Brake pad swap
 

Im getting ready to swap the brake pads on my 86. My braking is horrible, as i use downshifting ALOT to help slow down. The car has 80k miles on it, and im sure the brakes have never been done before.

Im going with o'reilly thermoquiets, because im a poor college student, and ive actually heard good things about them. Maybe they will atleast last me through collegewhen i can afford the good pads.

So my question iswhat othermaterials will i need, besides brake fluid. willi need anyglue, etc? the manual makes it sound really easy, almost like the just snap in.any advice would be great. Also, i took a glance at the rotors, they seem tohave someshallow grooves running around them (i dont think the pads have been grinding yet) should i get them turned or will i be fine using them as is?

RE: Brake pad swap
 

You should have the rotors turned, and lube the slides on your calipers with anti-sieze. We use permatex brand.

RE: Brake pad swap
 

Definately, get those rotors turned, my friend... my mechanic once told me if you don't, you'll wear out your new pads prematurely. Good luck!

RE: Brake pad swap
 

;)Poor too. Are you saying your actual brake pads are going to last you thru atleast 2 years of college??? Go get 25.00 dollar ones from autozone. Napas rotors are 15 dollars for the good set a piece and 10 for the lower class set a piece....Not that expensive. Actually its really easy. Everytime I get brake parts they always make me buy that anti-seize **** and it dont do nothing. Waste of money and time IMO....Dont waste the $$ on it. Its only like a dollar a pack but still that dollar may come in handy one day....

RE: Brake pad swap
 

I know I'm new on here but here's a little story for you; I bought a set of ZR1 copycat rims for my '87 after the big rebuild.Stuck some yokohamas on there and suffered a year of front end imbalance and shimmy that proved impossible to get rid of and I tell you the Japs and the Chinese were not on my xmas list.Anyway the car was running so well ,although I had renewed the whole brake system, I couldn't stop it so I upgraded to$$$.Lo and behold,no shimmy. Just for fun I took the now slightly usedrotors that I had bought from napa and just replaced and put them on the balancer-unbelievable how badly they were cast-and proudly stamped ' made in canada'.
I can't remember how many of those things I've replaced but from now on I will spin them up before they go on a car.

RE: Brake pad swap
 

Raisinbran,forgot to mention if your brakes are really bad as mine were with the age consideration there's a chance your hoses are deteriorating.My rears were so bad I virtually only had front wheel brakes!

RE: Brake pad swap
 

lol i have virtually no brakes. if i had to stop fast in an emergency situation id be screwed. i leave lots of room between the car infront of me.

RE: Brake pad swap
 

Wagner makes good brake pads and if were me, use ceramic pads, as they don't create near the brake dust as conventional pads do. Make sure and have your rotors mic'd before turning to see if there is enough meat on them. Not within spec will cause them to warp prematurely under the stress. [8D]

RE: Brake pad swap
 

Saw your a poor college student eh? I am soon to be one....If need some spare parts send me a pm and I might be able to help you out or point you in the right direction....

RE: Brake pad swap
 

Oh yea. The ceramic pads wear out your rotors faster though. Brake dust is there but very fine its hard to see. They are expensive though.

RE: Brake pad swap
 

Thanks for all the good info [sm=smiley20.gif]

RE: Brake pad swap
 

Definately go with new rotors, I think the carquest rotors are like 35 each, your old rotors are most likely out of spec, and if you take them to get cut they will tell you they are NG.
If you are doing it yourself, after you get the brakes done, consider changing thebrake fluid.
If your brakes are hard to push you may also have a bad power brake booster, but do one thing at a time. use a big C clamp to compress the calipers, checkthe surface of the old rotors to makesure you do not have a frozen caliper. when you get the new pads and rotors on, spin thehub and have someone hit the brakes and you should feel them grab, if notcheck the caliper.
Tom

RE: Brake pad swap
 

I run a shop and buy alot through oreilleys, and to be honest, brake best pads are just as good and made by wagner and will be a lttle cheaper. make sure you measure the thickness of the rotors, and turn or replace if needed. if you do a "pad slap" your braking won't be any better and you will end up having to do it over again my 2 cents
richard\94 c4

RE: Brake pad swap
 

There are times and places to try to cut corners on your car. The brakes are NOT one of them. You don't have to spend big bucks, but I assure you that installing quality parts now will pay off in the long haul. They will provide quieter, less dusty braking.Ceramic pads might be a little pricey if you are on a budget, but most manufacturers (like Wagner or Bendix) offer a few lines of semi-metallic pad.Actually, when Iworked at Advance Auto Parts, we offered a free one-time replacement on the Bendix pads that made them end up cheaper than the crappy Wearever pads. Definitely have your rotors turned if possible, you will be glad you did. Lastly, be sure to clean any rust/corrosion from areas that slide or pivot, and apply brake caliper lubricant.

RE: Brake pad swap
 

Autozone has a lifetime warranty on the duraslast brake pads....[8D]