Hey guys,
Time for me to replace my brakes. I usually trust my mechanic for this kinda stuff, but I decided to buy new rotors and pads from the group deal and just pay for labor at the mechanics. My question is..should I only replace my front rotors and pads or should i also do the backs? I asked my mechanic and he said only the fronts really need to be done righ tnow (the brakes shake) and I've had them on my car for 50k miles. What do you guys recommened? Also, how long does it take to do the front and back brakes? should he charge one hour of labor or two? i figure i might as well get my backs done as well if hes gonna charge the same amount for labor...

Thanks again..sorry for the long post.

 

If you are only doing rotors and pads it is only 4 bolts on each wheel. With air-tools he should be able to have it finished under an hour but that may not be what he charges you for. If he is a decent mechanic he will give it to you straight about the rear and just go with he recommendation.

The last time I had a mechanic work on one of my cars (not the Max) was when one shop told me I needed pads/rotors/flush service for a few hundred and the shop I trusted (but was farther) said I only needed pads after I ASKED him prices for everything else.

Your brakes shake because more than likely your rotors are warped.

 

Changing brakes is an easy job for the most part. The most you should expect to pay is two hours of labor. In actuality, it should take 40 minutes.

If you dont need the back done, why do it? The fronts wear much faster than the rear.

Ever consider doing it yourself?

 

. .

 

is it hard to do it yourself?

 

i didnt know how to do much of anything on a car along time ago, and i tried the brakes... it was a breeze. espeically on the maxima.

if your not mechanically inclined i would pass, unless you have someone to help you who is. my first time i had help, and now its all by my self.

get a haynes manual first off! but other than that its easy. if you get into a bind tho, its always good to have help.

 

You don't really have to be mechanically inclined to change the rotors and pads. It's that simple. Here is an approximate, liability-free guide:

step one: break lug nuts loose while car's on the ground,

step two: raise car up using a floor jack (you should use jackstands)...loosen lugs the rest of the way and remove wheels,

step three: remove brake master cylinder cap and wrap a rag around it,

steps four/five: *the calipers appear as two parts (caliper bracket and caliper)...remove the two bolts that hold the smaller part (caliper) to change the pads (the part containing the piston and pads)...the pads will pop right out (there is a retainer pin at the bottom of each pair of pads which should be reused),
*remove the two bolts holding the main caliper bracket to
the hub assembly.
The rotors should slide off/on at this point,

step six: use a C-clamp and compress each piston back into the caliper body,

step seven: install new pads (with disc-brake quiet grease at all metal-on-metal contact points),

step eight: reassemble everything, reinstall brake master cylinder cap and add brake fluid later (if necessary), through the master cylinder, after using the brakes a bit to reset the pistons.

Done.

It should take even a beginner (with the appropriate tools) no longer than 1 hour (assuming all bolts loosen properly and with relative ease).

 

thanks.. im going to try it out... i dont want to pay a mechanic to do. it i saw him from far the last time he did it.. and it didnt seem that hard... so instead of paying him and him trying to charge me for more than one hrs of work.. il give it a try... im guessing... that wouldd be the same procedure for all the tires right?

oh and one more question... would this sticky even though its for a 95 max be something to also look into http://www.motorvate.ca/mvp.php/300 ?

 

Just did mine and it was a breeze. I even flushed all the brake fluid out and did it all w/in an hour. But of course I'm not really a novice backyard mechanic though (engine swaps, tranny swaps, etc).

Only thing that was goofy was the pins that are inserted into the pads to keep them from dragging on the rotor (it pushes the pads out away from the rotor). You have to hold/squeeze the pads with one hand while placing the caliper back over the pads.

I found that if you put the top bolt back in first (or never take it out...I did because it was easier to push the piston back in) that you can easily swing the caliper down with one hand while holding the pads with the other until the caliper goes over them (watch your fingers!...but the pads will want to pop out of the caliper bracket if you don't hold them before you get the caliper over them). With this bolt in, you don't have to worry about aligning/seating the caliper correctly inside the bracket and around the pads...

Neat design to keep the pads from dragging on the rotor but this was the first time I had seen this (never seen it on my ludes or any other daily driver I've owned).

 

i have a question... iso after i press in the pistons with the clamp... what do i do just remove the clamp.. and put it on????

almost done with the change..

 

It's easy to replace the brakes. But please be sure you get the right tools. Jack's & stands. Dont go for the cheap jack, you'll end up buying another one. It wont get the car off the ground right. You'll then need a good tool set. Go to sears Craftsmans, or Costco has a nice Cresent set.

If you dont plan on ever doing anything else yourself, it's probably not worth it. But if you do, you'll end up saving in the long run, and it will be fun to get to know your car.

Someone previously gave a good DIY instructions. When your taking them off, do them once side at a time. That way you can look at the other side for a reference. Please pay attention to how you are removing. It will go back the opposite way.

Tip: place the old pads over the piston and then compress the C-clamp. Might also want to invest in a 3 foot breaker bar for stubborn bolts.

There will be a write up in the how to section.

 

Yeah when you can get the pads to go over the rotors you are done. You should flush the brake fluid too.

 

If you're doing the rear brakes too, you'll need a special tool to compress the piston. Don't use the c-clamp on the rear brakes! You can usually rent this tool at Autozone or maybe Advance autoparts, or whatever kind of store you have near you. Or, you can buy it. It's just about 10 bucks. Here's an excellent guide for the rear brakes, with great pictures. Used this myself, was done in about an hour, first time dealing with brakes, ever. Good luck:
http://instructional1.calstatela.edu...n%20Maxima.htm

 

the operative word here is "should". if they don't, get the breaker bolts mentioned in the stickies.

 

finally. done.. not even the tread i began.. but got what i needed help to change my brakes.. didnt think it was that easy.. anyways.. thanks for all your help.

 

man i wish i had this write up when i first changed my brakes out...i didnt have a C-clamp and i ended up having air in my brake lines...and there went 2 hours to bleed the lines..all in all GET A C-CLAMP and you'll be fine.

 

I've done the front disc brakes on my 92 max and it's easy. I just had the front brakes done on my 97 max. bought the parts myself at Advance Auto ($29 for each rotor, $40 for lifetime pads) and had Pepboys install them for $95. Would have done it myself but didn't have time to do it before a roadtrip. If you can do it yourself, it'll cost about $100. I paid $200 total, and it was done in about 45 minutes

 

http://www.motorvate.ca/mvp.php/300

Step by step with pictures.

 

wait, so you're supposed to compress the rear pistons with NEEDLE-NOSED PLIERS? wtf I just used an 8" C-clamp and it worked, but the dust seal did get all weird. that was my first time replacing brakes and I only had the front brakes how-to. They work fine, but for next time, how do you use the pliers? I didn't really understand. Do you just turn the piston clock-wise and it screws in or what?

 

yeah, you're supposed to turn the piston in. it can be done with pliers, but in some cases it can be difficult to turn. the tool makes it a lot easier.