Rear Brakes

[qship96]

Just a helpful hint to my fellow Q drivers......I ordered rear brake pads and shim kit from IOS a few days ago and wanted to get the caliper pinboots/bushings as they are rubber and based off my last front brake job, probobly in bad conditon....Nissan does not sell these critical items without purchasing the entire caliper rebuild kit, which I dont need {$50+}

Found online pinboots/bushings kit for our 90-96Q rear calipers made by Carlson..part number 16099 for $9 from bestvalueautoparts.com {they have the front caliper boots/bushings also}

Finally, after checking around, most places want $90-100 to flush the brake fluid, Sears only wants $35......worth the gamble? could they really screw up such a simple job more than anyone else while I watch????

Should I get the brakes flushed before or after I replace the rear pads{I am doing pads myself}

[bullittandy]

Definitely go with Sears, thats a big price savings and I would flush them after I changed the pads.

[maxnix]

Usually one replaces the piston seals every so often and that is when the fluid is replaced with new caliper piston seals and pads and shim kit if required.

How does Sears perform the flush is the question? Supply your own DOT4 fluid.

[3Q Jay]

if you flush before, then hopefully when pushing the pistons back into the calipers you won't push dirty fluid back thru the system. also will flush a larger volume (pistons extended) than after (pistons near bottom of seat).getting the ody whilst at sears?

[qship96]

Already got the Odyssey/Platininum battery about a month ago-starter seems to spin a hundred MPH compared to 36 month old Nissan battery it replaced!

[oldmako]

If you are concerned about how someone else might go the work, buy a 3 dollar self bleeder from Advance and do them yourself. You'll already be in there and dirty doing the brakes anyway. It takes minimal time and effort and you'll know how much of the old dirty fluid was voided from your system.

[qship96]

How is that procedure done ?

[maxnix]

Don't forget about the problem of bleeding the ABS unit.

[qship96]

Don't forget about the problem of bleeding the ABS unit.

FSM makes no note of bleeding ABS in brake bleeding or fluid change procedures, even though I have heard it mentioned here many times.

90-93 had a bleeder screw on ABS unit.....94-96 does not.
Modified by qship96 at 7:01 PM 7/21/2008

[oldmako]

I can only address the gizmo which I use but it's very simple (although a bit time consuming).

It's nothing more than a small plastic bottle with a hose/fitting and a magnet. First the bottle is placed above the elevation of the caliper and stuck (using the magnet) to anything convienient suspension or chassis bit. Then the hose is placed over the end of the bleeder screw on the caliper. The bleeder valve is opened slightly and you slowly depress the brake pedal all the way to the floor. This shoves the fluid out and the old nasty fluid and / or air are prevented from getting sucked back into the caliper by the gizmo, it's elevation, gravity, the bernoulli principal, the coriolis effect, bifurcation tables and good juju. Listening to some Marley and toking on a fat spliff will add greatly to the juju and will make the whole experience more palatable.

Here's the hassle.....the reservoir on the gizmo is small and only holds an ounce or two of spent fluid. Maybe 5- 6 pedal strokes. So, you have to get out and empty the gizmo (takes 5 seconds) several times before you see nice clean virginal fluid coming out. This detracts from the juju, hence the need for the blunt. The good thing about this is that you get to constantly check the fluid level in the brake reservoir. If you let this mother get too low than you will be hating life and throwing stuff.

It sounds mo' worser than it is actually. I did all four wheels (which required about a quart of miracle jizz) in less than an hour and that included jacking and removing the wheels. I was in the middle of a front brake job so they were off anyway. You MAY be able to access the bleeder valves without even removing the wheels. On some of my cars this has been the case but I did not attempt it with my BarbieQ (4.1 litre pansy, effete, candy-assed, Casper Milquetoast Q). It was new to me and I wanted to inspect all four assemblies to establish a base line for future driveway follies.

Here's two alternatives....replace the small bleeder reservoir with something larger, or get a long length of hose and a good sized bottle. Put a half inch of fluid in the bottom of the bottle and insure the hose is submerged. Just crack the bleeder valve and pump away. The force will expend the fluid out the cracked bleeder but the fluid will not reverse flow back into the caliper by slowly releasing the pedal. Or get a homie to be the pedal man as you mind the screw and keep checking the brake reservoir.

Al this sounds like more of a hassle than it is. Like I said....the whole job took me 2-3 hours and that included doing the brakes and having the rotors turned. As long as your dirty...might as well knock it out. I hate schlepping to a shop and sitting around watching General Hospital or Faux News while someone wrenches on my car.

[maxnix]

FSM makes no note of bleeding ABS in brake bleeding or fluid change procedures, even though I have heard it mentioned here many times.

90-93 had a bleeder screw on ABS unit.....94-96 does not.

Aye, and there's the problem. New brake fluid in llines and old brake fluid in ABS system means the ABS pump and accumulator will need to be replaced eventually when the old acidic fluid eats the seals.

Good excuse to get inot ABS often to recircualte that old fluid.

[qship96]

[QUOTE=maxnix]Aye, and there's the problem. New brake fluid in llines and old brake fluid in ABS system means the ABS pump and accumulator will need to be replaced eventually when the old acidic fluid eats the seals.

Brian, how have you addressed the old fluid in the ABS when you do brake fluid changes on your Q?

[tmak26b]

Try motive one man bleeder. I use them on my other cars. You can pump it to 10-15psi, that way the ABS valve opens so you can flush the entire system.

[qship96]

Update.I went to Sears for the brake flush with excellent results in the end after I made them do it twice {nothing like demanding perfection for your hard earned dollar}

I was shocked as the fluid came out of all 4 lines almost clear from the very start. The last real flush was performed in June 2003 {100,000 miles ago}, and the only thing I have done between then and now is to turkeybaste out the resivour every single year {it obviously helps, judging by the condition of the old fluid leaving the system}

All in all, worth paying the $35 fee instead of doing it yourself, and I got them to rotate the tires for no additional fee

[Q45tech]

almost clear is not as new, some brands don't change color much with moisture some do.

Dark, brown, or black comes from the fluid EATING UP the various orings and seals.

Brown is very bad indeed!

The only place the moisture can get in is thru the master cylinder cap not sealing or the minutes the cap is off when adding fluid.

Unless the shop uses an open bottle of fluid or the fluid comes in plastic bottles [different plastic has different permabilty cheap or expensive]. Sitting on the self it may be contaminated depending.

[qship96]

[QUOTE=Q45tech]almost clear is not as new, some brands don't change color much with moisture some do.

The only place the moisture can get in is thru the master cylinder cap not sealing or the minutes the cap is off when adding fluid.

Qtech, you must be asleep at the wheel today!Almost clear is not brand new???? Valvoline fluid is a pale yellow color brand new according to their own website,not CLEAR!!!!!

Moisture can enter the system in many areas besides the master cylinder cap!!!! Through rubber brake lines and around caliper piston seals are both common areas.......why many car makers suggest a fluid replacment every couple years

[qship96]

Update of old thread- I thought today would be a good day to replace the rear pads I bought from Joe last July seeing it was 56 degrees out and I currently have 46,000 miles on current pads, and my Q history is rear pads lasting almost exactly 50,000 miles each time I have replaced them, so....

Jacked up the rear, remove wheels, unbolt calipers and......pads still have about 50% left on them after 46,000 miles of use?? Strange as I normally only get 50K out of the rears? Anyway, decided to leave old pads on, but disassembled everything and cleaned and regreased shims/pad retainers, pins and replaced worn caliper pin boots on drivers side caliper.All 4 pads were wearing evenly.

[maxnix]

Did you adjust the rear drums and cable linkage?

[qship96]

Did you adjust the rear drums and cable linkage?

I swapped 3 feet of genuine Nissan fuel hose for Byron to do that last November!!!! One of our fellow Nico members now has that same fuel hose installed in his Q !!! I still cant undertand the super slow wearing pads?

[unknown007]

Just a helpful hint to my fellow Q drivers......I ordered rear brake pads and shim kit from IOS a few days ago and wanted to get the caliper pinboots/bushings as they are rubber and based off my last front brake job, probobly in bad conditon....Nissan does not sell these critical items without purchasing the entire caliper rebuild kit, which I dont need {$50+}

Found online pinboots/bushings kit for our 90-96Q rear calipers made by Carlson..part number 16099 for $9 from bestvalueautoparts.com {they have the front caliper boots/bushings also}

Finally, after checking around, most places want $90-100 to flush the brake fluid, Sears only wants $35......worth the gamble? could they really screw up such a simple job more than anyone else while I watch????

Should I get the brakes flushed before or after I replace the rear pads{I am doing pads myself}

Just read your post.My rear brake pads were like 69cents each i think and last til now.For the fluid bleed it's really easy to do not as hard as you think.Good luck.

I wouldn't go to sears in my opinion.My girlfriend took her car there and she had hubs on the rear wheels right.They broke a lug and just torqued all the screws like nothing then we found out when she lost the hub.

Again good luck.By the way alot of people say it's best to ask for replaced parts just to make sure they did it.



P.S.:

To make a bleeder you can use like a thin plastic rubber straw the type kind of used in fish tanks.Then get a bottle and punch a hole on the cap size of the tube.Be sure the tube fits air tight on the bleeder or else your screwed.Then you can also add a hanger on it to hang somewhere while it bleeds.Kind of hard to explain i'll amke one and post pics maybe.Self brake change i'd trust more.