Doing my first brake job (rear) questions and advice needed

loosvelt · **Posted:** Sun Jul 15, 2012 9:57 pm

Guys,

this will be the first time I attempt to do brakes on a car myself (i don't want to pay up the butt for rotors and pads). Any liberty specific advice, or is it pretty straight forward?

Also, I'll be going to my local NAPA. Any pad recommendations? Are the Reactive one high performance rotors worth the little bit of extra cash?

Any other little hints or tidbits of knowledge, please throw my way.

-Nate

04KJcjackson · **Joined:** Mon Mar 12, 2012 8:07 am **Posts:** 54

I just did my rear brakes last Thursday, they're really not hard. They're a little different from the front bc you have to release the clip on the bottom by pushing it in. Then the outer pad has to be unclipped by prying out the metal plates from the hole...inner pad just pops out. I know this isn't super detailed but you will see once you're looking at the brakes. If you have any issues just ask and I will try to keep an eye out so I can help if you need me to.

Good luck!!

lfhoward · **Posted:** Mon Jul 16, 2012 8:24 am

Diggerfreek sent me pretty detailed instructions for doing my KK's brakes. I haven't done them yet, but I would be happy to share. The brakes on a KJ and KK are probably similar. Send me a PM and I'll get back to you.

thehypnotoad · **Posted:** Mon Jul 16, 2012 7:50 pm

Maybe it was just me but I had an unwelcome surprise when I did the rears. All of the parking brake hardware within the rotor was rusted to bits and literally fell apart when I pulled the rotor off. I had to completely do shoes and springs etc on both sides as well.

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:50 pm

I hate to be a grump - but doing brakes by yourself the first time isn't a good idea.

I mean in general they're not that hard - but if you mess it up - you don't stop. That's a problem.

best to find someone who's done a couple of brake jobs just to watch and make sure you don't accidentally grease the pads......

loosvelt · **Posted:** Mon Jul 16, 2012 10:28 pm

Thanks guys. Howard PM sent.

ATXKJ,

Yes I thought the same as you, and left the brakes to the pros. My neighbor is helping me out and he's always done his own. They swear to me they arent hard. Plus I am hoping less can go wrong in the rear as the fronts take more of the force.

Are an upgraded pad and rotor worth it?

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:05 pm

loosvelt wrote:

I am hoping less can go wrong in the rear as the fronts take more of the force.

uummmhh not exactly... I don't see what year you have
- the 02's had disk front drum rear.
the rest have 4 wheel disks - however the rear has a drum parking brake inside the hub of the disk.
drum's tend to be a pain
more so when it's a parking brake only
- they tend to make a groove in the drum so you have to back the shoes away from the drum far enough to clear the groove - and then you have to remember how to re-assemble the whole thing - generally take off one side and use the other as a reference, remembering that they're mirror images.

the Front's do take more energy - but they're simpler - disk only - you're primarily looking to make sure there aren't any grooves in the disk (turning on a lathe is okay - replacing is better) and that the caliper isn't sticking.

as to aftermarket, personally I like NAPA disks and Adaptive one pads
the fancier ones, work better if you're hard on the brake system, but they have to warm up - before they work well, so not good for normal driving, great for roadracing...

Doing my first brake job (rear) questions and advice needed

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