PhuckItImDone
SILVER Star
Thank you. Sitting on 285 75 17 with the Method 314.
What have you done to your 200 Series this week? (6 Viewers)
- Thread starter MScruiser
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dubyahard
SILVER Star
While getting ready for a long road trip, I replaced my inoperable clock spring. 
job but I did have to borrow a steering wheel puller from my neighbor, ORielly. Now I have functioning cruise control!
Also, replaced all four brake pads with HAWK LTS, six brake lines (in prep for body lift and b/c I want to), and all the brake fluid. Pads are always easy. Lines at the wheels were easy. Lines to the axle were harder but not terrible. I did have to use a torch and breakfree to get some of the flare nuts moving - flare nut wrench was critical. Bleeding was made easy with a compressor and negative pressure bleeder from HF for $30 but it still took a while to get all the air out. It was nice seeing perfectly clear brake fluid running out.
job but I did have to borrow a steering wheel puller from my neighbor, ORielly. Now I have functioning cruise control!Also, replaced all four brake pads with HAWK LTS, six brake lines (in prep for body lift and b/c I want to), and all the brake fluid. Pads are always easy. Lines at the wheels were easy. Lines to the axle were harder but not terrible. I did have to use a torch and breakfree to get some of the flare nuts moving - flare nut wrench was critical. Bleeding was made easy with a compressor and negative pressure bleeder from HF for $30 but it still took a while to get all the air out. It was nice seeing perfectly clear brake fluid running out.
All of that is on my to-do list as well (minus clock spring). My BL should be shipping out any day now 
TLC2013
SILVER Star
I am looking at upgrading from the OEM pads, been going down the worm hole of pad options and definitely researched myself into pad paralysis. Can’t decide on DBA, Stoptech, Hawk LTS or TRD. How has the braking improved with the new pads and lines?While getting ready for a long road trip, I replaced my inoperable clock spring.
Also, replaced all four brake pads with HAWK LTS, six brake lines (in prep for body lift and b/c I want to), and all the brake fluid. Pads are always easy. Lines at the wheels were easy. Lines to the axle were harder but not terrible. I did have to use a torch and breakfree to get some of the flare nuts moving - flare nut wrench was critical. Bleeding was made easy with a compressor and negative pressure bleeder from HF for $30 but it still took a while to get all the air out. It was nice seeing perfectly clear brake fluid running out.
bloc
SILVER Star
I personally hated hawk LTS, the dust quickly corroded on contact with water and really etched itself into the wheel surface.
Also bleeding rear brakes requires no special equipment, just a person in the cabin to lightly touch the brake pedal, which causes the pump to run and push fluid to the back.
Front is more traditional.
Also bleeding rear brakes requires no special equipment, just a person in the cabin to lightly touch the brake pedal, which causes the pump to run and push fluid to the back.
Front is more traditional.
Just my .02 here but I feel like I’ve tried them all over years and the past 10, I’ve stuck with the Akebono Performance pads and haven’t looked back. Amazing all around from my heavy diesels, to wife’s minivan.
TLC2013
SILVER Star
Thanks for the input. Are these the ones?
Akebono Performance Ultra-Premium Ceramic Brake Pads
Vehicles used for towing or transporting loads always need better brakes. Whether you own an SUV, truck, or fleet or are in charge of the maintenance of law-enforcement vehicles, the Akebono Performance Ultra-Premium Ceramic Brake Pads are the ideal replacement for your worn-out stock. With...
www.buybrakes.com
Agreed.
LTSs are an aggressive pad. Dust. Squeaks in cold weather. More rotor wear.
Heed blocs advice if you have mostly stock sized tires and a lighter build.
If you need the braking performance, it can be worth the trade-offs and the LTSs do perform great.
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Those are the ones. Also, they can be had for much cheaper than parts stores from RockAuto.Thanks for the input. Are these the ones?
Akebono Performance Ultra-Premium Ceramic Brake Pads
Vehicles used for towing or transporting loads always need better brakes. Whether you own an SUV, truck, or fleet or are in charge of the maintenance of law-enforcement vehicles, the Akebono Performance Ultra-Premium Ceramic Brake Pads are the ideal replacement for your worn-out stock. With...
TLC2013
SILVER Star
With 34" tires and weighing apprx 7,000lbs I definitely could benefit from a more aggressive pad. The oem set up has served me well, no noise or squeaks, and is wearing surprisingly slow even with my heavy build. I have put on 50,000 miles (no idea how old the pads were when i bought my LC) and the pads still have meat left and no issues with the rotors warping or getting pad deposits on them.
I do feel like I need a more aggressive bite / pedal feel when apply the brakes.
Ditto. Stock pads are quiet, wear slow and basically no dust, but the initial bite is weak and require a lot of pedal effort to really get them to grab. I actually put both feet on the brake at a stop light because the idling of the truck in D will overpower them without heavy pressure on the brake pedal (4.88 might have something to do with that). Definitely want something with stronger initial grab and higher friction than stock. I'll deal with dust.
I used to use Axxis Ultimates (super cheap Aussie brand) on my old race car and on my 80. They make a lot of dust but the pedal feel and fade resistance was amazing. Cant' find them anywhere, must have gone out of business or LNA in America.
I used to use Axxis Ultimates (super cheap Aussie brand) on my old race car and on my 80. They make a lot of dust but the pedal feel and fade resistance was amazing. Cant' find them anywhere, must have gone out of business or LNA in America.
dubyahard
SILVER Star
I have 4.88s. I tow a 28' travel trailer. I have 35s and maybe one day 37s. I wasn't real happy with the initial bite of the OEM pads so I thought I'd try something else. We'll see how it goes.
bloc
SILVER Star
I ended up with EBC yellows and the noise/performance/dust volume is similar, but the dust doesn’t corrode and become difficult to remove.
^Sounds like y'all could benefit from LTSs!
I haven't tried those but I've tried at least a couple other high performance pads. The big discriminator for LTSs is they have great bite and a linear feel allowing for really nice modulation off-road. That's a hard quality to come by with high friction pads and the others would groan and surge to the point some were unworkable in rock crawling. How do the yellows do in that regard?
I don't care about my wheels with all the rash, but the etching might suck.
I haven't tried those but I've tried at least a couple other high performance pads. The big discriminator for LTSs is they have great bite and a linear feel allowing for really nice modulation off-road. That's a hard quality to come by with high friction pads and the others would groan and surge to the point some were unworkable in rock crawling. How do the yellows do in that regard?
I don't care about my wheels with all the rash, but the etching might suck.
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bloc
SILVER Star
You’re right that my build places some percentage less strain on brakes so that is the caveat here, but so far I haven’t noticed any drivability complaints in those conditions. Groan? Yes. (edit: I didn't get the LTS's off-road to compare) EBC yellow modulation? No problem at all.
And yeah I was really disappointed by the tenacity of the dust after it got wet. At the time with rock warriors they have a lot of little pockets and voids to clean out and keeping those particular hawk pads just wasn’t an option. With a much easier to clean wheel, maybe.
(other edit: I kept thinking about my friend's subaru with "performance pads" that forever stained the wheel surface when the dust was left for a while.)
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Replaced:
I also:
- Radiator
- Water pump
- Thermostat
- Tensioner
- Fan pulley bracket
- Fan fluid coupler
- Idler pulley
- Serpentine belt (and put the old one that still looked perfect into the tailgate storage)
I also:
- Trimmed off the front left and right tabs on my Slee skid (and painted where I cut). I hate having to remove those bolts just to remove the skid, since those bolts are also used to secure my bumper.
- Decided to not reinstall the rear bolts that secure the Slee engine skid to the Slee transmission skid, they're not really needed for the driving I do (they're still secured really well to the frame). And besides, those 4 bolts are basically impossible to reinstall when the catalytic converter shields are also installed (it was a real pain to remove them).
Always satisfying to get those installed and clear out the old garage space where new parts have been collecting dust!
bloc
SILVER Star
I did the same thing, without a bumper. I’m pretty confident the slotted steel tab isn’t as secure as a solid object, and even worse Slee instructions say to leave out the 90-degree tie-down bracket from the stock recovery point, which drastically reduces the strength of that system. If you keep the 90-degree bracket the stock bolts aren’t long enough.
Tabs? Gone.
I picked up this Eibach Stage 1 kit on Black Friday, and it's been sitting in the box in my garage ever since. I finally came to terms with the fact that I wasn't going to find the time or courage to install it, so I had a great local shop do the work. It came out great. A little more than 2" of lift on the lowest setting (1.7") in the front. To me, the rear looks pretty much level with the front, although I haven't measured it.
It drives great on the road. A little firmer than the stock setup (with 110,000 miles).
Here's a bad pic of it completed, and a really old pic of truck for reference.
before:
It drives great on the road. A little firmer than the stock setup (with 110,000 miles).
Here's a bad pic of it completed, and a really old pic of truck for reference.
before:
wiseinvestor
GOLD Star
Dig the white's out!
