Let the fun begin! This is not one of my most favorite jobs but is needed. The Breakaway has 206K miles on it now and I haven't changed the rear calipers since owning it. Front rotors and calipers were changed when I first bought it.

Some of you might recall my Alaska trip where one of the rear calipers froze and took out a pad. That means rear rotors have to be replaced.

SO, all four wheel will get new calipers/pads rotors, wheel bearing, seals and brake lines. Probably more after I get in there.

With floating axles, I have to take the entire axle/hub off to get the rotors off, that is why the bearing and seal replacement. Same on the front, can't get the rotor off without removing the hub.

I have had a very small oil leak on the front so seal replacement is necessary anyway.

Good time to get this all done before my travels this summer, probably will put on 15K-20K miles again this year.

So, when you're finished you're coming to TN to do mine, right? All the food and drink you can handle along with being able to play with the 7-year old triplets. What a joy.

For all of you who have not noticed, I do not see Ed beating down the door to come to Tennessee to work on my Breakaway I just don't understand it. We have wonderful Tennessee whiskey, a trip to Walmart to enjoy the local sites, the Lost Sea, and three of the most wonderful 7-year old grand kids you'll ever want to meet. To say nothing of the mechanical assistance of my beautiful young bride. ( Watch out, I do have a functioning 12 gauge Winchester Defender)

quote:

Originally posted by Jim and Tere:
To say nothing of the mechanical assistance of my beautiful young bride. ( Watch out, I do have a functioning 12 gauge Winchester Defender)

So it was a shotgun wedding..! I wondered how you hooked such a fine gal.

To think of what might have been... as much as I love my wife think of what a team Tere and I would be, working on the Barths...

If mine are worn enough by then, I might do the front pads on 86Barth at Milford for a demo. Good luck on the Breakaway.

MWrench. That's a lot o work.!! The feeling when finished is the goal. Good job keeping old metal up to todays standards. It's a hard job but someone has to get dirty.

I am still working on the Samurai project. Complete front end rebuild minus the drop out. Timing belt water pump fluids etc. Waited for parts for 2 weeks. Now I can finally put it all back together. I drove it one day and tore it down to a bare block and tore apart the front end. Something about people that fix things is they want it right.

Cheers and keep up the good work.

I look at keeping old metal alive like conserving and recycling while keeping history alive.

Bit of a delay, in Houston for a race meeting. Back at it Wednesday on my return.

If you need access to heavy tools when you come through Houston just give me a call. We are down right now as we set up the new shop- expect to be fuctional in about three weeks, after electricians and air plumbers do their things. I gave you my number but just PM if you need it.
Tom

Thanks so much Tom! I will be back to Houston about March 16 and will have 3 days there before going to Beeville.

Will be great to see your new shop!

Ed, I have the same front axle and hubs as you; do you have a source/part number for the wheel seals?

Well, I am proceeding BUT very slowly! Turns out that there was a miss mash of brake hoses/connectors/fittings that was crazy! Either it came that way from Spartan or a PO (2 PO) changed it along the way. I have had all hoses custom made to get rid of a multitude of fittings!

Flushing nearly done, Using Dot 4 Castrol synthetic, still glycol based but improved. found out that blue brake fluid is no longer available as new regulations prohibit selling. STUPID! Sure made it easy to know when the system was flushed alternating from amber to blue.

Getting bearings and seals made in either USA or Japan has been VERY time consuming.

Just now finishing up the rear end today, will be starting the front end and hope it goes smoother. I already have the bearings but still waiting on the front inner seals.

Rusty, I don't think we have the same front axles, I have a Westport front axle and has wet lubed bearings.

I was trying to get on the road this past weekend but that obviously will not happen, looks like Wednesday earliest now!

Will do a write up later.

quote:

Rusty, I don't think we have the same front axles, I have a Westport front axle and has wet lubed bearings.

OK - I thought you also have a Dana 60.

Rears are all done. Brake fluid pulled thru the system but not fully bled yet until after I finish the front.

Bearings for the front seem easier to find.

Rotors were badly checked on one surface only no bluing just lots of cracks, fairly normal for a single sided piston caliper system. As far as I can tell, the rears were original, I replaced front pads and rotors the first week I got the coach. They had 130K on them.

I replaced the pads on the rear at that same time, rotors were OK but I had that frozen caliper in Canada last summer, which chewed up the one rotor.

Hoses looked OK but 20 years old and 200K+ miles it is cheap insurance to replace!

I will post all part numbers and cost later.