Brakes, power steering

[portlandareae28]

so back to the BRAKES part of this thread......

 

Monday Morning (after towing my car on a car hauler 60 miles and an empty trailer back on Sunday) I hear a noise coming from drivers side brake.  Keep in mind its been 100* so generally driving with windows up and air conditioning and music on, so this noise that I first heard on Monday morning could have started on Sunday.  So, back to Monday morning, I pull the truck back into the driveway, run in and get the keys to the Ford Ranger (I KNOW I KNOW, I hate it when the Ford saves my *** too) and head to work.  Come home from work and start poking around behind the tire..  looks to be that part of the dust cover is broken/loose, I think phew, something simple, UNTIL, I saw the inside of the rotor that looks like Gravel or a grinding wheel was used instead of brake pads on it.  SO at bare minimum I need a rotor and set of pads.   I think those two pieces are pretty easy..  Now whether I go 3rd gen or not is not something that needs to be a part of this conversation except from a compatability stand point.  I have never rebuilt a caliper before, but I watched a few videos and read a few things and it doesn't appear to be that difficult..  Would you guys rebuild or go reman'd on calipers?  If rebuilt, is my recollection correct on the third gen that I can use a stock caliper and just need 3rd gen pads and caliper brackets to make the 3rd gen rotor work?  I am in NO rush on this project, I want to go at it methodically and take care of any and all maintenance that makes sense for anything else (even non brake related) that is easy when its torn apart.  

[Haggar]

If time is not an issue, rebuild it yourself. 

 

rebuild Kit is like 5$   rebuilt caliper is $30 or so.    So there is money to save and experience to have. 

 

GL

Hag

[portlandareae28]

21 minutes ago, Haggar said:

If time is not an issue, rebuild it yourself. 

 

rebuild Kit is like 5$   rebuilt caliper is $30 or so.    So there is money to save and experience to have. 

 

GL

Hag

Thank you Hag?  Where do you get remans for $30? I am thinking some of the remans come with the bracket, not sure what just the brackets cost or how that cost will compare to a reman.  If the reman comes with brackets and I am going 3rd gen might make sense to buy the reman with the bracket.  Also are rebuild kits readily available?  Best places to buy these types of parts?

Edited July 17, 2019 by portlandareae28
better english :-)

[Haggar]

I just looked on rock auto.

 

coated cardones are 30 bucks  and go up from there. (high core but send the core in...)

kit is really 3 something. 

 

not sure what is needed to go gen 3.  (their calipers seem to be more expensive and show different part numbers than ours.  so if your going gen 3 get new calipers  they may be different)

new brackets for an 03 (I assume that is the 3rd gen) are about 20 each.

 

Hag

 

[portlandareae28]

36 minutes ago, Haggar said:

I just looked on rock auto.

 

coated cardones are 30 bucks  and go up from there. (high core but send the core in...)

kit is really 3 something. 

 

not sure what is needed to go gen 3.  (their calipers seem to be more expensive and show different part numbers than ours.  so if your going gen 3 get new calipers  they may be different)

new brackets for an 03 (I assume that is the 3rd gen) are about 20 each.

 

Hag

 

My understanding on everything I have read is that the third gen caliper is a little different, but not necessary, and has different size/thread for the brake line connection.  But many people have just switched the rotor, caliper bracket, and pads and kept their 2nd gen calipers in tact.

[NIsaacs]

I think 3rd gen brakes need 17" wheels.

[portlandareae28]

33 minutes ago, NIsaacs said:

I think 3rd gen brakes need 17" wheels.

I have 17" wheels, take offs from a 2015 truck

[IBMobile]

If you go with rebuilds DO NOT use Oreille's.  Did a brake job 2 weeks ago where the customer supplied the parts.  I went through 3 left calipers to find a good one.  

I normally use the Centrex brand; never had a problem with them and yes they come with brackets.        

[Mopar1973Man]

I used NAPA economy pads all the way around and cleared 180k on the first batch of brak pads, then over 200k on the second batch of brake pads. Rotors lasted over 380k miles before I replaced them. The economy pads have way less metallics in the pad and dont eat up the rotors.

[portlandareae28]

22 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

I used NAPA economy pads all the way around and cleared 180k on the first batch of brak pads, then over 200k on the second batch of brake pads. Rotors lasted over 380k miles before I replaced them. The economy pads have way less metallics in the pad and dont eat up the rotors.

 

I will find part#'s tonight.  Thank you for the feedback!!

 

 

28 minutes ago, IBMobile said:

If you go with rebuilds DO NOT use Oreille's.  Did a brake job 2 weeks ago where the customer supplied the parts.  I went through 3 left calipers to find a good one.  

I normally use the Centrex brand; never had a problem with them and yes they come with brackets.        

 

Thoughts on where to get that brand?  I know you have sources that I may not have access to.

[IBMobile]

I get them from Parts Authority.  I think they sell retail also. 

http://partsauthority.com/

 

locations

https://www.bing.com/maps?q=parts+authority+auto+parts&form=EDGSPH&mkt=en-us&httpsmsn=1&plvar=0&refig=4d87e10a971047169c4c3e0993c89ffc&PC=HCTS&sp=1&qs=HS&pq=parts&sc=8-5&cvid=4d87e10a971047169c4c3e0993c89ffc&cc=US&setlang=en-US

 

Rock Auto has them but the your paying shipping from and sending the cores back. This is for a 03. 

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/dodge,2003,ram+2500+pickup,5.9l+l6+diesel+turbocharged,1413470,brake+&+wheel+hub,caliper,1704

[BBHD]

On 7/17/2019 at 2:18 PM, portlandareae28 said:

My understanding on everything I have read is that the third gen caliper is a little different, but not necessary, and has different size/thread for the brake line connection.  But many people have just switched the rotor, caliper bracket, and pads and kept their 2nd gen calipers in tact.

This is the route I took. Easy and an excellent upgrade 

[portlandareae28]

So it seems the banjo bolt is different if I were to go to a third gen caliper, so thinking I want everything new in there.  Will do a 2nd gen caliper, third gen bracket, pads and rotors.  I am going to tear into the rear drums too.  I have read about a wheel cylinder upgrade eons ago, is this worth the trouble?  I think it was a GM part maybe.

[BBHD]

27 minutes ago, portlandareae28 said:

So it seems the banjo bolt is different if I were to go to a third gen caliper, so thinking I want everything new in there.  Will do a 2nd gen caliper, third gen bracket, pads and rotors.  I am going to tear into the rear drums too.  I have read about a wheel cylinder upgrade eons ago, is this worth the trouble?  I think it was a GM part maybe.

I kept 2nd gen calipers. I also have the larger wheel cylinders in the rear.

[Mopar1973Man]

On 7/3/2019 at 3:13 PM, IBMobile said:

The old Volvo used this type of pump up to 1984 and the rear mounting bracket used those bolt holes.  I've had to reseal the pump reservoir due to leaks there.  There are O-rings that go between the pump and the reservoir housing that need to be replaced.  it's a very easy job to due once the pump is off the vehicle.   another time I had a pump leak because of a short hairline crack in the reservoir sheet metal at one of the bolt holes.   I think, it was about thirty years ago, I brazed that crack closed.  

 

                                                                  The kit is cheap, $9-$14, an can be found at most parts suppliers.

 

 

  

 

Just a heads up. NAPA does NOT sell the main reservoir seal. That reservoir seal can be replaced without removing the pump. Not hard at all. I got the store manage to order a pump and stole the seal from pump. Then like I said I removed the 2 return hoses and the one pressure hose. Unscrewed the bolts and the regulator removed the reservoir and cleaned it out. Replaced the seal and slipped the reservoir back over the new seal and assembled again. 

[portlandareae28]

32 minutes ago, BBHD said:

I kept 2nd gen calipers. I also have the larger wheel cylinders in the rear.

 

Do you feel it was all worth it?

 

recall which wheel cylinders you went with?

10 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

 

Just a heads up. NAPA does NOT sell the main reservoir seal. That reservoir seal can be replaced without removing the pump. Not hard at all. I got the store manage to order a pump and stole the seal from pump. Then like I said I removed the 2 return hoses and the one pressure hose. Unscrewed the bolts and the regulator removed the reservoir and cleaned it out. Replaced the seal and slipped the reservoir back over the new seal and assembled again. 

 

I will look into this.  I am not sure at this point if the leak is coming from the reservoir and traveling down the lines or if it is coming out of the top of the steering box

[pepsi71ocean]

7 hours ago, portlandareae28 said:

So it seems the banjo bolt is different if I were to go to a third gen caliper, so thinking I want everything new in there.  Will do a 2nd gen caliper, third gen bracket, pads and rotors.  I am going to tear into the rear drums too.  I have read about a wheel cylinder upgrade eons ago, is this worth the trouble?  I think it was a GM part maybe.

 

I also went with the larger wheel cylinders, IIRC it was 1 3/16" I believe which is bigger then the 1 1/8" that was stock? It does make a difference if you don't have a load valve on it.

[BBHD]

 

I think it's worth it. I replaced the wheel cylinders about 4 years ago and noticed a difference. The front brake upgrade was very noticeable. 

[portlandareae28]

Front brakes are in, thought I was doing something wrong while trying to bleed.  But it seems the fluid was just escaping the system somewhere near the rear 1/3 of the fuel tank as it is all wet and fluid is dripping from there.....  guessing maybe a rotten/rusted line back there somewhere unless there is something I am not aware of that could be causing this?  Any help is greatly appreciated..

[Haggar]

Behind the fuel tank seems to be a common place to lose a line due to corrosion.   I have not experienced this, but have seen other posts where it happened.

 

GL

 

Hag