Originally Posted by iwrock (Post 3098851)

Part 1?


My step 1... Drop it off at the shop. My step 2, return when complete pay bill. My step 3, drive home.

Originally Posted by Air&Road (Post 3098967)

Drum brake work is not as quick and simple as discs but as long as you have a pair of brake spring pliers and the retainer spring tool it's not bad. In the old days the problem was the mess. Since the widespread availability of brake cleaner this is much easier and safer. Pull the drum and just spray it all down top to bottom and let all that crap fall down onto a few layers of newspaper and you're ready to go to work without fear of mesothelioma and a much cleaner job.

Originally Posted by jplinville (Post 3098890)

I don't like doing brakes. If I mess it up and wreck because the brakes didn't work, I'd only have myself to blame. Paying someone else gives me the protection that they'll do it right, or I'll have them in court and cause them as much damage as they caused me.

Originally Posted by TheDon (Post 3098939)

why bother doing the drums, they are probably fine

Originally Posted by spdrun (Post 3098971)

Of course, brake cleaner -- nasty chlorinated junk -- is probably carcinogenic in itself :) Can't win if you try.

This being said, drum brakes were good in 1950 before power brake servos were widespread. They're a useless bad design now, and I hope I never own a vehicle with rear drums.

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy (Post 3098976)

I do brakes myself because most mechanics are idiots, and don't take their time to do a job correctly. I do, I double check every fastener, etc.

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy (Post 3098841)

Well the Chevy's brakes were making all kinds of neat noises so I figured it was time for brakes, all around. Did the fronts today, and I love working on relatively young vehicles! Suspension parts come apart! Not like on a 20 year old car where its all torching and cutting!


So since the calipers bleeders were messed up and the brake lines due to GM's piss poor design were slowly cutting themselves, I figured I'd do everything. Disc, rotors, pads, hoses. Drivers side is done...pass side was going good until I put the rotor on and spun it...hmm that doesn't sound healthy. Turns out the wheel bearing was just starting to go bad. Wouldn't have heard it going down the road for awhile. So now that's off and I'm waiting for Carquest to get me the part. Which I hope they can get because I don't want to put it all back together and than have to do a wheel bearing in a month or two when it starts screaming.

I love working on GM's so simple, and parts are so cheap. A new hub assembly is like $100. Since modern vehicles have sealed wheel bearings now... On my dads F150 its over twice that, Ford rapes you.

Later this week I'm doing the rear brakes, which are drums, and suck.

Originally Posted by Air&Road (Post 3099021)

I'm not a fan either, but most modern vehicles with rear drums aren't that bad because the vast majority of the braking is accomplished by the front brakes anyway. Except for a couple of antique cars around my place, everything around here has 4 wheel discs.

Originally Posted by spdrun (Post 3099033)

Drums are heavier, a pain to remove if grooved, and generally more complex. All that for worse braking. What's the point, now that handbrake mechanisms integrated into rear calipers have been perfected?

Originally Posted by Air&Road (Post 3099021)

I'm not a fan either, but most modern vehicles with rear drums aren't that bad because the vast majority of the braking is accomplished by the front brakes anyway. Except for a couple of antique cars around my place, everything around here has 4 wheel discs.

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy (Post 3099047)

Yeah I check everything, this bearing was just starting to go bad. The only way I noticed it was spinning the disc with the caliper off.

I like catching problems before they are problems, more so when everything is already apart. Luckily Carquest had one in stock.

Originally Posted by spdrun (Post 3099033)

Drums are heavier, a pain to remove if grooved, and generally more complex. All that for worse braking. What's the point, now that handbrake mechanisms integrated into rear calipers have been perfected?