I waited too long to do the brakes!

[bmacd]

I've known for a bit of time that my (front specifically) brakes needed servicing, so i bought all the parts and planned on replacing the pads and rotors all the way around last weekend. My buddy was going to help me, and since he has a heated garage, it was going to make it that much easier in this cold ass Michigan weather.

He ended up cancelling on me, so we rescheduled for this weekend. Long story short, i was on my way to work and driving in reverse down my driveway. For a split second, my brakes "went out" and I had no stopping power. I let off the pedal, and reapplied pressure only for the braking power to be restored. Driving about two miles from my house, it sounded like a part was stuck under my car and I kept driving over it.

I decided to pull over to examine what had happened, and i noticed what i thought was a piece of my brakes stuck inside the rim. I started the car up and tried to go a foot in Drive, only to realize my front end was frozen.

I took the wheel off and noticed that the brake pad was so worn down that it had slipped out from the caliper and fallen onto the rim. Considering I wasn't going anywhere for a bit of time and luckily being across the street from a Home Depot, I picked up some tools and popped my caliper off. My pistons were so beyond rusted it was unbelievable.

My parents came by and we considered "dollying" it home with their suburban and a dolly trailer, but after I popped both pads out of the caliper, I knew there wasn't much more damage I could do. My rotor was already chipped, pistons were shot in the caliper, and I had bad pads. So...I threw my hazard lights on and drove home on 3 brakes.

I have my weekend project cut out for me! The worst part is that I had all the parts (minus the cals) in the trunk of my explorer waiting to be swapped out. I picked up the calipers today, so this weekend, I should have fairly new brakes all the way around.

-=bmacd=-

 

[TJM623]

were there are noises before the cutting out of your brakes that would have let you known this was happening? I need to get my brakes done similar to yours parts wise...but simply don't have the money. I kno my sister had cermaic brakes and when they start to wear they make a god awful squeal so you kno there pretty much done. anything like this on explorers?

 

[410Fortune]

Hey I hope you p[lan to replace both front calipers now that you drove on it and got the pads down that low you will need new caliper = bleeding.

Good luck!
Ceramic brakes are for imports, I tried them on my truck and they chewed upt he rotors in nothing flat. However they did stop like a Mo fo.....but the semi metallics work better.

 

[TSTONE]

I like the Wagner "Thermal Quiet" pads

 

[techieman33]

I'm getting mine just in time, going to put them on tomorrow, we had the wheels off today, and the front drivers side rotor has 4 or 5 hairline cracks in it, so now it looks like I get to replace that too.

 

[Glacier991]

If you haven't done 1st gen Brakes and rotors before, there is a thread in the Useful threads forum with pics that might be of assistance for you.

 

[CDW6212R]

As soon as you can, add brake fluid to the master cylinder, and bleed the brakes. Don't let air get anywhere in th lines between the master cylinder, and through the ABS unit. That air can't be removed without a special tool. Good luck,
Don

 

[bmacd]

finished the front brakes this weekend...me and my dad replaced the calipers, rotors, pads, bearings, and I'll be looking at shocks today too.

My rotors had a few chips in it, causing it to cut the brake pad retaining clips off like a cuisinart dicer. DON'T WAIT TO DO YOUR BRAKES!!!!

-=bmacd=-

 

[Tony H]

TJM623, many brakes come with a little metal clip on them that hits the Disc whne the pads get low. it will squeal a bit or give some sort of grinding noise so you know to get to your brakes.

Personally, I wash my cars so often I just peak around the Rims and eyeball the Pad thickness.

It's a lot cheaper to throw new pads on because you caught it early then have to spring for the whole sha-bang because you cut into the Discs.

 

[410Fortune]

There is n old saying,

Pay a little now
or
Pay A LOT later

 

[TJM623]

well i got get new rotors neway, when i took it in for the mechanic to check it out before i bought it he said i'd need new rotors n pads, still bought the car neways as that was the only thing wrong...98 with 55k when i bought it for $7000 and only the brakes were bad...i couldn't go wrong, and still haven't yet!

*Just hit 60k yesterday*