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My brakes are getting a bit spongy despite having plenty of brake pad and shoes. My rotors seems a bit thin but I have no way of knowing if they are the cause or not. Is there a simple way to check and see if they have enough life in them?
The same goes for the drums...is there a way to check those?
Simply measure the rotors with a micrometer and compare against spec. If well above minimum spec, they can be resurfaced cheaper than replacing.
Thin rotors alone won't cause a bad pedal feel. Are they warped, does the car shake while braking?
Biggest problem I see in the rust belt is brake pads that get stuck in the brackets due to rust buildup under the clips on the ends. The pads need to be free enough to "float" and rust causes them to bind, and can cause uneven wear and low spongy pedal. I take them all apart and grind the rust out, coat the exposed iron with Silicone grease, and wire wheel the rust off of the end clips.
Next biggest issue IMO is stuck slide pins. Free them up, clean them up, and I use Silicone grease on them regardless of whatever type of grease was on them prior. Silicone won't attack the rubber boots. Make sure the boots are not torn open.
^You can see the rust issue there
Bad caliper(s) can also cause lousy pedal feel too.
You'll probably never need to touch Hondas drums. You might never need rear brakes at all.
Front brakes need serviced far more often than rear shoes, easily 5:1 in replacements or higher.
Simply measure the rotors with a micrometer and compare against spec. If well above minimum spec, they can be resurfaced cheaper than replacing.
Thin rotors alone won't cause a bad pedal feel. Are they warped, does the car shake while braking?
Biggest problem I see in the rust belt is brake pads that get stuck in the brackets due to rust buildup under the clips on the ends. The pads need to be free enough to "float" and rust causes them to bind, and can cause uneven wear and low spongy pedal. I take them all apart and grind the rust out, coat the exposed iron with Silicone grease, and wire wheel the rust off of the end clips.
Next biggest issue IMO is stuck slide pins. Free them up, clean them up, and I use Silicone grease on them regardless of whatever type of grease was on them prior. Silicone won't attack the rubber boots. Make sure the boots are not torn open.
^You can see the rust issue there
Bad caliper(s) can also cause lousy pedal feel too.
You'll probably never need to touch Hondas drums. You might never need rear brakes at all.
Front brakes need serviced far more often than rear shoes, easily 5:1 in replacements or higher.
You'll probably never need to touch Hondas drums. You might never need rear brakes at all.
Front brakes need serviced far more often than rear shoes, easily 5:1 in replacements or higher.
They need to be adjusted periodically, I would say at least every 30 K miles.
Lack of regular adjustments results in excessive front brakes wear as they end up doing 90% of braking.
