Them's The Brakes! (BONUS TIP: How I Loosened A Bolt)

Today was the day for brand new rear brakes on the old 2002 Buick Rendezvous. 
I won't go through the whole thing step-by-step since there are excellent videos on YouTube that you can watch before you try a brake job, but I can assure you, if you are patient and resourceful you can tackle the project with only moderate effort.

As you can see, there was nothing left on the old brake pad. (foreground)  I can't remember the date of the last rear brake job but obviously it was awhile ago. Last time I was at my mechanic (Jack's Central Auto) they said I needed back brakes. I knew the rotors would likely be damaged by the worn pads but the rotors were badly rusted so I knew I'd be replacing them anyway. The rear brakes do last longer than the fronts because they do less work, but eventually they do wear out.

Removing the rear wheel is the easy part. This reveals the hydraulic brake unit consisting of the rotor and the caliper which squeezes the rotor and thereby stops the car. Always use axle stands along with your jack and as an extra precaution I always throw the wheel under the car just in case.

With all the heat generated by the brakes and the water that gets splashed up from winter's sallty puddles, the brakes get very corroded, so the bolts are hard to turn and the mechanisms can seize up and malfunction. Undoing the bolts is a major challenge. In this case, one of the two passenger side sliding pins in the caliper was impossibly seized and broke when I tried to undo it. Another $75 was needed for a new caliper assembly.

Here's how I dealt with a bolt that was in an awkward place and would not budge. I cut a piece of tubing to fit under the wrench and then removed the axle stand and let the jack down slowly to use the weight of the car to loosen the bolt. Clever huh? I'm smarter than I look! Ha ha!  Worked like a charm. Be sure you know which way to push the wrench to loosen, not tighten.

New pads and rotors (both rear wheels) from an on-line supplier for about $80. One new passenger-side caliper assembly for another $80 with tax and I probably saved at least $400-600. I don't mind paying Jack's Central to repair stuff that I can't do but I hate to spend my money on jobs that I can finish with moderate effort. I'd rather put the cash towards a cruise. Hmmm!

Ready for another trip to somewhere in my 15 year old classic or on another ship somewhere.
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