.

Properly lubricated shims, bushings (if applicatble) and slide pins (or retainer clips and pins for fixed calipers) will go a very long way to staying squeak free. Just as important though is the finish on the rotors. if you got a squeak and your rotors are mirror like and rippled chances are that is a major factor in the noise.

 

Damn Lex ... it sure is going to be nice having you around !! Thanks for your input !!