Replacing the rear brakes.
My rear brake lining is 3mm. My dealer is saying he will replace the rear brake pads and resurface the rear brake rotors for $300. How important is resurfacing the rear brake rotors?
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Regardless of what type of vehicle you drive, I personally would not recommend resurfacing the rotors at all. If the condition of the rotors pass a visual inspection and the thickness is still within manufacturers specifications, combined with how the brakes currently feel. If you do not experience vibrations or shaking in your steering wheel or brake pedal while braking, replace the pads only and do not resurface the rotors. This would be a more cost effective solution, however you may experience brake noises and pedal vibrations in the future. You also need to take into consideration the type of person driving the vehicle, and the environment they drive in, as these factors have a huge impact on brakes.
Resurfacing rotors removes material from the rotor. This allows the rotors to heat up quicker under harsh braking conditions and this can create uneven wear on the rotors and brake pads. I have experienced this happening more frequently when I worked in an independent shop.
A proper and peace of mind brake job would be to replaced the rotors as well as the pads by a certified mechanic. You will be worry free knowing your brakes are going to last the test of time.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :
Do You Need to Replace All 4 Brake Pads? There are brake pads on each of your vehicle`s wheels. Most mechanics recommend replacing brake pads in the front or brake pads in the rear at the same time. If one brake pad on the front axle is replaced, then all brake pads on the front axle should be replaced.
Over time, brake pads wear out and eventually need replacing. Fortunately, you can often get the job done yourself with the right tools and materials.
Brake pads and shoes are generally thought to be good between 30,000-35,000 miles in urban use. In less demanding situations like highway driving in light traffic, brakes may last 80,000 miles or more.
Rear Brakes are typically drum brakes. This type of brakes has more parts than disc brakes and is harder to service, but they are less expensive to manufacture, and they easily incorporate an emergency brake mechanism.
The rear brake is designed to provide stability, or else they would lock up every time you hit the brake pedal. If you have bad rear brakes, the rear of your vehicle might jump during hard braking because there`s no stabilizing braking force.
Schedule an Appointment. Pro Tip: For cars with rear drum brakes, changing the brake shoes can be especially complicated due to additional parts and connections the front brakes don`t have. Generally, it`s always best to leave front and rear brake maintenance to a trained service technician.
Because your front brakes wear out much faster, we recommend replacing your brakes in repairs – front at one time, back at another time. You will likely need to replace your front brake pads sooner than your rear brake pads.
The front brakes play a greater role in slowing down your car because braking redistributes the weight of the vehicle to the front wheels. This is why vehicles who have a mix of disc and drum brake systems favour installation of disc systems for the front brakes and drum systems for the rear brakes.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
Low brake pedal and anti-lock brakes are not kicking in.
ANSWER : The brake pedal is working to stop the vehicle, but there may be air in the controller unit causing the ABS brakes to not function. I recommend bleeding the brake system from the farthest location from the master cylinder to the master cylinder including the ABS unit. If the brakes are still spongy after a full bleed, then the controller will need to be replaced. If you need further assistance with your brake pedal being spongy, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.
Read Full Q/A … : Replacing the rear brakes.
I replaced the brake light switch. Gear lever unlocked because it had locked. Now the brakes feel hard.
ANSWER : Hi, thanks for writing in. You need to check the brake switch install adjustment. You may have the switch adjusted too tight and it is holding the the brake pedal partly down. This will cause the brake master cylinder to not release the brakes when you let off the pedal. Readjust the switch away from the pedal until you feel some free play again in the pedal. This should fix the problem. If you would like help, consider having an expert automotive technician from YourMechanic come to your home or office to inspect and diagnose this issue for you, and make or suggest any repairs as needed.
Read Full Q/A … : Replacing the rear brakes.
EPC light on 2004 Jetta. Code said brake switch faulty, but brakes lights worked. Replaced brake switch, now no brake lights.
ANSWER : Hi there. The first thing that pops in my mind beyond of what you have listed is perhaps the electrical harness attached to the brake switch. Perhaps the harness itself is damaged or you have an exposed wire, loose ground wire somewhere. You might want to have a professional mobile mechanic come to your location and complete a brake lights not working inspection to help you diagnose this issue.
Read Full Q/A … : Replacing the rear brakes.
Rear brake job
ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. These situations are understandably questionable. The service providers at a lot of common oil changing and tire repair centers will quote you for a variety of things that can be updated. This does not always mean you are in dire need for more repairs. If braking seems to be harder, spongy, or takes longer, then you have reason to be concerned. Otherwise, you should check the amount of brake pad material left on the calipers. This can be visually inspected without too much trouble. Remove the wheel and physically measure the amount left, compare them to your vehicle specifications. It is a little early to worry about brake fluid or the rotors. However if the brake fluid is low, the rotors are warped from a hard stop, or there are obvious issues you should look into the system further. Only further inspection will confirm or deny the recommendations. For a second inspection, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.
Read Full Q/A … : Replacing the rear brakes.
Hard brake pedal and rear brakes locking up.
ANSWER : Hi. I will help you with this issue you are having with your 2001 Durango. Unless you bled the master cylinder, it is possible there is still air in the system. If you car is equipped with ABS, air could have also gotten trapped in the ABS modulator. If ABS equipped, a bi-directional scan tool would be essential to manually activate the ABS system to clear air from that segment of the lines while you are bleeding the system. It is also possible that in all of this work somehow the proportioning valve has been affected causing the desired pressure differential, front versus back, to get out of spec. Using a 2,500 PSI gauge, you can check the pressures at each wheel and that will definitely give you a clue as to which brake circuit is the issue (or both), whether the proportioning valve is working properly and whether the line pressures at each wheel are within spec. Should you need a second opinion, by all means feel free to contact YourMechanic for assistance and we will diagnose and repair the issue for you.
Read Full Q/A … : Replacing the rear brakes.
Changed brake master cylinder, bled 10 times, and the pedal is soft The rear brakes are not locked but close. Truck now running rough.
ANSWER : You will have to bleed the brakes from the farthest location all the way to the master cylinder. There is still air in the lines causing the issue. Check the vibrations on the vehicle to see if the engine mounts are damaged or if the brakes are not releasing causing the engine to run harder than normal to overcome the braking force. If you need further assistance with your vehicle’s brake system, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.
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Rear brakes not grabbing – 1995 GMC K2500
ANSWER : Hello. It is not in the ABS, but may be the proportional valve not giving the correct pressure split front to the rear. The vehicle never had enough pressure for the rear brakes. Have the rear shoes adjusted properly if you have drum brakes. You should check to see if there is an updated part to replace the old one. If you would like to have this done, a certified technician from YourMechanic can inspect the brake system and let you know what repairs are needed.
Read Full Q/A … : Replacing the rear brakes.
Have replace rear brake pads 6 times in three months.
ANSWER : Hi there:
It’s very possible that you have either a warped rotor that is causing your brake pads to constantly rub or the caliper is damaged; causing the same problem. You should have a professional mechanic complete a rear brakes inspection before the issue gets worse and creates a potential safety issue.
Read Full Q/A … : Replacing the rear brakes.
