First off, I need to replace my rear pads and rotors... How tough is it? Is it something I'm better off letting my mechanic do? I've replaced the pads and rotors on my Audi, but those rotors are floating, which makes it really easy.

Second, my steering sucks. Sometimes to go straight, the wheel is straight. Other times, it's turned a full quarter turn, and there is always TONS of play. It's been this way since we bought it. Personally, I feel the truck was in a front end collision, but whatever. Is there any way to tighten this up?

It's a 1999 4WD 4.3L four door.

 

The rear brakes are VERY easy to replace. Just make sure you buy quality components and you won't have a problem. Be careful with the slider pins into the caliper brackets. I snapped one of mine off, then decided that it was just cheaper and easier to replace all of the hardware in the back than to have another problem with it a short time down the road. I ended up replacing both caliper brackets with new as well as both sliders and the slider boots. All of that hardware cost me ~$25 per side and was worth every penny in the fact that I didn't have to salvage the other parts.

Anyway, to replace the rear pads and rotors, you'll need to jack up the rear end and support on jack stands. Remove the wheel. Using a large C-clamp, clamp down on the caliper, one end on the pad, the other on the back of the caliper and push the piston all the way back into the caliper. Then unbolt the caliper being very careful not to snap off the slide pins. If when you try to loosen the caliper mounting bolt, the slide pin spins, that is GOOD. You'll just need a wrench to hold on the larger hex on the end of the slide pin. If it doesn't move, it may require heat to get it freed up. This is where I snapped mine off. After that, tie up the caliper, keeping tension off of the brake hose as well as not kinking the hose. Remove the old brake pads from the caliper bracket, then unbolt the caliper bracket and set aside to be cleaned (if not replaced). The rotor should then slide off of the axle end. The old rotors may have a ridge around the outside edge of the inner brake hat (parking brake drum) that may oppose removal. Mine wasn't all that bad and came off readily.

From there, it's just the opposite for installation of new components. You will want to make sure that everything is cleaned with brake parts cleaner prior to installation and try to keep your hands off of the braking surfaces as even the natural oils on your hands can cause problems.

You should get a new hardware kit that will include the sheetmetal slide plates that fit onto the caliper bracket just to ensure that the new pads will slide smooth.

 

I went and bought the Haynes manual, it does seem very, very simple. Thanks for the warning on the slide pins, I'll be extra careful. I'm doing rotors at the same time, so hopefully it will be a nice, easy job.

 

Oh yeah, forgot about your steering. Most shops will do a free steering/suspension inspection and usually come up with everything (and more) that needs fixing in those areas. I'd try that first to get a baseline for what needs to be fixed.

Most likely you have some worn tie rod ends or a bad ilder arm... etc. The list goes on. There really are a limited number of components in the steering, but you need to get down under there and check it out for 'excessive' play in anything...

 

I can't get the rotor off... I removed the wheel and caliper, and I thought it was just an interference fit, but I can't get it to budge.

I've tried the BFH, any other ideas?

 

OK, I got the passenger side off, the driver's side is still stuck... I think it's the parking brake that is causing the interference on the inside.

Help please!

I stole this from swartlkk's thread... This is exactly what I'm looking at right now, except with a rusty, nasty rotor instead of a shiny new one. How do I get this thing off????

 

Your problem is that the internal drum brake is hanging up. You don't have your parking brake on do you? I can't remember if there was an adjustment for the parking brake or not, but it may require pulling on the rotor and trying to rotate it to break loose the rust ridge on the back side of the internal drum. Take a look at my old rotors (I think there is one there that has a pic of the internal drum and you can see the ridge in mine although mine weren't working correctly so they aren't shined up or anything. Just all rust.

 

When I got the passenger side off (and now it's replaced with all the new stuff and back together), I saw the parking brake. I know mine isn't set, so I'm wondering if it's just frozen. I've been trying to wiggle it, and I've been hitting it with the big frickin' hammer, but no luck yet.

I had to unstick the sliders to get the other side back together, but at least it's done.

Back to the hammer, I guess.

 

I just did that. Where did you get the caliper bracket?

 

I purchased the caliper bracket from Advanced Auto for something like $13. It wasn't worth the hassle to clean up the old rusted ones for that kind of money. Sprayed on some high temp flat black de-rusto paint and slapped them on with some new slide pins and new boots.