Anyone else hate 'yer brakes?

[ChocolateThunder]

Just starting a general complain about brakes thread, I'll start it of with the facts:

Owned a 94 Limited since 97.

Front brakes: replaced every 3-6 months, depending on whether or not i decided to go cheap or not.

Back drums: Replaced once, this past december.

Coincidence? I think not.

 

[snoborder42]

Wow, I never have any issues with my brakes. My parents expo has had the brakes done 3 or 4 times since 1993. I have no idea why you are going through so much...

 

[Burns]

I no longer have the stock suspension so no longer have the stock brakes. I didnt have a prob with mine but my moms would go through brakes like you are describing.

 

[cgriffin_5139]

I got no problems with mine in the 559!

 

[DeRocha]

No problem with my brakes and I've owned by '93 since new. I tend to drive so I don't have to use them hard.

 

[pugsy]

Perhaps your calipers are ceasing up or the slide pins are not being greased properly so the pads are dragging on the rotors a bit.

 

[Willard]

mines always gone through brakes fast, too.

 

[Jason94sport]

Mines fine. Only complaint is how the pedal seems to feel soft & then gets hard then soft again. It's normal from what I've read. I don't cheap out on brakes either, HQ slotted rotors & ceramic pads.

The drums will always outlast the fronts. 3-4 times longer in most cases.

 

[Willard]

yea my drums haven't been touched in close to 100,000 miles crazy, but they still seem to work fine. i just dread the day when i have to redo them. there's gonna be lots of beatin to get those drums off

 

[JStrider]

I did my drums for the first time at about 150,000 they didnt look too bad either.

my rotors seem to get mildly warped really easily, I put new rotors on around spring break, and they're already warped a little. very frustrating. I dont abuse them, dont ride them downhill, always coast for quite a while when I'm stopping. dont know why they get warped so easily, I keep the slides cleaned out and well greased.

 

[Spdrcer34]

82k on my White 92 X......never touched the Rear Drums

But the Cross-Drilled & Slotted I put on have lasted 1.5 years, which is the LONGEST I've ever had a set on an Explorer

120k on my Green 93 X, Never touched the Rear Drums.

Front Brakes will last 9-15 months, and that makes NO DIFFERENCE if I buy the Cheap ones, or the more expensive stuff.

 

[93explorer4life]

replaced the brakes 2 times in hte year i have had my 92, dont know if the drums have been touched yet, so i dont know about em, but i have had brake failure on it once, in the winter, i went to stop, and the locked up, then i lost all brakes till it finally came back. and then it was fine, i think the brake pad may have broke or slipped out or something, cuase the piston was ground down really bad...

 

[DeRocha]

...my rotors seem to get mildly warped really easily, I put new rotors on around spring break, and they're already warped a little. very frustrating. I dont abuse them, dont ride them downhill, always coast for quite a while when I'm stopping. dont know why they get warped so easily, I keep the slides cleaned out and well greased.

A major factor in warping rotors is over torquing the lug nuts (especially when one is much tighter than the others).. After using the brakes for a while the rotor gets hot and is more likely to warp/pull in at the lug nut that is too tight. I always use a torque wrench when putting on my lug nuts.. I've never had a problem with warped rotors.

 

[Explodr94]

I have done the brakes on my Limited plenty of times. Getting pretty good at it. Some things I have learned. When replacing rotors get "Made in Canada" from NAPA. Don't get the cheap rotors. I was using ceramics and went through two sets of rotors (NAPA lifetime warranty). Therefore, skip the ceramics unless you are getting a performance rotor (slotted or drilled). I have found the brand "Wearever Gold" to be the longest lasting. You can get 'em from Checker/Schuks/Kragen or PartsAmerica. Last 20000+. Just my two cents.

 

[JStrider]

A major factor in warping rotors is over torquing the lug nuts (especially when one is much tighter than the others).. After using the brakes for a while the rotor gets hot and is more likely to warp/pull in at the lug nut that is too tight. I always use a torque wrench when putting on my lug nuts.. I've never had a problem with warped rotors.

I dont use my torque wrench putting on the lug nuts. but I feel like I tighten them all to a pretty similar pressure. I guess I'll use the torque wrench in the future and get them right at spec.

 

[Jason94sport]

I haven't yet had to replace brakes more then the 1 time. Had the X 3 years now & almost 30k miles.

 

[lycan91]

i hated mine till i bought new ones

 

[colindo94]

I went through brakes every 3-5 months for the last two years. It was the wheel barings I believe and then it stopped. Then I did the SAS and that will stop all brake issues I hope.

 

[CDW6212R]

FYI, the rear drums will wear slower be design, yes. That is all because they do very little of the work. If you can make the time to keep the rears adjusted well, they will do more of the work and the fronts will last a little longer.

The brakes as a whole are too small, they work but another inch or two of diameter would be nice to have. Who here installed custom brakes on their 91-94 truck?

 

[LXNavajo_94]

the biggest problem we have ever had with ours is the front rotors tend to warp really easy specially after the wife takes it some where to have tires put on lol