[gdwriter]

I need to replace the front brake rotors and pads on my 91 DeVille. How hard a job is this for a reasonably competent do-it-yourself-er? Are there any stumbling blocks to look out for when doing the job?

 

[Krashed989]

Its not really that hard. The rear brakes may need a speacial tool that you can get at most auto parts stores. Its a brake cube, you use it to screw in the pistons on the rear calipers rather than compressing them. You can use needle nose pliars as well. If the pistons have a flat surface rather than the noched surface that you would use the cube on then you can compress them. Other than that its really easy, just bleed the brakes and press and release the emergency brake when your done (this adjusts the pistons in the rear calipers).

 

[gdwriter]

My DeVille has rear drum brakes. I'm only swapping out the rotors and pads on the fronts; the current rotors are toast; lots of vibration when I step on the brakes. So anything to look out for on the fronts?

 

[Krashed989]

Not really, just your standard operation. A lot of times you would want to put a brake silencer on the back of the new pads when you put them on the caliper, I wonder if it's needed though because I was out of the stuff last time I did mine and I haven't heard a peep out of them. Just keep the master cylender full throughout the job so you don't need to bleed all four brakes. IMHO disk brakes are a lot easier to do than drums (not as many parts). If you are compressing the piston with a C-clamp, open the bleeder and compress it before you take anything off. It just decreases the chances of you making the piston go cooked and get jammed.

 

[terrible one]

It won't be hard. Like Krashed said while you are doing so be sure to keep fluid in the MS at all times so you don't end up with air in the lines.

Whether or not you need the brake silencer wont' be determined until you try it, so you might as well just put it on there. The new pads will probably come with either the plastic silencer or the goo. Either on will do fine. The squeal is really just extremly fast, small vibrations that happen when breaking the pads in.

Yeah, disc brakes are easier. Easier system, better braking. Why havn't we moved on? Because they are just soooo much more expensive. Cheap manufacturers...