rotor pads bearing seal job forgot how ?

[ngzcaz]

Well... its been a long time since I did a brake job.. so long it was when drums were the standard and all I ever did and that was only a few. My 1989 Ford Ranger finally needs new rotors & pads and I'm also changing a caliber that might have been responsible for the brakes smoking.
Anyway, I looked on line for videos to help me along but none have the set up I do. I can only find one bolt that secures the caliber and it seems to slide back and forth on four twin pieces of angled steel about three inches long with a raised piece to keep it from coming out ? If there are more bolts I can't seem to locate them. Any videos or detailed help on here ?

 

[adsm08]

Ok, let's address one important thing before we start. Caliber is the method for gauging the size of a bullet. Caliper is the device used to apply pressure to the pads on a disc brake system.

There are no bolts in your brake system. The slide pins are easy enough to deal with though. Get a hammer and a 3/8ths extension and knock them at an angle to push them in and back. The idea is to get those little ears into the slide. Then take a wide flat screw driver, one that will not fit between the metal plates of the pin, and finish driving them out.

The caliper will then pull straight back from the rotor, more or less. Sometimes you have to work them a bit.

The rear pad will stay in the knuckle, the front one will come out with the caliper.

To tell you how to do the rotors I need to know some details that you haven't provided. Particularly 2wd or 4x4 and if 4x4 manual or auto hubs. The 2wd bearing nuts are just a standard hex nut but the 4x4 bearing nuts are special and are not the same between manual and auto hubs.

 

[ngzcaz]

Excuse the mental lapse.. I was posting on a Marlin firearms forum just before I posted this. Its an 89 Ranger 2WD Supercab. I bought the new rotors that came with the hub and wheel studs and I think an inner race. Also have the seals and pads to go along with the rotors and caliper. I'm a little leery of pinching off the brake line for fear of damaging the line. Is that the preferred method ? The vehicle has a tad over 76,000 and it. I bought it about 6 years ago with 3,660 miles and in about a week the passenger side caliper had to be replaced because it seized, probably from not enough use. I then had a mechanic bleed all the brakes to get as much of the old stuff out as possible. Its the right side that seized again, left seems ok. Should I bleed the system again ?

 

[JoshT]

I've also heard that you can hold the pedal down while changing disconnecting the hose and not loose much fluid. Haven't tried it myself so I don't know how well it works.

You bought an '89 six years ago with 3,660 miles on the odometer? I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the truck probably has a tad over 176,000 miles on it. IIRC those trucks only register to 99,999 miles. The slide pins on this style caliper are also prone to sticking which could be the actual cause of your "seized caliper" I'm not there co I can't say for certain. With the exception of topping off the reservoir, any time you open the brake system it needs to be bled. If the system is opened very briefly at or near the caliper (or wheel cylinder) you can usually get away with just bleeding that one wheel. Also if it's the same wheel that keeps having caliper issues after the caliper is replaced I would be looking up the system from the caliper.

 

[Tedybear]

Not trying to sound like a smart arse? It might be a very good investment to pick up a copy of Chilton's or Haynes repair manual for your truck. I've been turning a wrench on and off for 25 years. Even I forget how to do something and need to go back to a manual.

Just sayin'...it might help speed the process along.

S-

 

[adsm08]

What I do is hang the old caliper up from the spring or something, get the new one in place, then unhook the line and get it on the new one quickly. If you are replacing the caliper the brakes have to be bled any way you cut it, so just let it run out a bit.

 

[ngzcaz]

I've also heard that you can hold the pedal down while changing disconnecting the hose and not loose much fluid. Haven't tried it myself so I don't know how well it works.

You bought an '89 six years ago with 3,660 miles on the odometer? I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the truck probably has a tad over 176,000 miles on it. IIRC those trucks only register to 99,999 miles. The slide pins on this style caliper are also prone to sticking which could be the actual cause of your "seized caliper" I'm not there co I can't say for certain. With the exception of topping off the reservoir, any time you open the brake system it needs to be bled. If the system is opened very briefly at or near the caliper (or wheel cylinder) you can usually get away with just bleeding that one wheel. Also if it's the same wheel that keeps having caliper issues after the caliper is replaced I would be looking up the system from the caliper.

No, that wasn't a misprint although I was off a bit with the mileage and when I purchased it. It was 8/29/2006 and that exact mileage was 3,770 miles. The truck was bought new, the original owner died shortly after and his wife and family just didn't want to sell it. I checked with the Ford dealer where it was serviced. They knew the truck well and said they only saw it around inspection every year. It was showroom condition when I bought it and had thoughts of flipping it for a profit but then I thought if I made even 3 or 4K profit what could I get for that money ? Certainly not anything with less than 4K on t so I decided to keep it. Now its just another 89 with reasonably low mileage in very good condition with still no rust. I bought new belts figuring they were going to be destroyed shortly. I still haven't got around to putting them on. The original tires went over 30,000 before I replaced them. Since I have it, the stupid drivers side valve cover gasket started leaking and that I have to have replaced, very annoying. On headlight bulb, and a battery. While it didn't need it I had a mechanic replace the open rear with a new Ford's version of posi-traction since I was going to drive it in the winter. BTW, unless its really weighted down the posi did little if anything for winter traction. ( anyone want the original unit w/4K on it give me a pm )

More on your point, it has been over 70,000 miles since the original caliper was changed ( something seized a week after I bought it at less than 4K ) so I'm guessing its not impossible for a caliper to go bad after 70,000 miles ? However, I will make sure the pins are lubed well. Semi-synthetic wheel bearing grease or never seize ok ?

 

[Tedybear]

I've had good luck with Napa "Sili-Glide". It's made for brake caliper slides.

S-

 

[ngzcaz]

Well... I pulled the rotors and will change both as well as pads. What I noticed is the spindle hub was discolored like it was hot. I expected the rotor to be toast and it was. Now I'm wondering if the inner or outer wheel bearing failed and caused the smoke from the grease maybe ? Its possible that the caliper isn't bad at all. The outer one turns freely enough. I didn't knock the inner one out yet so I don't know about that one. If both turn freely any thoughts on what happened ?

 

[ngzcaz]

If anyone is interested I completed the brake job. I put in new wheel bearings, rotors, pads, one new caliper and new guide pins. Gravity bled the front two brakes until clear fluid came out. Not sure what was the cause but everything seems ok at this point. Found a couple u tube videos that helped fill in the blanks. Couple of hours for the whole job. If I had to do it again I'd guess an hour and a half without rushing.