Time for New Brakes- need help

[CRutledge]

2006 2500 4x4 MegaCab 63k mi



Its time for new brakes. I am not sure if the rotors need to be worked or if i can just put new pads on and keep on rolling. Is this a difficult fix or should I take it to a shop? How much does a typical brake job costs?

If anyone knows of a good shop around Houston Texas area please let me know. I live north of houston in The Woodlands area.



thanks,



Chad

 

[Wingate]

Its really not a difficult job is you're just changing pads. Just make sure you put a quality pad on. The brake system isn't where you want to price shop. Personally, I like to drain all the fluid from the caliper when I change pads. It allows me to flush any contaminated fluid out. Make sure you buy a couple cans of brake cleaner to remove any fluid/grease you might get on the rotors during re-assembly.

If you take it to a shop that you're not familar with, specify what pads you want installed. This can/will prevent them from putting the cheap stuff on your truck. People talk highly of the Hawk performance brake pads that are available fron Genos. I haven't tried them yet, but will when my truck gets ready for new stoppers.

 

[pullya]

New brake pads are like new tires--everyone has their own ideas of what they think is best. I too have heard many people say good things about the Hawk pads and Harvey has made some good arguments about reinstalling stock pads althought they are a little expensive. My only suggestion is don't buy the "Value Line" pads from Dodge. They are cheaper and you get exactly what you pay for. Installing new pads are not to bad, there are threads on the site explaining in detail how to do the job. I always turn the rotors when I change pads to "clean up" the rotors and make sure they haven't warped. I'm sure you will get many suggestions from people on the type of pads they think are the best.

Jay

 

[jelag]

We have several of these trucks that we work on as well as provide HD friction for larger trucks... We suggest the following... .

1 - always check to make sure all caliper parts are floating and if the boot on the piston is damaged to rebuild the caliper and clean off the dirt... dirt behind the boot will cause the piston to not retract as it should and shorten pad life.

2 - always open the bleeder and let the dirty fluid go into a container for disposal when you compress the piston... NEVER let it get pushed back to the master. .

3 - wire brush all metal to metal wear parts and remove rust & dirt... we coat our moving parts with a chemical that dries and will not attract dirt... thus we prevent rust...

4 - test the rotors with a dial indicator and surface if necessary and discard if they are below minimum safe thickness... see side of rotor for data. .

5 - bleed brakes and continue to bleed until all brake fluid runs clean and clear, and than yearly bleed the system to keep fresh fluid at the caliper where moisture can be a problem...

6 - we use a variety of high end pads, either Carbomet or Performance Friction...

7 - when we have our trucks apart we pull the ABS sensor and grease the bearings using only a full synthetic grease that will handle the application.

I'm sure there's more, this is all that comes to mind right now. .