Parts for Front & Rear Brake job

[HaisseM]

So just got done talking to Firestone and they told me it would cost $700+ for brakes and rotors... seems I can't just "fix" them like normal. So I decided ok... Here goes...

So what parts do I need and what tools do I need? I don't have the money to buy the best of the best, just enough to get the job done.

I'm no mechanic but I've done an oil change on my bike and replaced parts on my bike so I don't mind getting a little dirty...

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Ford Explorer Sport Trac 2003

 

[HaisseM]

So far here is what i've come up with

Brake Pads
Rotors
C-Clamp
Brake Fluid

Come on folks, I can't start the job without knows the parts I'll need and your help will be greatly appreciated

 

[Hartman]

Grease, brake cleaner, Basic hand tools.

 

[bdmaash]

So far here is what i've come up with

Brake Pads
Rotors
C-Clamp
Brake Fluid

Come on folks, I can't start the job without knows the parts I'll need and your help will be greatly appreciated

The 700 probably includes new rotors, pads, calipers, fluid.
It's better to change everything, than have some faulty component left in the system.

flush the brake system, push at least 1 quart/litre of fluid through the system.

- rebuild kit for the calipers or new calipers, unless they work well (don't drag/bind)
- new bleed screws just in case the old ones break

the basic tools + jackstands

tools to remove the calipers

some clear hose, and bottle to bleed brakes

torque wrench

service manual to make you do things right

and stuff mentioned before

are you just looking at front brakes for now, or you doing the shoes and drums in the rear also?

 

[ncranchero]

Come on folks, I can't start the job without knows the parts I'll need and your help will be greatly appreciated

Please do not take this wrong but if you need a brake job and don't know what parts or tools you need then you might should leave it to a professional or AT LEAST enlist the help of someone competent in brake repair. It's not rocket science but the rear discs can be a PITA. Your initiative to want to do the repairs yourself is commendable and we love to help out BUT brakes are the most important system on your vehicle. A malfunction can total your vehicle, kill you and/or others and generally just be catastrophic.

Price your parts from somewhere like O-Reilly's..


Premium Pads should be around $100 for both sets.
Front rotors 4x2 could be as much as $100 each
Front rotors 4x4 could be as much as $75 each
Rear rotors 4x2 or 4x4 could be as much as $75 each
Hardware kits for each end could be as much as $25 each.
Calipers, maybe $60 each but unless they're sticking why change them? I've replaced maybe one caliper on my own vehicle IN MY LIFE.

So you're at $450 +/- just for the big stuff. You still have front seals (if 4x2), grease, brake fluid, etc.


Next thing is ..... WHY?

Why a brake job on the front AND rear? Just seem like the thing to do? Firestone diagnosis/recommendation? Hear stuff grinding? Have you pulled the wheels and examined the thickness left on the pads?

The fronts do the biggest part of stopping. You could conceivably go through a couple sets of front pads without wearing out the rears. I'm 56 years old, been mechanic-ing my own vehicles since I was 14, was in fleet maintenance for 30 years, have one of those pretty little blue & white ASE cards, had more cars/trucks than I can even remember and I have NEVER replaced front and rear brakes at the same time.

You can whizzzz away all the money you want to, or allow a repair shop to. A shop is going to shoot the works for profit and to CYA.

Just saying ............

 

[Fredness]

Good call.

 

[bdmaash]

if it has rear discs, and the parking brake is integrated into the caliper, you will also need a special tool to "turn" the piston back into the caliper, pushing it in with a c-clamp will ruin the caliper.

 

[HaisseM]

The 700 probably includes new rotors, pads, calipers, fluid.
It's better to change everything, than have some faulty component left in the system.

it doesn't include calipers, just brakes and rotors, calipers increase it another $700

flush the brake system, push at least 1 quart/litre of fluid through the system.

- rebuild kit for the calipers or new calipers, unless they work well (don't drag/bind)
- new bleed screws just in case the old ones break

the basic tools + jackstands

tools to remove the calipers

some clear hose, and bottle to bleed brakes

torque wrench

service manual to make you do things right

and stuff mentioned before

are you just looking at front brakes for now, or you doing the shoes and drums in the rear also?

Front and Rear, why would I need to flush the brake system?

Please do not take this wrong but if you need a brake job and don't know what parts or tools you need then you might should leave it to a professional or AT LEAST enlist the help of someone competent in brake repair. It's not rocket science but the rear discs can be a PITA. Your initiative to want to do the repairs yourself is commendable and we love to help out BUT brakes are the most important system on your vehicle. A malfunction can total your vehicle, kill you and/or others and generally just be catastrophic.

Point taken.. I'm trying to enlist the help of anyone I can Anyone in Seattle that is... damn I wished I still lived in Denver I'd soo hit you up

Price your parts from somewhere like O-Reilly's..


Premium Pads should be around $100 for both sets.
Front rotors 4x2 could be as much as $100 each
Front rotors 4x4 could be as much as $75 each
Rear rotors 4x2 or 4x4 could be as much as $75 each
Hardware kits for each end could be as much as $25 each.
Calipers, maybe $60 each but unless they're sticking why change them? I've replaced maybe one caliper on my own vehicle IN MY LIFE.

So you're at $450 +/- just for the big stuff. You still have front seals (if 4x2), grease, brake fluid, etc.

Why premium pads? I know I know, brakes are the most important part but is the difference like premium gas and regular?

Here is what I bought from O'reilys (I still have the receipts if need be)

Front Pads 21.99
Rear Pads 49.99 (I think)

Front Rotors 44.99
Rear Rotors 34.99

Next thing is ..... WHY?

Why a brake job on the front AND rear? Just seem like the thing to do? Firestone diagnosis/recommendation? Hear stuff grinding? Have you pulled the wheels and examined the thickness left on the pads?

The fronts do the biggest part of stopping. You could conceivably go through a couple sets of front pads without wearing out the rears. I'm 56 years old, been mechanic-ing my own vehicles since I was 14, was in fleet maintenance for 30 years, have one of those pretty little blue & white ASE cards, had more cars/trucks than I can even remember and I have NEVER replaced front and rear brakes at the same time.

Firestone said I need to replace both front and back.. and the rotors can't be fixed either.

You can whizzzz away all the money you want to, or allow a repair shop to. A shop is going to shoot the works for profit and to CYA.

Just saying ............

if it has rear discs, and the parking brake is integrated into the caliper, you will also need a special tool to "turn" the piston back into the caliper, pushing it in with a c-clamp will ruin the caliper.

When I talked to the guy at Firestone he didn't say anything about the parking brake and he's the one who told me I could do it myself (seemed like he was actually being nice and not saying GFY



Thanks to everyone who's responded, the whole point of me being here is to understand just how complicated this job can be. Sadly not working doesn't allow me the luxury of saying $700, ok go ahead and fix it.

 

[ncranchero]

Calipers another $700 ? Are they GOLD? Rebuilt calipers should be like $40-$50 each max.

I only spoke of premium parts to indicate maximum costs. You're good with what you bought. Pull your wheels and look at the pads friction material thickness yourself. You will need the tool to crank you rear calipers back.

Watch the A1Auto videos on Youtube.
Brake job

I live in Denver ........ of the East .........North Carolina.

 

[bdmaash]

brake fluid is good for a few years only, good brake fluid is clear.
as it ages it collects water and rusts the brake system components from the inside out, also it heats up during hard braking. If the fluid is clear in the system (clear like water), save yourself $10 or whatever it is.
(go check out new cars/trucks on a lot, just in case you think i'm misleading you)


cheaping out on brake parts is not good.... next post:"I saved a few hudred dollars on cheap brake parts, then crashed because the braking system failed".
Those prices are low, and could be bottom of the barrel low quality parts.
Buy quality name brand for critical components especially when it comes to brakes.

 

[HaisseM]

Calipers another $700 ? Are they GOLD? Rebuilt calipers should be like $40-$50 each max. I'm guessing that includes installation

Gold.. I don't think so

I only spoke of premium parts to indicate maximum costs. You're good with what you bought. Pull your wheels and look at the pads friction material thickness yourself. You will need the tool to crank you rear calipers back.

Watch the A1Auto videos on Youtube.
Brake job

Wow that was an awesome video, made me feel better about doing my front brakes.. now I need to find one showing rear brakes.

I live in Denver ........ of the East .........North Carolina.

lol, guess I was only looking for the Denver part.. oh well

brake fluid is good for a few years only, good brake fluid is clear.
as it ages it collects water and rusts the brake system components from the inside out, also it heats up during hard braking. If the fluid is clear in the system (clear like water), save yourself $10 or whatever it is.
(go check out new cars/trucks on a lot, just in case you think i'm misleading you)

my brake fluid is low according to them due to my pads being so low and they don't recommend topping up until after.. As far as the flush, they didn't say I needed to flush the system, somebody here did

cheaping out on brake parts is not good.... next post:"I saved a few hudred dollars on cheap brake parts, then crashed because the braking system failed".
Those prices are low, and could be bottom of the barrel low quality parts.
Buy quality name brand for critical components especially when it comes to brakes.

I'm guessing that an extreme example but I get what you're saying..

 

[ncranchero]

A1Auto should have a rear disc brake vid also.

Oh, drop on by and I'll give ya a hand!

 

[bdmaash]

looks like you've got stuff covered.
The shop is right in saying not to top the fluid up, when you push the pistons back into the calipers for the new pads, all the fluid will be pushed back up into the master cylinder.

(I flush the brake fluid on my motorbikes around every 2 years, not as often on car/truck.., it's a little different maybe when you can see the master cylinder with yellowing brake fluid everyday compared to clear fluid)

 

[HaisseM]

Last question, because I'm working on it this weekend

What size tool do I need for the caliper removal?

10mm 13mm 15mm <-- All 3 are needed for the rear and front

 

[HaisseM]

So I've gotten the front calibers off and working on the bolt that holds the rotors in place but it's a tough one... is there anything I should know? Can I use w-40?

 

[Hartman]

You should know that they are extremely tight and may require a breaker bar.

 

[HaisseM]

You should know that they are extremely tight and may require a breaker bar.

Yep, ended up running to Home Depot and getting the breaker bar, then got everything off and even decompressed the caliber to only find out the idiot at O'Reilys sold me the wrong Rotor...

So I just got the truck put back together and moved it to the alleyway and tomorrow morning need to go back and return the routers and brake pads and find someone not so stupid to sell me what I need

 

[HaisseM]

p.s. took me 6 hours to finally get this thing figured out, but when I do it tomorrow it's take me an hour to do both sides.. Just doing the front... back seems kinda hard

 

[HaisseM]

because I know all of you want an update... Got the fronts done... working on the back now, but can't get the back rotor off... and since I only have one wheel off the ground I can't do the forward - reverse trick in the 1auto video... I've gotten the emergency brake pushed towards the rear, but not sure if it's enough

Turns out it wasn't the emergency back holding it tight, I have aftermarket rims that have a little sleeve that was holding it tight.. took a hammer to the old rotors and hit it like a man...

 

[HaisseM]

Last update... Everything is done... Back was easier than the front...

Thanks for all your help