'04 T&C ltd - Brake pad recommendations

[rbajjk]

Well the brake light came on - wouldn't you know it, need brakes at 20k miles - ridiculous!!

Anyway, dealer wanted $150 to turn rotors and replace pads - prob with same crap the car came with. Well, I refused and am putting my own pads on.

Anyway, wanted to put on ceramic and bought Raybestos Quiet Stop (part pgd856? or something like that) from PepBoys. Got home, got the wheels off brakes off, and the d*mn pads are of a very different shape, etc than the OEM. Is there a way to clip these bad boys in place (assuming I got the right part)? I have checked a couple of other websites and the part number does look right - but how these can replace what is in there, I don't know.

Does anyone have any recommendations on brake parts? I wanted to use ceramic to ct down on pad wear and the freakin' brake dust (WOW!). However definitely want something that fits well into place - safety comes first. I was looking at Akebono - since I put the reman calipers and ProAct ceramics on my other car a year ago (very happy so far).

Help!!!!!!!!!!!

Brian.

[MT-2500]

Your dealer has the best deal on new rotors and brake pads kit for it. Somewhere in the 100 to 125$ bracket.
Factory OEM parts only hurts one time.
But Good grief. Tell us how you Killed your pads in 20K
Is it your driving or is something bad on the brake system?
On my wife's T&C the factory pads made it over 100k and she digs a hole in the driveway where she flys in.
MT

[vipergg]

Originally Posted by rbajjk

Well the brake light came on - wouldn't you know it, need brakes at 20k miles - ridiculous!!

Anyway, dealer wanted $150 to turn rotors and replace pads - prob with same crap the car came with. Well, I refused and am putting my own pads on.

Anyway, wanted to put on ceramic and bought Raybestos Quiet Stop (part pgd856? or something like that) from PepBoys. Got home, got the wheels off brakes off, and the d*mn pads are of a very different shape, etc than the OEM. Is there a way to clip these bad boys in place (assuming I got the right part)? I have checked a couple of other websites and the part number does look right - but how these can replace what is in there, I don't know.

Does anyone have any recommendations on brake parts? I wanted to use ceramic to ct down on pad wear and the freakin' brake dust (WOW!). However definitely want something that fits well into place - safety comes first. I was looking at Akebono - since I put the reman calipers and ProAct ceramics on my other car a year ago (very happy so far).

Help!!!!!!!!!!!

Brian.

I agree , it doesn't surprise me with the amount of brake dust the originals put out . Have the same problem on our 04 . You clean (some of it you can't off) it and by the next day they filthy . In this day and age there is no excuse for this . Have a 96 Voyager and this has never had that problem . Guess I shouldn't expect them to put decent pads on a $30000 vehicle . It wouldn't surprise me if we need them before spring , currently has 31000 miles but a lot of it has been highway but the pedal is starting to feel lower.

[rbajjk]

MT/Viper,

Thanks for the replies. Our dealer offered to replace the pads and machine the rotors for $150. We were not willing to take the risk of oem being of the same quality as what was on there to begin with.

Regarding the wear, we were quite surprised as well. We had a Ford Windstar for 3 years and 40k miles and never even changed the pads. On this forum, we have read several posts by late model Chrysler van owners that they had also experienced the same premature wear. Anyway, we did not want to spend $150 and get the same quality.

Since my last post I have decided to buy Akebono ProACT ceramic pads and also go ahead and replace the worn rotors (which could be turned) with Raybostos PG Plus rotors. Why new rotors? 1) how much the rotor wore down already 2) the cost to machine a used rotor, 3) new rotors were only $20-25 delivered, and 3) the ease of do-it-yourself replacement. Also I am investing in $75 ceramic brake pads so wanted a smooth start. I should also state that I put this combination of pads and rotors on my 1997 oldsmobile aurora, one year ago (25k miles), and have had no visible wear on the rotors or pads yet (and not much dust thank goodness!!!!), and great performance.

Finally I have to say I had no idea how easy these pads/rotors are to replace. I bought (or should say was sold) the wrong pads for the job. When I went to replace the pads, I jacked the car and supported it, took off the wheel, removed only two torx bolts on the back of the caliper, and voila! I was looking at the worn pads. Had I actually had the right pads (very obvious these weren't the right ones), I could have changed them in about 20 minutes per tire. At that time I also noticed that the rotor was worn down by about 1/8 of an inch on both sides. Once I saw how easy it was to do, I found these good quality rotors for a mere $18 plus shipping on the web.

I'll post when the job is done!!

Thanks to all who have read this note...... and from whom I have learned so much over the years!

Brian

[rbajjk]

To All,

The job is done. Took about 1-1/2 hours, but no trouble at all. In order to replace the rotors I had to take off not only the caliper, but also the mounting plate for it (two add'l bolts). I took my time to lube the caliper bolts well, and actually cleaned (sprayed them with cleaner) the pad mounting plates. Finally I did go ahead and buy the CRC disc quiet (looks like orange glue) and apply to the backs of the pads prior to installation. This is supposed to help seat the pads and minimize any friction (squeaking) between the caliper and the backs of the pads.

The pads/rotors seem to work well on a Mario Andretti-style test drive....well as aggressive as you need to test new pads/rotors in a mini-van anyway. Once we get the van cleaned and the old dust removed from the chrome rims, the cosmetic test will be how long it takes to re-appear. These ceramic pads are identical to the ones on my other car, so I do not expect any dust at all.

So a couple of hours on the web, couple hours on the install, total cost $125 parts, $10 install stuff (spray brake cleaner, disc quiet glue, and T45 torx bit), and I have replace the rotors, as well as replaced the pads with top quality ceramic pads. Remember the dealer wanted $150 for machining the rotors and replacing with the same cheap oem stuff. Anyway, I expect I'll save at least one more brake job while I own the car for a couple more years.

Thanks again - happy to answer any questions.

Brian.

[Mrbizness1]

Originally Posted by rbajjk

Since my last post I have decided to buy Akebono ProACT ceramic pads and also go ahead and replace the worn rotors (which could be turned) with Raybostos PG Plus rotors. Why new rotors? 1) how much the rotor wore down already 2) the cost to machine a used rotor, 3) new rotors were only $20-25 delivered, and 3) the ease of do-it-yourself replacement. Also I am investing in $75 ceramic brake pads so wanted a smooth start. I should also state that I put this combination of pads and rotors on my 1997 oldsmobile aurora, one year ago (25k miles), and have had no visible wear on the rotors or pads yet (and not much dust thank goodness!!!!), and great performance.
Once I saw how easy it was to do, I found these good quality rotors for a mere $18 plus shipping on the web.


Brian

I'm curious about the Raybestos rotors you purchased for $25.00. I paid around $35.00 at Pep Boys for rabestos. They were the thicker ones that can be cut

[rbajjk]

Originally Posted by Mrbizness1

I'm curious about the Raybestos rotors you purchased for $25.00. I paid around $35.00 at Pep Boys for rabestos. They were the thicker ones that can be cut

The rotors were Raybestos PG Plus - smooth surface, no holes or slots. Not sure if they make anything flat/smooth other than PG Plus. I was surprised at the price for these rotors (low$), as I paid approx $40 per rotor for my other car from the same site. May have been discount of the day - who knows. Anyway I think we bought the same thing, as PG Plus was what Pepboys offered me @ $35 per wheel. The site is www.rockauto.com

Any other questions, let me know.

Brian.

[TD7G2S]

The front brakes on my 1999 T&C Limited with the towing package lasted for 85,000 miles. The towing package is supposed to include heavy duty brakes. The rear brake pads are still good, with 136,000 miles. I had to have the wheel cylinders on the back wheels replaced because they were leaking.

Currently, I have a problem with the van pulling to the right on hard stops, most noticeable while pulling a trailer with a heavy load. I have been trying to find out what causes the pulling to the right on hard stops.

Paid to have two dealerships check it. First said it was probably due to bad bushings on the front assembly that operates the stabilizer bar. Cost over $300 to replace that. Still pulls to the right.

Second dealership wanted to replace the rotors and pads, but did not know if they are causing the problem. The pads look almost new yet at 136,000 miles.

I pulled the left front wheel off yesterday, and checked the resistance to turn the rotor, with the transmission in neutral. The pads seem to be rubbing on the rotor more than I expected, but this is something I have not done for a long time. Next I need to check the right front side.

I have collected a lot of info regarding this type of problem, and need to digest it now. The info on this topic was very intersting and well written. I was surprised at the low cost of the rotors for the 2004 T&C.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Jay

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by TD7G2S

The front brakes on my 1999 T&C Limited with the towing package lasted for 85,000 miles. The towing package is supposed to include heavy duty brakes. The rear brake pads are still good, with 136,000 miles. I had to have the wheel cylinders on the back wheels replaced because they were leaking.

Currently, I have a problem with the van pulling to the right on hard stops, most noticeable while pulling a trailer with a heavy load. I have been trying to find out what causes the pulling to the right on hard stops.

Paid to have two dealerships check it. First said it was probably due to bad bushings on the front assembly that operates the stabilizer bar. Cost over $300 to replace that. Still pulls to the right.

Second dealership wanted to replace the rotors and pads, but did not know if they are causing the problem. The pads look almost new yet at 136,000 miles.

I pulled the left front wheel off yesterday, and checked the resistance to turn the rotor, with the transmission in neutral. The pads seem to be rubbing on the rotor more than I expected, but this is something I have not done for a long time. Next I need to check the right front side.

I have collected a lot of info regarding this type of problem, and need to digest it now. The info on this topic was very intersting and well written. I was surprised at the low cost of the rotors for the 2004 T&C.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Jay

Jay welcome on your first post on AF.
This post is a old post so it is better to start a new post on your problem.
Always check the date on a post and let old dead post stay dead.

If you have a new or different problem on your van go to the proper forum and look for the new thread button and start a new post and someone will help you.
MT