SN 95 brake pad query

I'm about ready to attempt replacing both front and rear brake pads on my 95 V6. She's used mostly as a daily driver.

First, I've never done this before but judging from my chilton, Ford Service CD and the how-to on Mustang World it does not look that difficult. Any tips/assistance is appreciated though

Second, I've looked around the auto parts stores but there are so many different types of pads to choose from I'm getting confused. What I want is the best possible stopping power with the V6 stock brake system and a reasonable lifespan. The benefit of no or few squeels or excessive dust generation would also be appreciated. :-)

It it worth going to those ceramic pads for my application? Or semi- metallic? Or is that all/mostly marketing? Do they really stop better and last much longer?

Any expert advice greatly appreciated. I may even paint the calipers while I am at it as I have the wheels off anyway. :-)

Thanks in advance

There's a special tool you'll need for the rear pads. It's a piston compressing tool. Go to any auto parts store & they'll know exactly what you're needing. You'll also want a C-clamp (at least 6") to compress the pistons on the front pads. Grabbing a small bottle of brake fluid wouldn't hurt either. Your Chilton's manual should be sufficient in describing the whole process. It really is fairly easy to do & doesn't require a whole lot of time. It was one of the first things I did on my 98 Mustang GT. Just remember to read over the entire process described in the Chilton's manual BEFORE starting so you don't end up doing more work than you have to or messing up =). Good luck to ya.

-Mike

You may want to break this up into 2 projects: front first, then do the rears. For the fronts, you'll need a 6" C-clap to compress the pistons back into the calipers before you remove them from the car. Consider replacing the rotors while you're in there as well. Check the hoses for damage and replace as needed.

The rears will require a special tool to compress the pistons into the calipers; most auto parts stores carry a tool to do this. There are no hoses to check on the rears, although I do recommend replacing the rotors while you already have it apart. Total time for each project is about an hour.

Also, keep plenty of brake cleaning spray on hand, and spray liberally while reassembling to prevent grease and other contaminants off braking surfaces.

If you want to do a really nice job, bleed each line while you have it apart. It only takes 5 minutes per wheel. This will purge trapped air, and flush old brake fluid out.

-JD

_________________________________ JD's Locally-Famous Mustang Page: http://207.13.104.8/users/jdadams Please note: UCE is deleted at the ISP server level. Unless your address is on my 'accept list', your mail will never reach me. See my website for more information.

at 11 Oct 2003, [ snipped-for-privacy@recorddeal.com] wrote in news:t1Yhb.1036$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr22.news.prodigy.com:

Yeah, I forgot about that special tool. Seems the $9.99 dice type one does not fit properly so I'd have to get the $39.99 kit. I do have a big vise-grip type C clamp, and a T50 end for my socket wrench.

You betch I'm gonna read it all several times before I start messing with it. Brakes are to important not to e sure to do it right. :-)

Thanks for the advice.

at 11 Oct 2003, JD Adams [ snipped-for-privacy@Softcom.Net] wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Replace the rotors? How much extra work is that and what am I looking at for a set? Should I get OEM ones or slotted ones?

Got a spray can of the cleaner!

Hmmm, how do I do this bleed? I'm not sure Chilton tells me how. I hate to mess up and get more air in the lines. Then find that out first time I try to stop. :-( If I knew how, I'd probably replace the brake fluid altogether as I doubt it's ever been changed...

The tool you were mentioning.. mine costed $10 and although it was hard to figure out which "pair" worked... I did use it. As far as replacing the rotors... when you brake currently does it have a "pulsating" feeling? If so, you'll want to replace the rotors & this is not hard at all. I don't know if you would want to replace the rotors or not if it's not really necessary _yet_. Definitely not every time you change the pads. As far as the brake fluid... it's not an easy task. It will require 2 people (both experienced, preferably). It's not an overly-expensive thing at most brake shops. I'd get a quote or 2. As far as rotors again... I didn't get slotted.. OEM works fine for me. Hope this helps. Cya.

-Mike

at 12 Oct 2003, [ snipped-for-privacy@recorddeal.com] wrote in news:4Bjib.1354$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr24.news.prodigy.com:

Thanks, I'll probably get the $9.95 one then. Somebody told me it canb also be done with a good set of needle nose pliers. No, they don't pulsate, so I don't think they are warped. I'll have to check when I get the wheels of though. I'll make sure to get some quote's for rotors so I know what I'm up against if they need replacing. I know when I took my wife's Geo in about a year ago they 'turned' the rotors. Now 20/20 hindsight I doubt it was needed on a 45K miles car, Nor was changing the fluid. I got soaked for about $160 and they uses the cheapest squeekiest pads I've come accross on it as well. This was TechMaster on SR 60 in Brandon. They are shut down now as later I found out the list of complaints against them was a mile long and they owed advance/discount auto a ton of money... Live and learn. Ever since then I've been very, very selective as to who works on our vehicles...

As I'm not experienced, I guess I had better check around and get some quotes for a brake fluid replacement at a reputable place (definately not Just Brakes. *WEG*) and see what that's going to cost

Thanks for the input, it's verey helpfull.

No extra work at all; the old rotors just lift right off the axle. Cast steel OEM's are fine for street use. If you want to get fancy, buy a set of PowerSlots. I put new front rotors on the beater when I redid the brakes last month, and they only ran me $17 bucks each.

Chilton explains this fairly well. You need 2 people, a 3/8" wrench, 2 feet of small rubber tubing and a clear recepticle of some kind...I usually use one of Mona's nice drinking glasses.

One person presses on the brake pedal, the other loosens the bleeder screw; after fluid squirts out, tighten the bleeder screw, and have the person inside let up on the brake pedal. Repeat as many times as needed, until the fluid is clear and free of air bubbles. Be sure to keep the master cylinder topped off with fresh DOT-3 fluid while you're doing this. Pretty simple stuff.

Be happy you're working with disc brakes! I had to tear a drum brake assembly apart on The Beater today, to find out what's hanging the shoes up, and making an awful snapping/clicking noise. I had to replace the wheel cylinder and a spring, then bleed the whole thing down again. Oh so much fun! Drum brakes suck, especially when they're Chevy drum brakes!

-JD

_________________________________ JD's Locally-Famous Mustang Page: http://207.13.104.8/users/jdadams Please note: UCE is deleted at the ISP server level. Unless your address is on my 'accept list', your mail will never reach me. See my website for more information.

I wouldn't advise using needle nose pliars... I read that on MustangWorld.com & tried it... CHRIKEY! What a pain in the butt! Then I promptly went out and bought the tool =). Oh btw... rotors for my 98 GT run about $40/rotor.. totalling $160 + tax for 'em all. Sux you had a bad experience.. but it happens to all of us ;(.

-Mike

try auto zone to see if they have the free tool rental on the rear caliper piston tool so when you finished with it you get your money back.. and dont worry about not getting the pads there.. i never do. i use good stuff on my car but they will rent/loan you the tool(s) that you need no matter what.. its like paying for it and getting a complete refund.. i do it all the time....

As the others have already stated, a special tool is required for the rear brake caliper pistons. This tool is properly referred to as a "Caliper Windback Tool" and the best one that I have found to date is this one:

It is the 11pc $39.00 brake piston toolset. I bought one of those earlier this year and you would have to pry it from my cold dead fingers if you ever wanted to take it away from me. Worth it's weight in gold and far superior to those little cubic diecast crapola abominations sold at Autozone, Advance, Pep Boys, O'Reillys and other such places.

As for brake pads, I am running Performance Friction pads on the front of my car and Bendix semi-metallic pads on the rear. I'd be running PF back there as well if Autozone sold them. They don't, so I use the Bendix pads as they have a chamfered edge design much like the PF pads.

You would also be well served buying a pair of braided stainless steel brake lines for the front brakes. Make sure they have a teflon inner tubing or you'll have fluid seepage problems.

I bought mine from

and paid about $90 for the pair. The improvement in pedal feel and braking is well worth the cost.

Good luck on it! :-)

Yeah AutoZone will let you, but I like having my own set of tools so I don't have to make constant trips to stores or friends =). The deposit will be $10-$15 and you do get it back when you return the tool unbroken.

-Mike

Yeah, that kit is nice.. a friend uses one LIKE it (looked a little different)... he laughed at my tool, but hey.. I didn't have the $50 O'Reilly was wanting for it before and my $10 works good enough for me.. but if you've got the extra cash just laying around & want the job to be a bit easier, go for the kit. I'll stick w/ my current compressing tool. I'm currently using some cheapo pads from O'Reilly, but I'm also interested in new pads... what are some good pads? Also, what are some pros & cons of slotted rotors? Thanks in advance.

-Mike

Performance Friction pads get my vote. Autozone carries them and covers them with a lifetime warranty. I am on my second replacement set. :-)

Slotted rotors should work nicely. I'd spring the extra cash for the zinc washed rotors since they'll stay nicer looking for a longer period of time.

Avoid cross-drilled rotors like the plague. Have seen too many of them crack and fail at autocross events.

Zinc washed? Does autozone carry those also? O'Reilly maybe? Got a URL by any chance? And I think I'll avoid slotted rotors. Thx.

-Mike

I agree with Tungsten, Performance Friction's Carbon Metallics are second to none!

I used them on my CrownVic Police Interceptor and the High Speed (120MPH down) braking was AMAZING!

No fading, squealing or dust. They just WORK!

Very very cool. :) I'll have to start using those when it's time to change my pads again... in another 6 months or so.

-Mike

at 12 Oct 2003, JD Adams [ snipped-for-privacy@Softcom.Net] wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

PoweSlots? Where does one get those? I'd like to see what a set for Pony would run me. As I fear the rotors have never been replaced and she's done over 100K miles...

Sounds not to hard, wonder if I can get my wifey to do the easy part :)

That sure sounds easy enough. Even I should be able to do that. I also just found the procedure in my Chilton. It states to also bleed the master cylinder but doesn't seem to go into detail on how.

Can I just drain all the fluid this way and then replace it with fresh? Or would I be introducing to much air in the lines and cause myself a major headache? Or do I just keep on topping off the brake fluid reservoir with fresh DOT-3 until I see that appear at the bleeder? Then repeat the process for the next wheel and again for the two front wheels?

Oh lovely! Dontcha just love them GM products? I'm about due to do another oilchange on my wife's Geo Storm. Oil is not to hard but the filter is all the way in back of the engine pretty high up and a PITA to get at without. Let alone not spilling all the oil in it trying to get it free. :(

at 13 Oct 2003, jim [ snipped-for-privacy@noname.com] wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@noname.com:

Thank you! I didn't think of that! Great idea, we have an Autozone pretty close. They will let you take the tool home even?