Any mechanical-minded folk want to make a few extra bucks? I'm trying to do the rear brakes in my truck and have run into a snag trying to get the caliper pin out. Anybody able to come up to Brick and lend a hand?
Automotive Help Needed
- Thread starter Ben Ruset
- Start date
Ben, its been awhile (a long while) since I worked on brakes, but I'll come up and try to get it out. What is the make and model? Do you have a photo from online?
I ended up getting the pin out by judicious use of a hammer. 
Need to do the other side tomorrow, though.
Need to do the other side tomorrow, though.
Nice to see you got that worked out. I have some serious car issues I will have to work on next weekend. I have been waiting for warmer weather to eliminate the problem, but I will have to push it up.
Yesterday evening I removed one wheel to try and find the problem. When done I put the wheel back on and came in the house. This morning at 4AM I was walking to my car and remembered I had never tightened the lug nuts. I headed for my shed in the dark and fell over a tree branch I cut down and had not moved yet. Then using my cell phone to open the combination lock on the door and prying the stuck door open making a sound at 4AM that Jessica heard in her room. Next, I had to pull the hub cap off which was just as loud. My day started well.
Guy
Yesterday evening I removed one wheel to try and find the problem. When done I put the wheel back on and came in the house. This morning at 4AM I was walking to my car and remembered I had never tightened the lug nuts. I headed for my shed in the dark and fell over a tree branch I cut down and had not moved yet. Then using my cell phone to open the combination lock on the door and prying the stuck door open making a sound at 4AM that Jessica heard in her room. Next, I had to pull the hub cap off which was just as loud. My day started well.
Guy
Ben,
You need another person to bleed them properly. Jessica always pumps the break and holds the break down for me while I bleed them.
There is a noise in the front end. I check the tie rods and anything else I could without going under the car and all seems well. If Jessica turns the wheel back and forth I can hear the noise coming from behind both front tires. It appears to me to be more towards the center of the car ...maybe the connection to the power steering or the connection to the steering wheel. I have not got under the car to really look it over closely, but it is annoying. I also have some sort of thumping noise, much like an unbalanced tire but it is not.
Also, a few months back I was going around one of the curves on 532 and there was a disturbing loss of control of the car for a second. I am concerned there is some steering problem that is getting worse.
And I have hit my bumper so many times in the woods that the brackets that hold and support the "cow catcher" as I call it are all broken. There is a large piece of hard styrofoam in the bumper that freely moves around, and when hitting bumps in the woods it sound like you are shaking a box filled with styrofoam. Between that and the other sounds from the front end it is really noisy.
And when I had the timing belt replaced in Vermont two years ago, they forgot to attach the radiator brackets. A few weeks later I noticed it and now it just does not "fit" well and moves somewhat adding to the noise.
The woods are hard on my car, with me being even harder on it. I have myself replaced both springs, the front wheel bearings, the inner tie rod on the left front, and various other front end parts. I had the engine mounts replaced because two of the three were broken and the third one was weak. I damaged the boot myself with a screw driver and had to have that replaced, and broke the seal on one of the ball joints while replacing the bearings. That now is dry and I am worried it is starting to wear. So far it appears to not be but I can't see it lasting long with no grease.
My rear shocks are leaking and the shifter when it is cold takes all my strength to get it from park to drive. Once it warms up or the weather warms above freezing it works fine. I could go on and on. I have always been well in tune to how my vehicles run and sound. I think when you work on cars for years that comes natural. My family does not hear a thing and thinks I worry too much. They must be deaf.
Guy
A little advice. When you put the caliper pins back on, lube them up real good. Driving in the sand and mud has a bad effect on them. Permatex has some goop in little packets that works really well.
I had brake problems for a long time and couldn't figure out the problem bled them and bled them and bled them some more, replaced the front brakes, took the rear off and come to find out the rear adjusters had seized. They are less likely to do that if you spray them down with WD40. And if you are using the same pins, take them apart and spray them, scrub them with a battery brush or something before putting them back on.
You definitely need two people to bleed them. If any air backs up to the master cylinder, you will need to bench bleed that, I can walk you through that, it isn't difficult.
Now, anyone have any advice for replacing the pitman arm, idler arm and tie rod ends? That is my next project and I am a little leery as I have never done anything like that before, but how hard can it be? (My friend Melissa and I just took out the transmission in her Jeep yesterday, lol)
I had brake problems for a long time and couldn't figure out the problem bled them and bled them and bled them some more, replaced the front brakes, took the rear off and come to find out the rear adjusters had seized. They are less likely to do that if you spray them down with WD40. And if you are using the same pins, take them apart and spray them, scrub them with a battery brush or something before putting them back on.
You definitely need two people to bleed them. If any air backs up to the master cylinder, you will need to bench bleed that, I can walk you through that, it isn't difficult.
Now, anyone have any advice for replacing the pitman arm, idler arm and tie rod ends? That is my next project and I am a little leery as I have never done anything like that before, but how hard can it be? (My friend Melissa and I just took out the transmission in her Jeep yesterday, lol)
I would suggest if you have an inner tie rod problem you not try it yourself. I have worked on cars all my life and I had to have my brother-in-law help me with that one. I just did not have the strength to get it off laying on my back in the driveway. For me the lack of strength has stopped me from doing most of the jobs I had trouble with.
Guy
Guy
I have to replace both inner tie rod ends and the pitman arm and the idler arm. I hate taking it to a mechanic. It is my project and I have done all the stuff to it myself or with help from friends. Muffler, hubs, starter, brakes, master cylinder, idle pulley, drive shaft and more. The only thing I did not do was the transmission, I had someone else do that.
I will take your advice and get someone to help me, thanks for letting me know how difficult it is. It would stink to get under there, get some of the stuff done and then have to wait for someone to help me out with the tie rod end....
Thanks Guy!
I will take your advice and get someone to help me, thanks for letting me know how difficult it is. It would stink to get under there, get some of the stuff done and then have to wait for someone to help me out with the tie rod end....
Thanks Guy!
I bought a vacuum device some time ago at Harbor Freight for about $15. Makes bleeding brakes without help a breeze. Also great for checking any vacuum issues or for leaks. I'm replacing the brake fluid in the car I'm restoring tomorrow.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92474
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92474
I was the same way until my hearing started to go. Now the truck is as quiet as can be
In some cars you can install grease fittings on the suspension parts that appear not to have them. Look for a machine screw or check a shop manual. A quuick lube place can probably tell you if you can do it or not. I had a first year mustang with a front a-arm that was unbearable. A mechanic showed me that sealed parts sometimes really aren't. Sloved the squeak problem.
When it comes to working on vehicles esp ones that see the woods, I'm pretty inclined. As far as grease fittings go on rod ends I have simply just drilled a hole and self tapped it with the fitting it's self. Grease grease and more grease is all i can say about vehicles that see the woods. The sand of the pines destroys everything and fines it way into thing you never thought it could. guy, what kind of vehicle you got? spounds like a broken strut. Another thing that I found on the caliper pins, is to clean them and the surfaces they sit in very well with a wire brush, skip the WD-40 and go straight to white lithium grease, same with drum brake adjusting wheels. Also with tie rod ends the little rubber boot helps alot and if it's deteriated it's letting sand in and grease out. i have use dthis method before with great results (better than the stupid thin rubber ones that come with new ends) http://www.instructables.com/id/Poor-mans-tie-rod-end-or-ball-joint-boot/
as far as shocks go they are very important to keep up on or otherwise you are just killing your springs and taking away all of their weight allowing for a very crappy ride and bottoming out on washboard roads and potholes.
By any means if someone has an issue and either needs something done or a hand let me know either on here or call me at 856 207 0816
as far as shocks go they are very important to keep up on or otherwise you are just killing your springs and taking away all of their weight allowing for a very crappy ride and bottoming out on washboard roads and potholes.
By any means if someone has an issue and either needs something done or a hand let me know either on here or call me at 856 207 0816
Dave, if you don't mind, I may take you up on that. I am taking the truck up to a friends house on Medford so he can look at it and see what I am missing and what I need before I do the actual work. Let me see what I need.
Thanks!
Thanks!
sounds good. by the way I believe I know the "Mel" that you speak of in your one post above. If so she knows me pretty well.
We have met Dave. At the Atco cleanup. I had the green Dakota that we used when the dump truck was full. We talked about my old Suzuki a little...