Texas Vehicle Inspection

[Tusan_Homichi]

I have a quick question for anyone who might know. I'm starting to drive a pickup truck I haven't driven in a while and it needs a vehicle inspection and a brake job. The brakes stop fine, but there's some grinding to it and it's obvious that they need to be taken care of. However, I need to start driving it at least a little before I can get the brakes done.

If the brakes stop fine, but grind, is that going to cause me to fail an inspection?

 

[WoodysGirl]

Hmmm...

Needing a standard brake job shouldn't prevent the inspection. I need new pads, but they still passed mine. The grinding is a concern. Sounds like your rotors, BTW.

It won't hurt to take it in for inspection. A Jiffy Lube or something.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Don't wait to long to get them fixed like I did once. The rivets that hold the pads in cut two nice deep grooves in to my rotors. That brake job ended up costing me a fortune.

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

Thanks for the replies. I don't plan on waiting long to get the brakes fixed.

 

[CowboyPrincess]

My previous vehicle did the same thing and passed the Texas vehicle inspection without trouble. Found out weeks later when I went to get the brakes done that the pads weren't only worn down but one was missing all together..

 

[Viper]

Brakes are so easy to change, you probably only need the front brakes done. They do 70% of your stopping. If they are grinding you should change them asap. The grinding you are hearing is metal against metal. You will probably have to have your rotors changed or turned as well. They can fail at this point.

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

Brakes are so easy to change, you probably only need the front brakes done. They do 70% of your stopping. If they are grinding you should change them asap. The grinding you are hearing is metal against metal. You will probably have to have your rotors changed or turned as well. They can fail at this point.

I was thinking about doing it myself. I've always heard that it's not that involved of a process to change the brakes out. If the rotors need to be machined or replaced, is that a difficult thing to do? I hear you can take your rotors up to a Pep Boys or Western Auto and have them machined for pretty cheap.

 

[Yeagermeister]

I was thinking about doing it myself. I've always heard that it's not that involved of a process to change the brakes out. If the rotors need to be machined or replaced, is that a difficult thing to do? I hear you can take your rotors up to a Pep Boys or Western Auto and have them machined for pretty cheap.

The problem would be getting them off then packed and put back on. It's not something I'd try on my own.

 

[Viper]

I was thinking about doing it myself. I've always heard that it's not that involved of a process to change the brakes out. If the rotors need to be machined or replaced, is that a difficult thing to do? I hear you can take your rotors up to a Pep Boys or Western Auto and have them machined for pretty cheap.

Honestly, it's as simple as slidding them off. Once you take the caliper off. Why they charge as much as they do to do brakes is beyond me. If you're doing it for the first time. Do one at a time so you can use the other as a referance, it will help you are great deal. It's as simple as taking four bolts off, replacing the pads and the rotors and putting it back together again.

 

[Viper]

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/howto/articles/43787/article.html

This should help you, it gives you an idea on how easy it is. You can go to the library if you want pictures of the procedure. I use a c-clamp to put the piston back, it is very easy. Just remember, do not unhook any of the hoses or you will have to bleed the brakes.

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/howto/articles/43787/article.html

This should help you, it gives you an idea on how easy it is. You can go to the library if you want pictures of the procedure. I use a c-clamp to put the piston back, it is very easy. Just remember, do not unhook any of the hoses or you will have to bleed the brakes.

Ah excellent. Looks like something I may tackle this weekend or something. Thanks for the tips.

 

[Kangaroo]

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/howto/articles/43787/article.html

This should help you, it gives you an idea on how easy it is. You can go to the library if you want pictures of the procedure. I use a c-clamp to put the piston back, it is very easy. Just remember, do not unhook any of the hoses or you will have to bleed the brakes.

Unless you have a Subaru or at least the older models we did that with my brakes one time spent hours dorking with it trying to get the pistion in then we found out a guy (I was working at my reserve unit and did them there one summer) at the unit was a mechanic that happen to know about Subaru's. While we found out the pistons had to be turned back into place using vicegrips etc gerr that sucked big time.

 

[cowboyfan4life_mark]

Use a "C" clamp to push the pistons back a little into the caliper, while using the old pads as bracing. Simply taking the old ones off and installing new ones isn't going to work. You have to use a clamp, and I have always used a "C" clamp, more controlled, to allow room for the caliper and new pads to fit back onto the rotors.