So, I've got some nice new Hawk HPS pads and Brembo OE replacement rotors sitting on my kitchen table. I've got some shims on the way from nissanwholesaleparts.com (awesome price and customer service) too.
I've also got some Speed Bleeders and I'd like to get some stainless steel brake lines along with some ATE Superblue fluid.
Would it be OK to just replace the pads and rotors and then take care of the fluid and lines at a later date?
I've got some nasty pedal pulsation and shaking during high speed (70+ mph) braking that I'd really like to take care of. I just don't know if I'll have time to do the lines and fluid...have to work on my timing chain this month too.
BTW, I'm also contemplating replacing my master cylinder and brake booster as booth are very corroded from what I can only assume was a sloppy change of brake fluid by a past owner. Should I just do this, the lines and the fluid all at once?
Replacing Pads and Rotors
-
Nismo_Freak
- Posts: 10314
- Joined: Wed Jul 24, 2002 10:42 pm
- Car: 89 Nissan 240SX
Thanks...that's good to know. Actually, I don't think my Speed Bleeders even came with covers. I might have to pick up some new ones...they were really cheap.Dori Dori wrote:Word of caution about the speed bleeders.
Leave the covers on them at all times. I lost one and didn't think too much of it...then my cv boot tore and spit grease all over. The grease got in the bleeder causing it to not seal anymore and leak fluid everytime I stepped on the brakes. Lovely.
I'm gonna be hitting up SPL for some Super Blue and some stainless brake lines, so I'll just get another set of Speed Bleeders.
Next week will hopefully be timing chain tensioner AND brake pads/rotors.
Probably try for late August to do brake lines and fluid.
EstoMax wrote:hey bad mojo but where did you get the shims from on nissanwholesaleparts.com? im looking at the site and i dont see anything for 240's there...
I think I spoke with them on the phone when I ordered. Be sure to mention that you saw their ad on NICO. Midway Parts can get 'em too, and Dan's been great to deal with. He's got a thread going in the Advertiser section of the Classifieds forum where you can request parts and prices.
Did you replace everything yet? Did that take away the shake? Many times that can be caused by something other than brakes like shot TC rod bushings, shot tie rod ends, or wheels that are out of round or off balance. The pulsation is most often rotors. I like your brake pad choice. They can get noisy but I have found that putting that reddish gook on the back of the pad quiets them down. I always recommend the move to the braided lines and the ATE blue fluid. The pedal feel is great after those two things are done if your master cylinder is in good operating condition (regardless of what it may look like). If it's bad replace it. I happen to use a slotted and drilled rotor on my car but under extreme use drilled rotors can crack at the holes. Slotted rotors seem to expel the gases just fine. On the solid factory rotor (or OEM replacement) as the pad heats up (especially when new) and gives off gas it can be pushed away from the rotor by the force of the emanating gas. This causes a long pedal and can be disconcerting when you're going quick. If this happens just pump the pedal and it should come back pretty quick. I love brakes and experiment with different brake pad combinations in an attempt to "even out" the brake bias front to rear. As it sits now I have alot of front bite and in the wet it gets interesting with the fronts locked and the rears freewheeling along like I don't even have the brakes on. In the dry the brakes are great! Adjustable brake bias valve will be the next addition to my brake system. Hope you got all the stuff on. If not good luck with the install. It's pretty simple and I think you will love the end result. Oh and remember that super blue is hydroscopic. It sucks up water. Water boils at much lower temps than brake fluid. This causes a spongy pedal at best and at worst total brake fade! When used in a high performance application change your brake fluid regularly (1 time per year at least and always before track or auto X events) and check the levels.
Also, keep in mind the bearings DO go bad, after enough abuse, wear & tear, etc. My pal thought he had bad bushings causing his shake. Turns out he had a left front bearing so bad the car was nearly undriveable. But this was a shake that showed up at all speeds above 15-20 mph and would disappear when loading & unloading either side of the car, by turning while at speed.
The original poster mentioned the shake occuring under braking at 70mph. If it's under braking conditions only, then I think we've got it narrowed down quite well. Warped rotors is common, and the symptoms are undeniable.
But it's never a bad idea to take an afternoon and go through each item in the front suspension/steering assy and search for old/worn items.
The basic FE items, such as tie rods, ball joints, and even bearings, if need be, are all available at local parts stores. Most of our cars are 100k + mileage, so there's never been a better time than right now to replace.
Next, consider getting the new s13 master bushing set from Energy Suspension!
The original poster mentioned the shake occuring under braking at 70mph. If it's under braking conditions only, then I think we've got it narrowed down quite well. Warped rotors is common, and the symptoms are undeniable.
But it's never a bad idea to take an afternoon and go through each item in the front suspension/steering assy and search for old/worn items.
The basic FE items, such as tie rods, ball joints, and even bearings, if need be, are all available at local parts stores. Most of our cars are 100k + mileage, so there's never been a better time than right now to replace.
Next, consider getting the new s13 master bushing set from Energy Suspension!
Thanks for the great info, guys. Replacing the front rotors and pads indeed fixed the problem.
As usual, fixing one problem uncovered another. Upon inspecting the rear passenger side caliper, I found that the seal was bad and it was leaking.
So...gonna get a new rear caliper, some ATE Super Blue fluid, Russel Speedbleeders and some SPL stainless lines and get the brake system up to spec.
As usual, fixing one problem uncovered another. Upon inspecting the rear passenger side caliper, I found that the seal was bad and it was leaking.
So...gonna get a new rear caliper, some ATE Super Blue fluid, Russel Speedbleeders and some SPL stainless lines and get the brake system up to spec.