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Warning: This article is really just a rant... so if you don't want to listen to me whine then don't read it.
Those of you who have ever done this MIGHT be laughing at me already. It was a very painful experience. Why? Well where do i start... it's really a classic peugeot 505 story.
Front brake rotors for 86-87 peugeot 505.. $60 each for brembo replacements from tirerack. No problem... but i own an '88 with ABS. That means i get to pay 200 each for new rotors. Um, you're kidding me right... The last thing i'm going to do is spend 400 dollars on brake rotors when i can buy a whole 505 for 400 dollars if i wait long enough. What is so special about them anyway? Well, after some inspection, NOTHING. So i'm already not happy with the situation, and the crappy brake pads that are on there from the previous owner aren't really cutting it either. So i recieve my mintex pads from disortex and they sit in the garage for a few months while i decide what i'm going to do about the rotors. I was very doubtful that the rotors on the car had enough meat to machine again. So i waited until an ABS 505 showed up in the local pick'n'pull yard. Finally it happens. So i pull the rotors off of that car but, oh... sorry i'm gonna have to pull the whole spindle off with it because it's got a gigantic nut securing it (no mention of the bearings yet...that comes later). the only socket in san jose california hardware stores or auto stores that i found to fit the thing was 2 inch... yep. So back to pick'n'pull. I get to waste 40+ dollars on spindles that i do not want, i get charged for the #@*(@ up brake pads that we were too tired to take out, and practically every other thing hanging off the assembly. I think i paid them for the DIRT that was still caked to the brake rotors as well, and they even had to ask me what it was. STUPID IDIOTS, ITS NOT A CYLINDER HEAD ITS A BRAKE ROTOR. I ended up not getting the rear calipers (which i wanted as well) because my total came to 200 dollars. My lord... Yea i guess it's better than paying for the things new but give me a break, PLEASE. I am confident that those parts were recycled or crushed for a profit of about 50 cents to pick'n'pull instead of putting them to use for a reasonable price... Stupid pick'n'pull needs a lesson in economics. They suck at life.
So i'm home now from pick'n'pull and i have my rotors. Eventually i decide to take the pick'n'pull rotors (which are almost tapped out themselves) off of the spindle assemblies. HAH! Welcome to garage-mechanic hell. After beating the TWO INCH nut off with the impact wrench, i found that the outer bearing race wanted greatly to play tug-of-war with me. I guess i should have known this, but apparently these may need to be pressed out. So i'm pissed because the rotors aren't coming off and i can't unbolt them from the hubs until i get the spindle off. My insanity drove me to the work bench where i found a hammer, and some bricks. DONE. I rested the rotor on the bricks and beat the shit out of the axle until the spindle dropped through the center and the rotor/hub was off. It sounds easier than it was...
Well, the hard part was over and i'm coming to the end of my rant. With the rotors off, i took them and got them machined (they won't be able to be used after this set of pads) and brought them back home. I then tore the front brakes/spindles, etc off of my car. I completely cleaned and repacked the bearings since the grease looked/smelled as if it was (and probably was) OE from 1988. MMM nice and smooth now. The assemblies were put back togehter after i cleaned up the calipers and made sure everyhting was really nice. Loctited the rotors onto the hubs, torqued everything down, etc. Reassembled... what an amazing relief. Now at least i have peace of mind, knowing that everything is how it should be up there. I'm not too sure about the adequacy of the brakes for hard driving. They tend to fade quite a bit. Apparently i got the rotors glowing once (according to my buddy driving next to me) and of course i could tell due to the fact that it smelled like REALLY unhappy brakes... that didn't want to stop the car anymore. NOT COOL! Oh well, the car is only a street car anyway, i'll just go easy on the brakes until i get my porsche 956 brakes like the danielson car... hah!
Some pictures for your enjoyment or laughter:
Those look like 200 dollar a piece rotors to me, dont they to you?
Maybe i got carried away here... But it just seems to me like one is a better value. Although in this line of thinking it's difficult to justify any repairs now isnt it. Hmmm... But if the car costs 1,100 and includes the rotors then does that mean that the car minus the rotors would cost $700? So lets say i wanted to buy oversized pistons and rings for my 505. Those would cost 250 each for 4 pistons alone. So now if i found somebody with a 505, and let them keep the pistons, AND the rotors, do you think they'd give me the rest of apparently valueless metal along with the extra cash that they are gaining in the transaction? This would put me ahead by $300+ cash and a peugeot 505 without rotors or pistons. But then maybe if i recieved ANOTHER free 505 turbo and let the seller keep the 200+ dollar a piece struts and the $250+ alloy wheels 4x140 (no other lug pattern has EVER been used LESS, thanks peugeot), then i could combine the two 505s and create the ULTIMATE 505. I'm definitely going to look into this.
Moral: Parts that cost a significant portion of the value of the automobile on which they are to be installed...well...suck, especially if the exceedingly high cost is unjustified. Also, self service yards suck. The end... except for the picture... then it's the end for real.
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