Are the rotors heavily scored or have a pedal pulsating when appling the brakes?

I usually just install new pads and let them wear to the rotors if braking is still smooth. Small grooves do no harm.

 

no pulsating, but you can feel them start to grind as you come to a complete stop. The rotors didn't look bad and they were turned when I bought the truck 3 yrs ago.

 

Ceramic pads w/ new rotors. Some place's have lifetime warranty. They aren't that much more $$.

Seeing how the rotors have been turned once & your stopping a trailer. Safety 1st.

 

hap gimme a call, I can get you new rotors cheap!

 

Stay away from the life time pads they are to hard and tear up the rotors That is why they are life time

 

Wagner "Thermo-Quiet" is the best brake pad made. I know several shops they refuse to install anything else. They are comparably priced to any other "Premium" brake pad.
I would have the rotors turned. It doesn`t sound like you need to replace them. Take them to a "professional" brake service shop. Do not take them to AutoZone. The kid at AZ that turns rotors was probably flipping burgers last week. I hate AutoZone....
If you do need to replace rotors, don`t shop around by price. Buy good, quality rotors. Wagner or Raybestos are 2 of the best brands. There are a couple more brands out there that are good quality. Shop at NAPA or a parts store like that.

I speak from experience. Was in the auto parts business for nearly 2 decades and I`m only 40 !

 

A few yrs ago I took a set of Chevy rotors to Auto Zone to be turned at the request of a friend. They had very little wear. Probably .01 would have cleaned them up. Never been turned before. Auto Zones 'spec' sheet said they were too thin to turn, even though they had more than .080 to go according to the 'min. thickness' spec that was cast into the rotors themselves. Their new replacement rotor was only .020 over their own min thickness specs.
It was obvious then that Auto Zone is in the replacement business, not machining
business.

 

Ceramic pads w/ new rotors. Some place's have lifetime warranty. They aren't that much more $$.

Seeing how the rotors have been turned once & your stopping a trailer. Safety 1st.

yes so true.

I would replace em all, you should be able to do it in an hour or so by yourself..........me it was 3 beers.! :laugher:

but the dodges are very simple!

 

Anyone ever do rear drum brakes on a 1 ton? How do you get the drums off is there a trick? do you have to take out the axle?

 

Anyone ever do rear drum brakes on a 1 ton? How do you get the drums off is there a trick? do you have to take out the axle?

More than likely you have "full floating" axles. In this case, yes, you have to pull the axles (those 6 little bolts). Then you have to remove the big nut that is holding the hub to the housing. Usually a flat tip screwdriver and a small hammer will get it spinning off (it is usually not a hex nut, it is usually round with small indentions on the outer part). The drum and hub will come off as one unit. Some places can turn the drum and drum together, once you pull the bearings out. If you have to separate the hub / drum, you can do so by knocking the wheel studs out.

 

More than likely you have "full floating" axles.

1 tons with dual rear wheels will have full floating axles.

 

yes its a 95 ford 350 dually.

 

If the braking power is sufficient do not use the lifetime or ceramic pads. You want to wear the pad out, not the rotor.