# REAR BRAKES!



## ILoveToreadBooks (Mar 17, 2004)

How do I know when to replace the REAR BRAKES?


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## Radioaktiv (Feb 12, 2004)

drums or discs?


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## ILoveToreadBooks (Mar 17, 2004)

WELL THE FRONT BRAKES ARE DISCS. SO I GUESS THE REAR BRAKES ARE Discs.


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## aminidab (Apr 30, 2002)

ILoveToreadBooks said:


> WELL THE FRONT BRAKES ARE DISCS. SO I GUESS THE REAR BRAKES ARE Discs.


That is a poor assumption.


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## Tavel (Aug 21, 2004)

very poor indeed, the only sentra i know of that has 4 wheel disc stock is a b13 se-r...my girlfriends b14(what you have) has disc front and DRUM rear. most economy cars have disc front(for safety) and drum rear(for cost cutting).

basically when the brakes start making noise when the brakes are applied is a good time to change them. and if you've never done drum brakes then go buy a haynes manual, they're pretty cheap and you'll be absolutly lost without one.

i have a question though. how come when you replace the brake pads/shoes the brakes seem to lose their effectiveness...like the pedal goes down further before anything happens, whats up with this?


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## OmegaManEX (Oct 4, 2002)

B13 : _SE-R_ = Disc/Disc _E/XE/GXE/SE _= Disc/Drum
B14 : _SE-R/SE/SE-L_ = Disc/Disc _E/XE/GXE/SE_ = Disc/Drum

excessive vibration , fade , and more pedal effort are situation for a brake inspection.


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## ILoveToreadBooks (Mar 17, 2004)

OmegaManEX said:


> B13 : _SE-R_ = Disc/Disc _E/XE/GXE/SE _= Disc/Drum
> B14 : _SE-R/SE/SE-L_ = Disc/Disc _E/XE/GXE/SE_ = Disc/Drum
> 
> excessive vibration , fade , and more pedal effort are situation for a brake inspection.


OMEGA, I have DRUM BRAKES IN THE REAR. How do I know if they need to be replaced? Would I have to do the test in REVERSE? :fluffy: 

P.S. I replaced my front brakes today. Replacing Front Brakes is a piece of cake if you ask me.


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## lshadoff (Nov 26, 2002)

Take off the rear wheels and brake drums. Examine the brake shoes. The lining wear limit is 1.5mm (0.059 in) according to the Factory Service Manual.

Lew


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## ILoveToreadBooks (Mar 17, 2004)

How do I take off the Brake Drums? I have the tools :thumbup:


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## lshadoff (Nov 26, 2002)

ILoveToreadBooks said:


> How do I take off the Brake Drums? I have the tools :thumbup:


Take off the rear wheel. Release the parking brake. To remove the rear drum you just slide the drum off. Grab it at opposite ends and pull/rock, then move your grip and do it again. It should start to move and finally slide off.

If it is hard to remove, you back off the adjuster, screw 2 bolts in the threaded holes in the drum and turn them to drive the drum off.



















Lew


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## Tavel (Aug 21, 2004)

dont forget to take off the wheel bearing/hub. it will be almost impossible to put the brakes back together with that stuff in your way.


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## lshadoff (Nov 26, 2002)

Tavel said:


> dont forget to take off the wheel bearing/hub. it will be almost impossible to put the brakes back together with that stuff in your way.


That is not the procedure in the Factory Service Manual. It indicates to remove the drum. Then remove the brake shoe retainer followed by the spring by rotating the shoes. Then remove the adjuster and parking brake cable. Once the shoes are removed, remove the retainer holding the toggle lever to the brake shoe and separate the parts.

Assembly is the reverse of removal. Apply grease to the places the brake shoes contact the backing plate before assembly. Also, shorten the adjuster by turning it so there is room for the new, thicker brake shoes.

Lew


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## Tavel (Aug 21, 2004)

lshadoff said:


> That is not the procedure in the Factory Service Manual. It indicates to remove the drum. Then remove the brake shoe retainer followed by the spring by rotating the shoes. Then remove the adjuster and parking brake cable. Once the shoes are removed, remove the retainer holding the toggle lever to the brake shoe and separate the parts.
> 
> Assembly is the reverse of removal. Apply grease to the places the brake shoes contact the backing plate before assembly. Also, shorten the adjuster by turning it so there is room for the new, thicker brake shoes.
> 
> Lew



go and do it for yourself, you'll see.


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## ILoveToreadBooks (Mar 17, 2004)

My rear brakes need to be clean and adjusted. Thats what the guy at Mr.Tire told me. :bs: By the way my rear brake shoe pads are in good condtion. I need to pratice alot before I replace the rear brakes myself, because it just looks so complicated.


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## Tavel (Aug 21, 2004)

well its really not that hard, as long as you have a diagram/picture next to you or you mirror the other side...its a piece of cake. 

hell my girlfriend can do it, except shes not strong enough to pull the springs, thats where i come in lol. but we did it on our own without any prior experience just by comparing the side we were working on to the untouched side. its really not hard at all.

(and removing the wheel hub! lol :fluffy: )


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## CHRIS/SR/SE (Dec 15, 2003)

Good call on taking it to someone.... If you don't know what your doing, start slow. Don't start with something that could keep you from stopping.


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## DraftEm98 (Jun 29, 2004)

You dont have to remove your drums in order to inspect the shoes. there is at least one plug that you can remove on the drum to see your brake shoes. your gonna need a manual (to find the rubber plug, procedure), a flashlight and most likely a micrometer (for measuring amount of pad left).


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## davenjes (Jul 30, 2004)

Tavel said:


> dont forget to take off the wheel bearing/hub. it will be almost impossible to put the brakes back together with that stuff in your way.


I was not able to get the big lug off (no breaker bar or impact wrench at the time), but was still able to get the breaks on (a little more complicated, but possible). To get the old set of springs off, a good wire cutter will do the trick. I was going to replace them anyway  . Of course, putting everything back on was a trip, but possible.


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

Omega, it's even easier than that:
1.6L: front disc, rear drum
2.0L: 4 wheel disc

and since it says 96 sentra in his title, there's no way he could have a 2.0.

Drums are nasty, I'm so glad I got a 2.0. Anyway, the cover will pull off as long as the e-brake isn't on.

Technically, I use this rule of thumb: When Fronts are ready to be replaced, I do the backs as well. But then again, I do my own brakes, so if I see abnormal wear on the fronts or rears, then I'll replace accordingly.


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## DraftEm98 (Jun 29, 2004)

Technically, I use this rule of thumb: When Fronts are ready to be replaced, I do the backs as well. But then again, I do my own brakes, so if I see abnormal wear on the fronts or rears, then I'll replace accordingly.[/QUOTE]

>Thats a good rule of thumb when equipped with four-wheel disc. Rear drums, however, don't wear as fast. (Normally. Unless you use your handbrake to powerslide into a side-ways stop! Good times.) Of course wear goes by usage, maintenance, riveted or bonded, etc.
>A trick I like to use is this (most everybody knows this): When driving, roll all your windows down, grab your hand brake with thumb KEEPING PRESSURE on the release button and pull up. If you hear your brakes squeal excessively, or they're not stopping you very well (if at all), than you should replace the shoes. If you feel some vibration than it might be time to replace the drums themselves.
>And, if you're replacing the drums, you might as well upgrade to discs. Check www.fastbrakes.com as they are the only company that produces large quantities of rear drum-to-disc conversions for b14s (others may custom make the d-to-d convo, be sure to check). A little pricy, but you can email their support people and try to see if they will just sell you the brackets and hardware. This way, you can do the NX2K upgrade to the rear without paying for all the extras.

Sorry for the wordiness. Just my two minutes worth.


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

If you want to upgrade to discs, I have the entire setup for sale: Fastbrakes adaptors, Stainless lines, e-brake lines, full calipers, rotors and hardware. The only thing you'll need is pads. PM me for details or check the classifieds. I need to sell them.


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