novabortion

Has anyone changed there own brakes? Did you buy dealer brake pads or aftermarket. People are telling me the aftermarket ones always squeak. i Know how to change em but im wondering which ones to buy.
My final question is, is it possible for the rear brake shoes to wear out before the front brake pads? my dealer said my shoes are down to 2mm. My car has 43000 miles and hasnt had a brake pad change. My friends are saying the front are supposed to be changed before the rear since theres more weight on the front.

__________________
2004 ion3 quad coupe, stock for now.

jonnyrocket92

ussally the fronts do wear out way befor the rear, Ive seen s-cars with over 100k on em with org. rear brakes. you may wan to make sure that they are not sticking on ya, that would cause em to wear out faster.. aftermarket brakes do tend to squeek, but not allways,. I have even heard oem ones squeek as well.

__________________
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/858773/1

http://www.youtube.com/?v=dEn_n2VLvxc

www.myspace.com/spocpa

spoc pa prez.

saturn mechanic.

novabortion

thanks for the feedback. I think im going to change them myself and try aftermarket pads this weekend. thank you.

__________________
2004 ion3 quad coupe, stock for now.

MudMan

When I bought my ion new last summer, I noticed a front brake problem right away. When I would brake hard, 2 to 3 times at 70 mph, the front rotors would start to warp, you could feel it in the brake pedal and steering wheel ( my car doesn't have abs). I did not bother going back to the dealer because usually brakes are considered a wear item, and therefore not covered under warrenty. So I took a chance and ordered Powerstop front cross drilled rotors and ceramic pads. The powerstop brakes solved the problem, stop the car better, and are also noise and dust free. The down side is I paid about $225 for the rotors, and $25 for the pads. I would not replace the front brakes with OEM, as I believe they are of poor quality, at least the rotors. As for the rears on your car, I would just pull the drums yourself, inspect for wear or any other problems, adjust the shoes if needed, and clean them with brake parts cleaner and dry with compressed air. If there aren't any problems, I agree with the above that shoes usually go to 100K miles. Just don't forget to use your e brake, it self adjusts the rear shoes every time you use it and keeps the cables from rusting up inside. I set mine every time I park the car, even though I have an auto. Good luck with your ride!

novabortion

thanks mudman, my car also starts shaking when i tap kinda hard on the brakes when im on the freeway. One of these days ill get around to checking the rear shoes. Also its nice to know about the ebrake, i hardly never use it, i would only use it when i park on a hill or incline, which is very rare. ill start using it now. thanks

__________________
2004 ion3 quad coupe, stock for now.