Timberman

Well, it's that time again. My truck is in for its yearly $1200, 3 day brake job. I took it to a shop that mainly works on dump trucks and tractor trailers this time, they are a cummins repair shop as well. This time around, truck needs

Wheel Bearings (Read:New Hub Assembly) Both sides
Rotors both sides
Caliper Drivers side
Pads
Front axle U Joint drivers side
Track bar
Steering stabilizer bushings

This one is going to hurt. Bad. It might break its own brake job record of $1425 from 2006. We'll see.

atc250r

OUCH! You've gotta start doing your own work. All that stuff they're doing is really easy work.

John

caburnside

Ouch!! I have always done my own pads. I did have to have a shop switch my front pads and calipers 3 weeks ago for $300 because I was on the road.

infidel

How many miles inbetween your major expenses?

dieselman2300

You might want to consider manual hubs since both wheel bearings need to be done. Its only a few hundred dollars more for the kit.

cbschmidt

absolutley, if you can turn a wrench you can do most of what you listed and save big labor $$$ this site has great tutorials,good luck next time

dozer12216

Can't believe all those parts are really bad, but more in the range of extreme preventive maintance. One item though. Generally to advantage to replace both calipers if one is bad. JMHO

Timberman

Yeah, maybe I'll have them replace the other caliper too. My big reason for not doing it myself is removing the hubs. Seems like a real nightmare just to get them apart, and knowing my truck it would fight me to the death. It likes to break parts in succession when you try to take anything apart. It would be really nice to save the 800 in labor though.

Does anyone here ever just replace the pads on your front disc brakes, without having the rotors turned or replaced? Mine will eat up the rotors fast, and they always need to be replaced. Every year. That is my main complaint about this truck, is the poor braking and expensive brake maintenance. Love the towing power, now that I've broken and upgraded all those parts.

I'm going to try to replace the ends of the track bar, vs replacing the whole bar.

high bid

Just pads replaced, July 08 but I noticed that it pulls slightly to the left...probably should have done the rotors also.

patdaly

Timberman, at the minimum I would swap in a 2000.2001 front end for the easily removable rotors, would save you the cost of removing the hub.

Then I would find out why you need brakes every year, I cannot imagine needing them once a year!

If you don't want to do a whole axle swap, at least get the manual hub conversion, it makes getting the old rotor style off so much easier.

blackimpala

I don't know what you do with your truck but after owning my truck for four years I have changed pads once, nothing else. I and I tow a 34' TT. Mine was pulling but after lubricating the slid pins on the disk brakes it quit. I would take a close look at what they say is bad. I think they maybe doing allot of unnecessary work. Have someone else look at it.

Floyd

Timberman

I didn't realize you could convert the front end and use different hubs. I'll start searching on here for that. Thanks for that info. I pull an equipment trailer that weighs in at 17 to 18K when its loaded, and with rear drum brakes on the truck, it kills my front brakes. Got good trailer brakes, and a good controller. The exhaust brake helps a very small amount, I think. For the amount of yearly maintenance I'm paying for, I guess a front hub conversion and a rear disc brake conversion might be worth while. Just hate spending so much on the truck, but it has to last another couple years until I can buy a bigger tow/work rig and retire this one to a weekend toy. The truck sure doesn't owe me anything, it has done a lot for me.

dozer12216

Trying to get picture of your use. I'm not a big advocate of larger rear wheel cylinders, but that may be good option for you. Plenty threads on installing 1 3/16 inch wheel cylinders from GM vehicles. That will certainlly give you more rear braking effort.
Next you eat up rotors which sounds like overly agressive pads. Some of the high dollar pads are the worst. I use standard premium linings from Autozone. Don't laugh. I don't have dust on my wheels, and they lock down as well as others. They are not agressive on rotors. Last changed without turning rotors and the lifetime free replace helped.
One more thing. Never push brake fluid backwards into MC when making repairs. JMHO and observations on dozens of brake jobs for family.

tmacie

Have you thought about changing to GM wheel cyls in the rear? I just did mine, they bolt right it. I haven't driven it yet but the reports I've seen say they drastically help wear on the front brakes.


Travis

tmacie

Doh! Dozer you beat me to it by a few second. Good point on the pads....a lot of the "BEST" pads from parts stores are only "best" because they last longer, a lot of times that means they are harder on rotors. now, the cheaper pads may dust a little more and wear faster, but a $40 set of pads once in a while is still better than pads and rotors, specially with our rotors being captured.


Travis