Hey this is Stewy, a new member of this site. I just bought this '88 wagon for 700 (one owner-71,000) and it needs a few minor repairs. I need help replacing the front brake pads and removing the calipers, along with shocks in front and back. Please help I am so lost!
Probably the easiest solution for this is to check youtube, for the most part almost all caliper brakes are the same to change. Easy and straight forward job especially on older cars. Shocks are simple also mostly a nuts and bolts job that can be done with the car on ramps or stands. Old shock hardware may be very rusted so soaking it in a penetrant will save you some knuckle busting.
All very valid point/tips Dewey is giving and Stewey, please don't take offence but...... Have you ever done this before as it kinda sounds like you have not? It's not hard, but if you have never done it before... If you have not, even thought brakes can be a simple fix that same "it's easy" can turn into problems real fast. "If" you have not done this before don't do it unless you know some one who has and can be there to help you/show you. not just some guy who says "it's easy, I held a wrench for some guy who did it once" or better yet have a shop do it. Yes it will cost more at a shop but brakes especially IMO are not something you want to train yourself on.... I'ts not just your life but what about the kid in a cross walk and you can't stop. Now about a intro......... http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=917
@#*& !!!! Hey this is Stewy, a new member of this site. It's common practice to go to the WELCOME WAGON thread and introduce one's self before asking questions or selling parts, etc. So hey Stewy why don't you tell the forum who you are, what experience you have working on cars, and what kind of 88 wagon you have. Is it a Henway?
If the shocks have never been changed before, or at least not for a large number of years, and you live in the rust belt, having access to an oxy-acdetaline torch is almost a must. Invest in the Haynes or Chilton's manual unless you can find the Factory Service Manual. It will give you step by step instructions for both jobs. The brakes are easy, but be prepared, you may find the calipers sticky. Also, you should plan on flushing the brakes, as I will lay dollars to donuts that nobody has done so in years. Brake fluid is supposed to be changed every 2 years as it absorbs water, and the more it absorbs the lower the boiling point. Boiling brake fluid is called severe brake fade (read no brakes at all). Better safe than sorry. Changing the fluid and bleeding them correctly is easy provided you have some basic knowledge of mechanics. If you are in ANY doubt, either find a friend who really does know what they are doing or take it to a shop. It is worth the money for the safety.
Let's start with a basic premise. You guys may think you are doing him a favor by telling him how to do something, but it goes deeper than that. IF he has any tools, he should at least know how to use them. Simple R&R work isn't rocket science. If he can't figure out how to remove a nut and two bolts to change a shock, there is no way he needs to be fooling around with brakes. It then becomes a safety issue which can kill others if done improperly. He needs to do one of three things: 1. Pick up a copy of "Auto Mechanics for Dummies" and study it. This would be a minimum requirement. 2. Find a mentor who can give him some guidance. 3. Attend a basic auto repair class. These are often offered by local park districts as evening adult education classes. I used to teach one. Also, many auto parts stores offer 1 evening seminars on individual systems. These are often sponsored by parts manufacturers. My business participated in cooperative education for 5 local high schools, a Jr. college, and Lincoln Tech. The students worked part-time for me and followed a real world regimen which I wrote. I met with their advisors monthly and I was responsible for 50% of their grade. I flunked a lot of them because they only took the classes as a way to get out of school early. Maybe one in 30 went on to be a working mechanic and one in 100 went on to be a certified tech. Many of them could quote the book, chapter and verse, but were complete putzes when dealing with real world problems. They lacked problem solving skills and the ability to think outside the box to deal with the things they encountered in a working environment. Lastly, Stewie might be a troll because a plea for help of this nature isn't solved by posting on a forum. More "expletives deleted."
Old Fox, that is exactly what I told him. If he has any doubt about the procedure, go to a mechanic or get someone who does know what they are doing to teach him. I agree with you, these are basic repairs, and if he doesn't know how to do these, he needs a course, a class, or a teacher of some sort.
For your rear shocks, I found on my 85 Custom Cruiser that I had to jack the rear as high as I could and get at the upper mounting bolts from the other side of the wheel well. Sitting underneath the car, the upper bolts are right there and fairly easily accessible. 25+ years or rust on the lower mounting bolts on the other hand..... not so easily removed. Calipers aren't all that difficult. As other members have said, they're pretty straightforward.
I find putting the calipers back on with the new pads the hardest part. Seems like you need three hands. If you are going to start to learn how to wrench on your car the brakes are a good place to start. Buy a book, read it, and ask some specific questions here as they come up. You can get a used Haynes for cheap.
