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Inspecting & Replacing Your Vehicle Brake Rotors

0 comments Saturday, August 22, 2009

How do you know you need new brake rotors when you are replacing your brake pads? Take a look at this video and it will help you understand.

Now - You konw you need to replace the rotors on your vehicle. Here are some basic steps to help.

Replacing brake rotors may sound like a mysterious and very difficult job, but within a short period of time, with the proper tools, you will be able to replace your rotors without much difficulty and save a ton of money. Read on to learn how to replace brake rotors.

Things You'll Need:

Wheel removal tools such as jack and lug wrench
Vehicle support while working such as jack stands and tire chocks
Various wrenches to remove the brake caliper bolts
Large C-clamp to depress the caliper
Brake Kleen spray
Turkey baster or siphon to remove fluid from master cylinder
Heavy rubber mallet (optional if rotor does not come off smoothly)
Rust buster spray if rotor is rusted to wheel axle plate

Step 1

Jack stands and wheel chocks for safety.

Jack up the car and remove the wheel. It is always a good idea to use wheel chocks to prevent the car from rolling and to never rely on just a standard jack while working. Always use proper jack stands.

Step 2

Common brake rotor

Inspect the rotor for wear to be sure it does need replacement and you are not having another issue. Track marks or thinning out of the rotor would represent replacement, but if it is very smooth and level to the exterior rim edges the rotor may be fine and possibly you just need to replace the brake pads or discs.

Step 3

Typical Master Cylinder.

Using a basic turkey baster or similar siphon you must draw brake fluid out of the master cylinder, which is where you put your brake fluid in found in the engine compartment. Remove about one third of the fluid and leave the cap off. You may re use the fluid again if you put it into a clean container. When you depress the brake caliper the fluid level will rise in the cylinder and this is why you need to reduce the level ahead of time.

Step 4

Large sized C-clamp to compress caliper

Use the large C-clamp to compress the brake caliper by placing one side of the clamp on the inner side and the other end of the clamp on the outer side of the caliper. Hand tighten the clamp until you cannot go any further which should be sufficient to depress the caliper and then remove the C-clamp. This is the time when the level in the master cylinder will rise, so it's a good idea to keep an eye on it in case it over flows, which won't harm anything, but will be a bit of a mess.

Step 5

Brake Caliper.

Remove the bolts that hold the caliper in place. Be careful not to twist or disturb the rubber brake line connected to the caliper which contains brake fluid. You don't want to create a leak in the fitting or line. Keep your hands on the caliper and don't let hang with all the weight on the rubber line. Also, within the caliper are the brake pads which should be carefully removed and put on the side if you plan to reuse them. It is always suggested to replace the pads whenever you replace the rotors so you will ensure even smooth braking. Take note of the position they are in within the caliper for easier installation later.

Step 6

Carefully hang the caliper up somewhere above with wire if you cannot set it out of the way in a stable position, again without disturbing or twisting the rubber brake fluid line. Do not rely on the lines to hold the caliper up on their own.

Step 7

With the caliper up and out of the way you should be able to pull the rotor straight back towards you. If it does not pull off smoothly you may have some rust along the edges and may have to twist hard and pull back simultaneously or tap the edges of the rotor from the rear with a mallet until it comes loose. Sometimes a rust buster type spray will also help if sprayed along the edges. The rotor is meant to come off, but at times it may take some effort.

Step 8

Slip the new rotor in place so that it is seated all the way back against the axle plate. Put the brake pads/discs back within the caliper in their proper position and slip the caliper back over the rotor in the same position from which it was before removal. Install and tighten the bolts that hold the caliper in place.

Step 9

Spray clean the new rotor to remove any oils.

Using Brake Kleen spray the new rotor surface to be sure that any oils are debris that may have been picked up on it are cleaned off. The fluid will dry on it's own quickly and should not be wiped off. It is important that the surface of the rotor is oil-free. Turn the rotor as you go along so you don't miss any areas.

Step 10

Replace the wheel and change the other rotor on the same axle. Always replace both rotors at the same time.

Step 11

Fill up the master cylinder with brake fluid after the new rotors are installed. You may use the fluid you originally siphoned out if it was kept clean and then close and secure the cap on the master cylinder. You are now ready for a test drive.

At Remart Auto Parts we are not mechanic's nor do we validate or warrant the information included in this blog. If in doubt about any information included in this blog, please consult a certified mechanic before attempting any vehicle repair. To view complete information about this disclaimer and the source and origin of content on the remartautoparts blog, click here.

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How to bleed your car brake hydraulic system

1 comments Sunday, August 16, 2009

Air in the brake system can make your brake pedal feel spongy and vague. It takes only an hour or two to bleed the system. The fluid should be flushed every two to three years.

Your elderly car has required little in the way of episodic repair, for which you're glad. But at your last scheduled maintenance, the service manager advised you that you would need to replace the brake pads, front and rear, before too long. But deferring that expense for a while wouldn't be a problem, he said.

And all was fine for a couple of months, until you noticed the brake pedal dipping a little too close to the carpet while sitting at traffic lights. Not a big problem. Replacing the pads yourself on a Saturday morning should do the trick.

Except that now, despite the new pads all around, the brake pedal still feels spongy and low. You need to bleed your brakes.

Air-Cooled

Here's what happened. The pads wore so thin that the brake fluid level dropped too low in the master cylinder reservoir. An air bubble or three got pumped into the lines. And because air is compressible, you now have the equivalent of a very soft spring in the solid column of brake fluid between your foot and the wheels. Bleeding the brakes will flush that air out.

The job also involves replacing the old fluid with fresh, which is a good thing. Why would the fluid need to be replaced? It becomes contaminated with atmospheric dirt and abrasive metal wear particles from moving parts in the master cylinder and calipers. It absorbs moisture from the air, which can lower the boiling point of the fluid enough to make it boil at the end of a long downhill grade. (And steam, like air, is compressible.) High temperatures from those high-energy-dissipation stops can degrade the alcohol-based fluid itself. Eventually, your water-clear brake fluid starts to look more like squid ink.

Antilock braking systems are even less tolerant of contaminated fluid and air than non-ABS. The ABS hydraulic pump operates at several thousand psi, forcing brake fluid through very small valves. This can whip air and brake fluid into something like the foam on a latte, which makes bleeding difficult. Those same valves and pump can easily be damaged by tiny abrasive particles.

The good news: Air that has entered the ABS controller can be bled out. Bad news: Some vehicles require the use of a hideously expensive proprietary ABS scan tool to cycle the pump and valves to purge the last of the air. But there's a simple solution to that: Never let any air enter the system. You can flush a system with fresh fluid by using nothing more than a wrench that fits the bleeder bolts — and a helper with a normal attention span.

Let It Bleed

To properly bleed the brakes, start with a couple of 8-ounce cans of fresh brake fluid. An unopened can has a long shelf life. An opened can should be discarded within a few weeks. Get the vehicle up in the air and remove all four wheels. Well, okay, you might be able to do this with the wheels on if you can swing a wrench on the bleeder valves.

Suck the old fluid and sediment out of the master cylinder reservoir with a turkey baster or syringe. Top off the reservoir with fresh fluid regularly as you bleed the system. Don’t let it get more than half empty.

So, your next task is to make sure the bleeder valves can be loosened. You'll need a box wrench that fits the bleeder bolt. A crescent wrench or Vise-Grip probably will just round off the bolt's flats. A little penetrating oil drizzled on the bolts the day before will help. So will some judicious tapping with a hammer to break up any corrosion. Loosen the bolts, but leave them closed.

If you can't turn the bleeders without breaking them off, you'll need to replace the brake calipers or wheel cylinders. See the above notation about penetrating oil and light hammer taps before applying enough torque to break these minuscule, hollow bolts.

Sneak into the kitchen and appropriate the small turkey baster. Remove the top to the master cylinder reservoir and suck out as much of the old squid ink as you can. Clean any sediment out of the reservoir with a clean, lint-free rag. Do not spill any brake fluid on any painted surfaces — it will remove the paint pretty much immediately.

Get a piece of clear plastic tubing (aquarium tubing is fine, and it's cheap). Push one end of the tube over the brake bleeder bolt at the right rear of the car. Put the other end of the tube into a small, clear bottle with an inch or two of clean brake fluid in it. (This will keep air from being sucked back into the brake cylinder or caliper.) Put a piece of 1 x 4 lumber or some other spacer under the pedal to prevent the pedal from traveling too far when line pressure is released.

Top off the master cylinder reservoir with fresh fluid and put the cover back on the reservoir. Fluid will squirt out of an open reservoir every time the pedal is released.

Cue the Helper

Your helper needs to be someone who can follow instructions exactly. He or she won't get dirty hands so you don't need to pull one of your pals away from the ballgame. A teenager in a white dress will do fine. Have your helper sit in the driver's seat and await your orders. Here's the drill: You say "down." He or she depresses the brake pedal with about the same amount of force needed to keep the car from rolling forward at a traffic light. Then your helper says "down" and keeps the pressure on. When you hear the call, warn your helper that the brake pedal is about to sink underfoot and to keep the pressure on constantly. Then crack the bleeder bolt a quarter-turn.

A bleeder bolt can become difficult to remove. Use a proper-fitting box wrench to keep from rounding it off. Got ABS? You may need to use a scan tool during the bleeding process to cycle the pump and valves.

Some of the old, contaminated fluid will trickle down the tubing into your bottle. When the trickle stops, close the bleeder. Then you say "up." Your helper says "up," and removes his or her foot from the pedal.

Repeat this process until fresh, clear fluid comes from the bleeder. Any out-of-sequence moves can suck air into the caliper. Yes, the end of the tubing is submerged in fluid, but air can travel past the threads on the bleeder bolt into the caliper if there's ever any negative pressure in the system while the bleeder is cracked.

Every half-dozen or so iterations, top off the reservoir with fresh fluid. Do not allow the reservoir to get more than half empty — air can be sucked into the master cylinder unless the fluid level remains well above the bottom of the reservoir that feeds the cylinder.

Once clean fluid is coming out of the brake, snug the bleeder bolt and move your operation to the left rear wheel and start all over again. Next repeat the process with the right front and finally with the left front. Follow that with a few strokes of fresh fluid from all four, again. Don't forget to keep the reservoir topped off.

Air Breather

For an older vehicle without an antilock braking system, this process will do a great job even if you have air in the system, say, after replacing a caliper or master cylinder. For advice on bleeding ABS, you'll need to consult your service manual. There may be a bleeder bolt right on the ABS controller, or you may need to beg, borrow or steal an ABS-capable scan tool.

Alternative

We love Scotty Kilmer at http://www.scottykilmer.com. This video demonstraights a great tool to get the job done without a helper.

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1992 Corvette Brake Hanging Problems

0 comments Monday, August 10, 2009

We have a customer that has a problem with the brakes hanging - almost like he has his foot on the brake when he is driving.

The Problem:

"I installed new rear brake pads on 1992 vette and then the brake light stayed on. I drove it and worked the brakes and the light went off. Now the brakes front and rear are dragging terribly. It is like I have my foot on the brake pedal all the time. Do I need to bleed the brakes if so what is the correct order? The brakes were dragging some before the new rear pads."

Suggestions so far:

"what is the correct order?" RR LR RF LF

My list of suspects would include:

Failed flex hose(s) acting like one way valve
Parking brake not fully disengaged
MC return spring binding on goo or particles in MC

Any thoughts or imput on this article?

Update 8-10-2009

Appears that a new master cylinder and fluid flush fixed this problem.

http://tinyurl.com/lc5srw

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Remart Auto Parts Increases Communication with Customers Using Social Networking Sites

0 comments Saturday, August 8, 2009

August 2009

Press Release

Remart Auto Parts Increases Communication with Customers Using Social Networking Sites

Remart Auto Parts, a division of RemartUSA,
LLC, has raised the bar on contributing to and creating a customer focused community using popular Internet social networking sites. This community includes sites like Blogger, Twitter, and Facebook. Remart has been involved in and has had a presence on social networking sites for some time. Recently Remart has put new emphasis on communicating and interacting with customers this way and has ‘stepped-up’ efforts to a new level.

“Our customers often tell us that they ‘heard’ or ‘learned’ about vehicle problems and repairs using the Internet” said Rick Wakefield, President of Remart Auto Parts. Wakefield continues, “In an effort to save money, Customers are diligently investigating how to repair their own vehicle and where to purchase needed parts on-line. We hear this from our customers more frequently now than ever before. Consumers are become more frugal in there shopping habits and willing to do more of the leg work to repair and maintain their own vehicle.”

James Mee, Customer Specialist at Remart Auto Parts said, “More than 75% of our customers are DIY mechanics. Over the years, Remart has collected many of the experiences shared with us. What better way to pass this experience along to the DIY community than through social media?”

You can find Remart Auto Parts on the social networking sites at:

• http://blog.remartautoparts.com
• http://twitter.remartautoparts.com
• http://facebook.remartautoparts.com

About Remart Auto Parts

Remart Auto Parts buys name brand auto parts through After-Market channels and sells them at significantly low prices over the Internet. The company specializes in do-it-yourself type parts for
those individuals who perform maintenance on their own vehicles. The company sells parts for such low prices since it buys inventory in bulk from such sources as warehouse and store closings, parts change-overs, overstocked inventories, and various other bulk discount sources. The Company carries the same brands by the same manufacturers as those sold at retail stores and sells them for up to 70% less. The parts have never been used and are shipped in the original manufacturer’s box or packaging.

Visit us on the web at

http://www.remartautoparts.com

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