Them's The Brakes

[profdlp]

Last fall I noticed a mild shuddering in the front end when braking from a high speed. (No "emergencies", just stuff like slowing down from highway speed for a short exit ramp.) I had never had the Jeep aligned since I got it so I bought a five-year plan, had it done, then things seemed a lot better.

In the last month I started feeling a pulsing in the brake pedal pretty much any time I press it. Running my hand over the brake surface it feels kind of...rough. (On all four of them.)

1) Everyone tells me brakes are easy. I've never done them personally. Any advice? (Including "don't do it", if you think a beginner needs to watch someone do it first.)

2) If I take it to a shop and it's the worst-case scenario, how much money am I looking at?

I just rented an apartment, paid for a move, and had to shell out for deposits, etc. This is a crummy time for me to be spending a lot of money. On the other hand, I want the sucker to stop when it needs to...

I am at 74,000 miles and have no idea what might have been done before I bought it at 42,000 miles. I'm figuring I'm due.

Thanks!

 

[uss2defiant]

do you have ABS though?

 

[tommudd]

Before you start start looking up prices on all 4 rotors, all new pads and hardware. Then you'll have an idea of what parts will cost
Shops charge quite a bit or if they run specials many times its at the expense on the quality of parts. Brakes is not something you want to scrimp on.
I just did all four on the 05 and took about an hour and that was teaching my son on the proper techniques and having him do a lot of the work. ( He's much slower than me ! )

But with the other things you have done you can do this as well :icon_lol:

 

[profdlp]

do you have ABS though?

Yes.

Before you start start looking up prices on all 4 rotors, all new pads and hardware. Then you'll have an idea of what parts will cost
Shops charge quite a bit or if they run specials many times its at the expense on the quality of parts. Brakes is not something you want to scrimp on.
I just did all four on the 05 and took about an hour and that was teaching my son on the proper techniques and having him do a lot of the work. ( He's much slower than me ! )

But with the other things you have done you can do this as well :icon_lol:

I'll look into prices. Truth be told, I'm torn between letting a pro do it and hopefully finding out they don't ALL need to be done, or doing all four and getting it over with. I'm not sure I could even tell which one(s) are bad or maybe OK.

 

[uss2defiant]

I noticed something like that at high speed on occasion recently and suspect is the ABS working.

Most shop will have free brake inspection.

 

[tommudd]

Thats true find a place that does free inspections, have them see whats wrong, get a price and go from there.
While you are at it you want to drain and fill with new brake fluid.
Not knowing what kind of usage it had before you got it they maybe OK , my 04s last over 100,000 miles with still some pad left.
IF ONLY you were in Ohio ..........:shrug::icon_lol:

 

[profdlp]

...IF ONLY you were in Ohio ..........:shrug::icon_lol:

If all goes well I will be back in three weeks. My company is planning to allow me to work from home to support a major new client. They are supposed to begin testing the first week of April.

 

[RenKJ]

Pro i highly recommend doing them, will take you twice as long as normal the first time but once you've got the process down they're a breeze from there on out

 

[CzarKJ]

DO IT! It is a great way to learn more about your Jeep! We will all be here to support you but I doubt you will need it. Also penetrating oil is your friend and don't forget a hammer (like 3 pounder).

 

[tommudd]

DO IT! It is a great way to learn more about your Jeep! We will all be here to support you but I doubt you will need it. Also penetrating oil is your friend and don't forget a hammer (like 3 pounder).

3 pound hammer to do brakes, WOW :shrug::icon_lol:

 

[CzarKJ]

3 pound hammer to do brakes, WOW :shrug::icon_lol:

Every vehicle I get around here the rotors are rusted on solid. So when replacing them I just hammer them off. I typically don't do the bolt trick haha.

 

[uss2defiant]

with ABS, the only issue that I can see would be getting air into the MC. You'll need the 2 way OBD to get the abs activated to purge the air out.

I made a DIY pressure bleeder to continually push brake fluid out when I switched the brake lines from one caliper to the new one to avoid getting air back up in the system.

 

[boboborino]

I agree with almost all, but the best comment so far was from DR. T to the D. With the things you have done you will be fine. I wouldn't bother with the fluid change this time around though. Get pads and rotors changed first and worry about the fluid on a quiet warm day when you have a little bit of time on hand. And last thought is to start this on a friday, and not finish it until the following day.Jacking it up and getting the old parts off to me is 3/4 of the battle, and this way if something doesn't go your way you still have a whole day(or two) to get what you need to get it done and not be under pressure to be done.
May the force be with you!

Bert

 

[uss2defiant]

unless if the caliper piston is stuck.

 

[JavelinAMX]

I've done crap loads brake jobs on ABS equipped cars and trucks and never ever had a problem with air getting back into the master cylinder from pushing the pistons back into the calipers. The only time I ever had to worry about air is when replacing front brake lines on my Pontiac from the master to abs pump to the front brake hoses, even then I think I cheated and took the car for a ride in a dirt parking lot and did a few hard stops to get air out of the pump, or maybe then I'm just lucky.

My vote is to do it, you have this awesome forum and YouTube of course to help you.

 

[JasonJ]

3 pound hammer to do brakes, WOW :shrug::icon_lol:

It's handy for knock stuck rotors off of the hubs. Until I bought my 8lb hammer, the 3lb was my favorite tool.

Do them yourself. Just start with the fronts... take it easy and do it in stages, especially if money is an issue. Buy some rotors, get a pad set, some brake parts cleaner and go to town on it. It's not challenging once you get in there.

Worst case, you'll take it apart, look at it, and say to yourself, "Self, aw hell no!" and put it back together and take it and your parts into a shop. Or find a friend, or friend of a co-worker or something to help or do it for you.

 

[tommudd]

It's handy for knock stuck rotors off of the hubs. Until I bought my 8lb hammer, the 3lb was my favorite tool.

Do them yourself. Just start with the fronts... take it easy and do it in stages, especially if money is an issue. Buy some rotors, get a pad set, some brake parts cleaner and go to town on it. It's not challenging once you get in there.

Worst case, you'll take it apart, look at it, and say to yourself, "Self, aw hell no!" and put it back together and take it and your parts into a shop. Or find a friend, or friend of a co-worker or something to help or do it for you.

My main job for 7.5 years was brakes and suspension upgrades/ alignments etc , all day 5 days a week, never had to use anything bigger than a 2 pound hammer . Its all in knowing how to swing. Just like knocking the UBJ loose when doing a lift, had some guys that I was showing how to do a lift hit it ten times, I hit once and off !:icon_lol:

 

[tommudd]

Every vehicle I get around here the rotors are rusted on solid. So when replacing them I just hammer them off. I typically don't do the bolt trick haha.

If they are that bad then lots more is going to need replaced anyways
I never gave a full estimate until wheels were off and could see what was behind them, if too bad and customer wanted to band aid it I stopped and put it together and sent them to a hack

 

[tjkj2002]

Damn you all still swing hammers? I'm getting to old for that crap and use a air hammer with a 1" blunt tip.

 

[profdlp]

I have a 4lb hammer.

What do I need besides pads and rotors? Seeing as how the parking brake seems to be a chronic troublemaker (and mine has never been very good to begin with), I'd like to do that too. Be complete, because I'd hate to overlook something and have to put the old stuff back on because I didn't have a left-hand threaded wasnerbuckle screw.

I just got an $800 bonus at work today. That was excellent timing and I am very happy. Trouble with me is that every time I am that close to having enough for a lift, something else pops up. I could go on and on... :emotions34: