Need to put brakes on my 97 max,my machanic said i needed a special tool to put on my rear brakes...If I don't ;how do I do it....Also,should I get my pads from auto zone.advance auto parts or nissan pads? Any suggestions would be helpful......Thanks!!!!

 

Read the stickies - they are your friend.

1. Nissan pads or Raybestos Quietstops for daily driving
2. You can rent or buy the tool from Autozone - or use a pair of needle nose pliers. The only difference between the front and rear brakes is that in the rear the piston is rotated clockwise to retract it, as opposed to being squeezed/compressed back in with a c-clamp like the front calipers.

See www.motorvate.ca for a write-up on the fronts.

 

Yes, you need a special tool to turn the rear brake pads in, but it's not expensive. It looks like a little cube. First get a haynes or chiltons manual so you can do everything correctly. Don't use nissan pads. Raybestos quite stops work good.

 

Why? I'm curious.

 

there are MANY brake threads! ... dont buy cheap rotors, get brembo blanks from the group deal section in the classifieds .... *ONLY* buy oem pads from nissan, no dust, no noise, good stopping power and buy the shim kit for no squeaks ... the rear brake tool can be rented at pepboys for 5 or 10 bucks... GET A HAYNES MANUAL AND YOULL BE FINE

 

Better brake pads out there for the money IMO

 

Fair enough. I just think for most that are still "learning", sticking with OEM pads minimizes the follow-up, squeaking, dusting, grinding, bad when hot, bad when cold threads

I've never tried any of the performance pads, but for street/daily driving, I'd rate OEM higher than the Raybestos Quietstops. And the OEM pads are only a few $ more.

 

I just got my brake pad changed with the Raybestos Quietstops, and they aren't bad at all, another good thing is that they are cheap, $70 for all 4 brakes with the 5% competitor's discount, I called the Nissan dealership and I think they want $120 for OEM pads. Crazy if you ask me, that's why people call them the stealership. :crazy:

 

you pay all that money for a reason ... all the oem parts are worth every penny ... its the LABOR where they rip you off .... i used to have an 86 monte SS .. i loved it but stuff was always going....fuel pumps, starters all the time, alternators, master cylinders .... then after a few years I got smart and realized that oem is the best QUALITY and after buying most of that, then i never really had any probs .... the pepboys, autozone, and advance auto stuff is mostly rebuilt crap...I got 2 alternators for my Moms 89 acura legend and they both went bad in 2 days ...
the OEM stuff will always last the longest ... my buddys Dad is a veteran mechanic, best of the best, no joke, got best out-standing automobile service in philadelphia for 4 years in a row .. he said theres a name for the pepboys, autozone, etc... crap .. I cant remember though .... but what ive learned is that oem is the best .. especially for brakes .... i bought into the aftermarket brake pad crap .. ohhh these will stop you on a dime ... so i bought the axxis ultimates and they are HORRIBLE-they stopped pretty good the 1st 3 weeks then after that they went straight down hill ... EXTEMELY dusty and I am not exagerating..LOTS OF NOISE, EMBARASSING, stopping power was unsteady... after i changed them out with oem I was never happier....seriously, its worth the money..i dont care what anyone else says ..

 

You can get OEM front pads and rear pads for less than 60 bucks per set from any one of the online discount Nissan parts dealers, e.g. http://www.courtesyparts.com/A32_brakes.html

 

Nice informative thread title "Brakes" and nice research/homework before posting.

 

Does the following part include the hardware kit or is it only two sets of brake pads?

"Front Brake Pads(complete front) 41060-00014 1995-1999"

TIA

SULLAL
_______________________
97 Maxima SE

 

Pads only - thats why the hardware kit is listed as a seperate item.

 

i HOPE i'm not hi-jacking by asking, "how long do oem brake pads last, under a little heavier than normal driving conditions???" i had mine replaced i guess during august this past summer and i think i need new ones again... it seems like only the fronts tho...? *plz don't ban me*

 

I would expect OEM pads to last at least 20-25k under the worst stop-and-go driving conditions... did you have OEM pads installed all around?

What makes you think you need new brakes?

If you pads are indeed worn (front or rear) you likely have seized caliper(s) or a sticking parking brake cable (for the rears).

 

I have 61K on my OEM Nissan front pads and they still have plenty of life left in them yet. I wouldn't be surprised if they last to at least 90K as I do mostly highway driving, have a 5-speed and don't use my brakes.

I had a seized rear caliper and replaced both rear calipers about 6 months ago. At the time, the rear pads still had 40% left to the wear bar (or whatever its called), but they were warping so I replaced them with Raybestos pads and have had no dust or noise problem with them thus far.

 

is resurfacing necesary EVERYTIME u change pads?

oem suck for some cars. llike on the altima forums they dont like theirs at all.

 

There is no right answer to this question. There are three options when doing brakes.

1. Replace rotors everytime
2. Turn rotors every time
3. Turn rotors only if you felt any pedal pulsatings (warped rotors) before the brake work

There are people who fall into each of the 3 categories I mentioned. You take your pick. If your rotors aren't warped, you don't HAVE to resurface them when replacing pads. It's a good idea to scuff up the rotors lightly with sandpaper/emery cloth, etc. So you get better bite with your new pads and eliminate any chances of squealing due to glazing, etc.