Need rear brakes...DIY??

[P1CR]

How hard is this to tackle myself?

Anyone documented this?


Anyone?

help.

[wicks]

If you are doing rotors it is a bit of time cuz you have to remove the hubs. I did my front ones (replaced with dba slotted rotors) and it was 2 hours extra to take apart the hubs, etc. There are a couple of basic tricks to use such as placing the hub into a wheel lying on the ground to tighten/loosen the hub bolts. You need a breaker bar for that.

If it is just pads it takes 20 minutes and anyone with a wrench can do it.

[P1CR]

I am doing rotors.

Is the factory manual enough?

The dealer quoted me over $900

[Mike Hippert]

I'm with Mr. Walker. Pads are easy, rotors are a pain to get off the hub, give yourself a least 1/2 a day.

The manual should be enough, $900 is way too much.

[P1CR]

As for instructions, are there any good sources other than the manual? some sort of online DIY?

[TDI Guy]

Maz, not to worry. It's not that bad. Like mike said, the worst part is when you put it back on. You have to fiddle with it a few times before the bearing lines up onto the spindle. not a big deal though.

remove calipers
remove half shafts
remove hub nuts.. 2 1/8" nut i think??
pull hub and rotor off
put hub in a vise and unbolt the rotor 12pt socket forgot size
now reverse order

are you going to do your bearings while your at it? or at lease grease your originals? if thats the case, you need a new rear hub seal to get the rear bearing out. I would add this step. just some extra insurance. You will save tons of $$ doing it yourself. IF people just knew how much they can save by doing there brakes themselves. Rovers are a bit of a pita because you have to remove the hub. On some newer cars, the rotor comes off with no tools. It makes it so easy and shops still want your first born for doing the job. I hope this helps Maz.

Randy

[P1CR]

Thanks so much. It helps quite a bit.

Perhaps I'll do the bearings while I'm in there. Makes sense.

Thanks again for the help!!

[Berty]

Originally posted by TDI Guy

are you going to do your bearings while your at it? or at lease grease your originals? if thats the case, you need a new rear hub seal to get the rear bearing out.
Randy

I'll second that, use a double lipped seal.
Land Rover wheel bearings will run for hundreds of thousands of miles if you maintain them. If your tearing down your hub, which you'll need to do to change discs (rotors) you're half way there.

Don't forget also
lockwashers
paper gaskets
loctite 243

Good luck

Brett

[P1CR]

Uhh...is there a kit available for this?

I bet I can call Rovers North or someone and they'll suggest everything I need...

[Mike Hippert]

Call RN, they will get you everything you need. Have you done bearings before? They can be a PITA to get in and out, you need to hammer them in and out with something soft if you don't have a press, I used a chunk of brass. Also to get the rotor off the hub I had to put it in a vise and pond the rotor off with a sledge hammer.

[P1CR]

Sounds like fun. Can't wait. (sarcasm)

I build Supermoto bikes that need little tiny bearings pounded in an out.

I hope it's similar.

I like the color of your truck.

Oh...while I have your attention...anyone have a Borla cat-back on a wagon? Will it resonate my eardrums off? I'm worried about highway use and deafness. My truck is pretty quiet as is.

[wicks]

Mazen,

All with good advice here. I don't think you have to pound out the inner bearing to grease it up (just grease em up in place), but not sure.

You'll just need the hub nut tool for the nut on the axle. When reassembling be attentive to the torque. You just want to get a feel for securing the hub well, but not clamping it tight.

George at RDS also has replacement hub nut washers, if you want to replace them. They can also be reused if you don't mind.

Also, you don't need a vice - you can take the hub off and set it into an upside down wheel on the floor to get the hub nuts off (releases the rotor from hub).

[Mike Hippert]

Wicks, when I said I need a vice it wasn't too get the nuts off it was too pry the two apart after the nuts were off. You need a little force when they get rusted together on these New England and Michigan trucks.:grin But I agree you can grease the bearings in place but to replace them I hammered them in and out very carefully with a small hammer and a brass drift.

I have a Borla cat-back on my ST and it resonates from 2100 RPM to 2800 RPM pretty loud. I did notice it is allot quieter with the fiberglass top on.

[wicks]

Oh, now I remember that part!

I used a nice heavy mallet. ;)

[Neo]

Is there any specific grease recommended for greasing the wheel bearings? Any work exceptionally well?

[TDI Guy]

I use synthetic mobil 1 grease..

[Mike Hippert]

Me too.

[BarryO]

Mobil 1 for me, too.

This is a very good write-up for replacing and/or repacking the wheel bearings: http://www.spanishtrailrovers.com/Tech/Maintain/Wheel_Bearing_Replacement/wheel_bearing_replacement.html

I did the front rotors a while ago. I bought the parts at the dealer; the parts guy recommended a collection of miscellaneous other parts that are usually used as well, e.g., folding lockwashers, the paper gaskets, seals, and of course the pads. I think it was $300 for the OEM parts (no bearings). You can get aftermarket parts for less.

I just hit the rotor with a mason's hammer with the hub sitting on the floor, and it came off.