Heavenly Army Motor Vehicle Pool

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PapawBrett

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Hey Y'all. Should be an easy one.
Just finished front brakes on Mamaw's 2004 Ford Taurus. She purchased shoes, but no cleaner. Typical, standard disc brake job with 'C'-clamp to push back piston, replace shoes and reset caliper. Opened Master Cylynder resevior to allow for fluid movement, and closed when finished. Here's my quandry: Brakes seem mushy, and trundle travels nearly to floorboards. I did not open any lines, and MC resevior is full. Granted, not mt vehicle, but brakes should be 'tighter' after swapping out pads, right ?
 

Bronze

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Did you machine or replace the brake rotors? If not, did you chamfer the edges of the pads before installing? If the rotor has a ridge on the outer and inner pad contact area the pad contact will not be ideal. I have replaced pads many times and only chamfered the edges with no problems.

73, how do you chamfer the edges of the pads? I never did that before. Why does it need doing?
 

73ckn797

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If you have a grinder you take off the outer and inner corners of the lining slightly. Don't have a grinder? Use a file and rub the brake pad across the file teeth. The corners of the new pad will tend to contact the ridge of the rotor and the center area will not make full contact to the rotor. If rotors have been replaced or machined chamfering is not so critical though I do it slightly anyway.

chamfer01.jpg

chamfer02.jpg
 

Bronze

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If you have a grinder you take off the outer and inner corners of the lining slightly. Don't have a grinder? Use a file and rub the brake pad across the file teeth. The corners of the new pad will tend to contact the ridge of the rotor and the center area will not make full contact to the rotor. If rotors have been replaced or machined chamfering is not so critical though I do it slightly anyway.

View attachment 213776

View attachment 213777

So what yo're saying is worn rotors create an outer ridge so to fit the new pads they need to be camfered to set against the "good" part of the rotor? It doesn't look like an aggressice chamfering. Just knock down the edge a little?

Also, what is your opinion/observations on the necessity of machining the rotors each time you put on new pads? How much grooving in the rotors is required to warrant turning them?
 

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Shameless bump, just in case there's anyone that didn't know what a great guy 73 was, read this thread.

And yet another shameless bump...

It was this thread that provided me with the most guttural laugh I've ever had on this forum. 73 and Biv are working real hard at being serious (something I know is very difficult for both of them), then Biv just couldn't restrain himself anymore...

73: "I was working for Toyota in 1987/88. A simple test of the fan clutch is to see if it turns freely by hand when cold. There should be resistance in it. If you can see oil staining or leaking from the front center of the hub then a new fan clutch will be needed.

Biv: Huh? Is that right next to where you put in turn signal fluid?"

Laughing again...thanks fellas. :)
 
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