How do you know when to replace stuff?

e_nough · 02-12-2001, 07:27 PM

When do you replace parts?

When the Haynes manual says to?
When your car won't crank or doesn't work?
When you measure the part and its out of spec?

I realize this will vary some, but good grief, if i replaced everything on my car that was out of spec or needed replacing based on milage I would need to replace EVERYTHING!

For example, I just measured my rear brake rotor thickness: ~19.5mm! This does not meet the Specification of 20mm. And the rotors are have lots of scores and marks in them, and the brake cylinder is leaking!!!! Dangit, what's not wrong with this car!

So how do I decide what to replace?

Do I just wait until something doesn't work or go ahead and do everything I have money for (which is all a matter of priorities of course)?

What do you guys do?

drew1 · 02-12-2001, 07:43 PM

It never seems like that I have the time or money to keep up, but I have found that planned maintaince, taking care of it before it breaks, is easier and cheaper than waiting till it breaks.

I try to get stuff in the order of priority, which would be worse if it failed. I try to do stuff together that makes it easier(Example: If pads will need replacing in a few months, may stretch out the brake fluid change till then. While its in the air for that might go ahead & repack the CVs even if a little early & change trans dope.)

drew1

e_nough · 02-12-2001, 07:49 PM

So for my car, i need to do a caliper rebuild, replace all the rotors, replace all the pads and flush the fluid completely, and the pads are almost new.

So should I go ahead and do everything now and reinstall the pads and hope they don't warp my rotors? My rotors are currently warpped and I have heard that putting pads from warpped rotors on unwarpped rotors can warp the rotors. Can I have the pads shaved down to flatten them?

Any thoughts? This car needs lots of repairs and often question my sanity for keeping it, but on the other hand im starting to understand that this is not just transportation...

Thanks.

e_nough · 02-13-2001, 08:15 AM

go away "beater car" discussion, you are hogging the top!

p0r2chby · 02-13-2001, 09:36 AM

Lets see if I understand.. you are considering recycling your old pads and using them with new rotors... bad idea.... pads are very in-expensive. If you cut the pads, you are just moving up the time for the next pad replacement. Try a "Stock" type pad... save some $$$'s

Perhaps you may not need to rebuild "ALL" of the calipers...

For my car, I tend to stay right on top of the saftey repairs, brakes, lights, wipers, tires etc. Other items like air filters, door locks and such wait untill I have the time or surplus budget to take care of them.

Last year, we did the brake thing in the spring and a tune up mid summer and in the fall, we did a waterpump, belt combo. This spring, we will be doing an injector service, fuel filter and some sway bar bushings. Now that the car is on a better schedule, I will work on my wife...