Repair 7

You can restore the height of the brake pedal on your Mustangs rear drum brake by adjusting the brakes from time to time. This will also have the added benefit of extending the life of your brakes and restoring the emergency brake function. Mustangs with rear disc brakes are adjusted automatically when you push down on the brake pedal.

Instructions

1

Put wheel chocks in front of and behind the front wheels of the vehicle. Put the floor jack under the rear differential and raise the vehicle up high enough to slide the jack stands under the car. Position the stands next to the rear axles. Lower the car onto the jack stands with the jack.

2

Disengage the parking brake and put the car into neutral.

3

Find the adjustment plug, which is toward the bottom of the backing plate, and remove it. The backing plate can be found behind the rear wheels.

4

Put the screwdriver through the hole in the plate and turn the self-adjuster upward while turning the closest rear wheel in a forward direction. You will know the brake is fully adjusted when you feel a slight drag as you spin the wheel. Remove the screwdriver and put the plug back in place. Repeat with the other wheel.

5

Put the car into park and raise the car. Slide out the jack stands and lower the car to the ground. Remove the wheel chocks. Engage and disengage the parking brake several times and test-drive it to make sure the brakes have been adjusted properly. If the parking brake clicks a maximum of six times and the brake pedal is higher, then you know it has been properly adjusted.

You can adjust the rear brakes on your 2001 GMC Safari right in your home garage. This adjustment should be done periodically to lengthen the life of your rear brakes, to improve brake function, and to restore the function of the parking brake. This adjustment can be done in less than an hour and requires only a few basic tools that can be purchased from your local auto parts retailer. The adjustment procedure basically reduces the gap between the shoes and the drums, resulting in a higher brake pedal height and faster braking times.

Instructions

1

Put on work gloves and safety goggles.

2

Position two wheel chocks in front of each front wheel and two wheel chocks behind each front wheel to keep the car from moving while you work on it.

3

Put the floor jack under the rear differential and raise up the Safari until its higher than the jack stands. Slide the jack stands under the vehicles axle tubes next to each of the rear wheels. Lower your 2001 GMC Safari onto the jack stands.

4

Look for a rubber plug in the backing plate behind the wheel. Remove the plug.

5

Insert a screwdriver into the hole and rotate the star-shaped adjuster upward at the same time spin the rear wheel in a forward motion. Keep spinning the wheel and rotating the adjuster until you feel a slight drag on the wheel. Remove the screwdriver and reinsert the plug. Repeat this procedure for the other rear wheel.

6

Raise the vehicle up off the jack stands and move them out of the way. Lower the vehicle to the ground and remove the wheel chocks. Take the GMC for a test drive to make sure the brake pedal height is higher and that the parking brake is tighter, clicking a maximum of six notches when you engage it.

The front brakes on your 1986 Chevy Celebrity operate by pressing pads against a rotor to slow or stop the car. The pads are held in place by the brake caliper that compresses against the rotor. The wheels are mounted to the rotors, which complete the braking assembly. When brake pads squeak, its time for replacement. Replacing the front brakes on your Chevy Celebrity requires caution since the repair is done under the car. Youll also need an assistant.

Instructions

1

Prepare the car for repair by parking it on a dry level surface. Put the car in park, turn off the engine but do not set the parking brake. Prevent the car from accidentally rolling during the repair by bracing the rear wheels using wheel chocks or bricks.

2

Lift the hood and locate the master brake cylinder reservoir. The reservoir is located on the upper-right side, mounted onto the firewall when facing the car. Remove the reservoir fill cap to release the pressure in the brake line.

3

Take out half the fluid in the reservoir using the turkey baster and discard. This will allow room for the caliper piston to retract as necessary during the pad installation.

4

Slide the floor jack under the front axle and lift the car to loosen the wheel lugs. The wheels should remain touching the ground to prevent them from turning. Loosen the lug nuts on both front wheels, and then raise the car higher to put the jack stands in place.

5

Place the jack stands directly under the axle and then lower the car down onto the stands. Be sure that the car remains off the ground for the wheels to be removed.

6

Remove the wheel lug nuts on the left side first and take off the wheel. Complete the entire brake pad replacement repair on this side before starting the opposite side replacement.

7

Locate and remove the two mounting bolts located on either end of the caliper using the socket wrench.

8

Lift off the entire caliper assembly and pads from the rotor. Remove and discard both worn brake pads. Allow the caliper assembly to rest on bricks or another suitable structure to prevent the caliper from simply hanging by the brake fluid hose line.

9

Push the caliper piston back into the caliper bore to create enough space for the replacement brake pads using the C-clamp tool. The new replacement pads are thicker than the worn pads, so the piston must be completely retracted into the caliper bore for them to fit.

10

Install both the replacement brake pads, being certain that they are seated correctly. Place the caliper assembly back onto the rotor and mounting bracket. Install and tighten the two mounting bolts using the socket wrench.

11

Repeat Steps 7 through 10 on the other brake assembly.

12

Refill the master brake cylinder reservoir with new DOT 3 rated brake fluid. Have an assistant press the brake pedal. Replace the reservoir cap and then release the brake.

13

Remove the cap and again have the assistant press the brake pedal. Replace the cap again and then release the brake to remove any trapped air within the brake line.

14

Mount the wheels and install the lug nuts on both sides using a crossing-pattern. Raise the car and remove both jack stands. Lower the car down to where the wheels are just touching the ground. Securely tighten all the lug nuts on both sides, again using a crossing-pattern.

15

Lower the car to the ground. Remove the jack and wheel braces. Drive the vehicle while making several sudden and abrupt stops to test the brakes. Recheck the brake fluid reservoir and add fluid as needed.

Its almost as though theyre trying to irritate their parents. Back when it debuted, gearheads regularly referred to the Impala in reverent tones as "the SS," or "the 409." Later "enthusiasts," though, came to think of the Impalas chrome emblem as depicting a leaping donkey, and the "Donk" was born. And so it was that heathens world-wide devised a whole new way to irritate Mom and Dad.

Pads

As of 2013, youre looking at about $15 for the cheapest front pads, and the same for the rear. Add in $15 for ancillary items like brake fluid, anti-squeal lubricant and brake cleaner, and you can expect to spend about $45 minimum in parts to replace the pads on all four wheels. some of the better pads can run upward of $50 per set, for a total of about $115 for the best brake pad replacement possible.

Rotors

The cheapest front rotors are about $37 a piece, and the upgraded "severe duty" name-brand front rotors are about $50; dimensionally and in terms of materials, the two are identical, and the cheaper rotor is actually a bit lighter. The cheapest rear rotors are about $25 a piece, and 5 pounds lighter each than the $40 slotted rotor, which will last longer and run cooler. The most expensive rear rotor is about $55, but doesnt offer any real advantages over the $25 rotor. So, add between $124 and $210 for four new rotors, depending on the units you choose.

Shop Estimates

Shops typically determine labor by "book time," or the number of hours the shop manual says the job should take. They multiply those "book hours" by the shops per-hour labor rate, which as of 2013 is about $40 to $65 for a decent independent mechanic. Book time for the front pads is 1.2 for both sides, and 1.6 hours for the rear; which means $50 to $80 for the front pads, and $64 to $104 for the rear. Thats about $115 to $184 for labor. Suggestion: If youve got a floor jack and basic hand tools, just save yourself the money and do this simple, DIY job yourself.