Irishman999
Full Access Member
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2010
- Posts
- 6,989
- Reaction score
- 204
- Location
- Safford Arizona
- First Name
- Jason
- Truck Year
- 1985
- Truck Model
- K-1500 High Sierra
- Engine Size
- 305
I want to start by saying im not a mechanic, not in the sense i get paid for it. I have done many brake jobs, this is how i did mine on my 85 K1500. Before you go to a shop glance over this, its really not complicated and the end result is very fulfilling as apposed to paying a big bill.
My brake system in this truck was pretty nasty, the fluid was dark and the pads were worn in the front badly. I decided since the parts were affordable i decided to replace everything but the lines. For under 220$ you cant go wrong.
The first step to this is getting your truck on jack stands and pull off all your tires. Steal a towel no one will miss and use it to place parts on so nothing is lost.
Here is the tools you need, For the caliper bolts you need a 3/8 hex bit. The big ass socket in the top right of the picture is a special tool you will need. I found mine at Orileys auto parts for about 10 bucks.
Calipers come off first. 2 bolts. 3/8 inch hex bit fit into mine.
I have after market hubs but im sure they are all similar to remove. After i got the small screws out i gently pried the cap off with a screw driver.
When the caps off you will see a gear almost popping out but barely held in with a Phillips head screw. Remove the screw, gear and spring.
Its hard to describe the next step, You need to remove a ring that holds in the next peice. Just do what im doing in this picture... To see what the ring looks like look below.
The ring.
Stick your thumbs in and pull this out.
Next you use your special socket. Break loose the nut inside and remove.
You should pull one of these out.
This peice pulls straight out, nothing holds it at this point.
One last jam nut and your hub/rotor slides off the axle.
reach into the hub and pull this bearing out before you drop it in the dirt.
I know there is proper tools for this but im a redneck so instead im using a flat blade screw driver and 12oz claw hammer. I hammered down one side of the wheel seal and the other usually pops up making it easy to remove. This seal might not be easy to remove, your not re-using the seal so dont stress it.
After you get the seal out pull out the inner wheel bearing pictured here, set it on your towel. Now you at the mid point of this job, its time to go buy some parts and get some work done to your rotors and drums. The rear drums just slide off without dissembling anything.
The rotors are pressed onto your hub, luckily i didnt have to separate mine. If your rotor is too thin they wont be able to resurface them and you have to go through all the bs of having them separated and have new ones pressed onto the hub.
Dont take your brakes to oriley's to have them turned, their lathe is not big enough. Luckily i RESCUED mine before the dude turning them pounded out all my studs so it would fit on the machine. No matter what they tell you, you dont have to separate the hub and rotor to get them turned. A real parts store with a real brake lathe will turn your rotors and drums in one peice. The local Napa store here won my business.
Pictured here are the parts i bought. 2 front calipers, brake pad set, 2 new wheel seals, New master cylinder, rear brake shoes, rear wheel cylinders, wheel bearing grease, cans of brake parts cleaner, a small tube of locktite, 2 bottles of dot 3 brake fluid and a couple rolls of shop towels. Also pictured are the resurfaced rotors and drums, and a Shelby GT-500.
Apparently i bought a lithium grease that wont mix with other types of grease so according to instructions i have to clean all the grease out of my bearings and hub. I sprayed the brake cleaner into the bearing and turned it, wiped with a rag and repeated until it was clean.
If you have regular wheel bearing grease its still a good idea to clean out the bearings. The grease inside the hub should be okay, dont clean it out unless you really like playing with grease.
While your cleaning these bearings you might as well clean all the other parts going into the hub, just make sure you dont mix up the parts (right and left side).
Now its time to pack the wheel bearings. Tools are available to do this quick and effective. Basically all your doing is jamming all the grease inside the bearing as you can. I did this the old fashioned way with my hand. Get a glob of grease in your palm and just keep ramming it into the bearing, on the side with the biggest diameter. the gap between the inner ring and the cage is the best place to ram grease in, be very generous with this grease. You cant use to much grease.
After you pack the bearings drop in your inner wheel bearing and install the wheel seal. To install this seal gently tap it into the hub with a smaller hammer. Now your bearing is trapped in the hub.
now back to those jam nuts, 1 of them has a small peg on the face. Spin on the nut with a peg first, with the peg facing out.
Now you set the bearings. Keep tightening the nut you just put on and turning the rotor until you feel alot of resistance, the rotor will be very hard to turn by hand. After the rotor stops spinning or is very hard to spin... back off about 1/8th of a turn.
This part is important, the small peg on the jam nut needs to insert into one of the small holes in this piece. You will have to tighten or loosen your nut a little bit to get it into a hole. Once it fits flat against the jam nut you can install the outside jam nut. Use some muscle on this one.
The other 3 parts go in exactly like they came out, very simple, Then you can put the cap back on.
Now install your calipers, they are side specific. 2 new pads per caliper. Look below before you stick pads in the caliper.
This spring clamps onto pad. Clamp it on facing down (down if the caliper is mounted on truck). This spring clips on the inner pad and pops into the piton.
After your calipers back on the brakes are done, for the front anyways. Spray everything really good with the brake cleaner to get grease off the rotors. If your re using your calipers and they are not fitting over the rotor with new pads its probably because the piston is pushed out. Get a C-clamp and squeeze it back in. Really though, 30 bucks for 2 new calipers.... dont be cheap when it comes to brakes.
Front brakes are almost done, they still need bled. I can only post 25 pictures so im making another thread for the rear brakes and bleeding.
My brake system in this truck was pretty nasty, the fluid was dark and the pads were worn in the front badly. I decided since the parts were affordable i decided to replace everything but the lines. For under 220$ you cant go wrong.
The first step to this is getting your truck on jack stands and pull off all your tires. Steal a towel no one will miss and use it to place parts on so nothing is lost.
You must be registered for see images attach
Here is the tools you need, For the caliper bolts you need a 3/8 hex bit. The big ass socket in the top right of the picture is a special tool you will need. I found mine at Orileys auto parts for about 10 bucks.
You must be registered for see images attach
Calipers come off first. 2 bolts. 3/8 inch hex bit fit into mine.
You must be registered for see images attach
I have after market hubs but im sure they are all similar to remove. After i got the small screws out i gently pried the cap off with a screw driver.
You must be registered for see images attach
When the caps off you will see a gear almost popping out but barely held in with a Phillips head screw. Remove the screw, gear and spring.
You must be registered for see images attach
Its hard to describe the next step, You need to remove a ring that holds in the next peice. Just do what im doing in this picture... To see what the ring looks like look below.
You must be registered for see images attach
The ring.
You must be registered for see images attach
Stick your thumbs in and pull this out.
You must be registered for see images attach
Next you use your special socket. Break loose the nut inside and remove.
You must be registered for see images attach
You should pull one of these out.
You must be registered for see images attach
This peice pulls straight out, nothing holds it at this point.
You must be registered for see images attach
One last jam nut and your hub/rotor slides off the axle.
You must be registered for see images attach
reach into the hub and pull this bearing out before you drop it in the dirt.
You must be registered for see images attach
I know there is proper tools for this but im a redneck so instead im using a flat blade screw driver and 12oz claw hammer. I hammered down one side of the wheel seal and the other usually pops up making it easy to remove. This seal might not be easy to remove, your not re-using the seal so dont stress it.
You must be registered for see images attach
After you get the seal out pull out the inner wheel bearing pictured here, set it on your towel. Now you at the mid point of this job, its time to go buy some parts and get some work done to your rotors and drums. The rear drums just slide off without dissembling anything.
The rotors are pressed onto your hub, luckily i didnt have to separate mine. If your rotor is too thin they wont be able to resurface them and you have to go through all the bs of having them separated and have new ones pressed onto the hub.
Dont take your brakes to oriley's to have them turned, their lathe is not big enough. Luckily i RESCUED mine before the dude turning them pounded out all my studs so it would fit on the machine. No matter what they tell you, you dont have to separate the hub and rotor to get them turned. A real parts store with a real brake lathe will turn your rotors and drums in one peice. The local Napa store here won my business.
You must be registered for see images attach
Pictured here are the parts i bought. 2 front calipers, brake pad set, 2 new wheel seals, New master cylinder, rear brake shoes, rear wheel cylinders, wheel bearing grease, cans of brake parts cleaner, a small tube of locktite, 2 bottles of dot 3 brake fluid and a couple rolls of shop towels. Also pictured are the resurfaced rotors and drums, and a Shelby GT-500.
You must be registered for see images attach
Apparently i bought a lithium grease that wont mix with other types of grease so according to instructions i have to clean all the grease out of my bearings and hub. I sprayed the brake cleaner into the bearing and turned it, wiped with a rag and repeated until it was clean.
If you have regular wheel bearing grease its still a good idea to clean out the bearings. The grease inside the hub should be okay, dont clean it out unless you really like playing with grease.
While your cleaning these bearings you might as well clean all the other parts going into the hub, just make sure you dont mix up the parts (right and left side).
You must be registered for see images attach
Now its time to pack the wheel bearings. Tools are available to do this quick and effective. Basically all your doing is jamming all the grease inside the bearing as you can. I did this the old fashioned way with my hand. Get a glob of grease in your palm and just keep ramming it into the bearing, on the side with the biggest diameter. the gap between the inner ring and the cage is the best place to ram grease in, be very generous with this grease. You cant use to much grease.
You must be registered for see images attach
After you pack the bearings drop in your inner wheel bearing and install the wheel seal. To install this seal gently tap it into the hub with a smaller hammer. Now your bearing is trapped in the hub.
You must be registered for see images attach
now back to those jam nuts, 1 of them has a small peg on the face. Spin on the nut with a peg first, with the peg facing out.
You must be registered for see images attach
Now you set the bearings. Keep tightening the nut you just put on and turning the rotor until you feel alot of resistance, the rotor will be very hard to turn by hand. After the rotor stops spinning or is very hard to spin... back off about 1/8th of a turn.
You must be registered for see images attach
This part is important, the small peg on the jam nut needs to insert into one of the small holes in this piece. You will have to tighten or loosen your nut a little bit to get it into a hole. Once it fits flat against the jam nut you can install the outside jam nut. Use some muscle on this one.
The other 3 parts go in exactly like they came out, very simple, Then you can put the cap back on.
You must be registered for see images attach
Now install your calipers, they are side specific. 2 new pads per caliper. Look below before you stick pads in the caliper.
You must be registered for see images attach
This spring clamps onto pad. Clamp it on facing down (down if the caliper is mounted on truck). This spring clips on the inner pad and pops into the piton.
After your calipers back on the brakes are done, for the front anyways. Spray everything really good with the brake cleaner to get grease off the rotors. If your re using your calipers and they are not fitting over the rotor with new pads its probably because the piston is pushed out. Get a C-clamp and squeeze it back in. Really though, 30 bucks for 2 new calipers.... dont be cheap when it comes to brakes.
Front brakes are almost done, they still need bled. I can only post 25 pictures so im making another thread for the rear brakes and bleeding.
