How to Do a Brake Job for the 1996 Dodge 4x4

The 1996 Dodge 4x4 trucks came equipped from the factory with disc brakes on the front and either disc or drum brakes for the rear wheels. Disc brake pads stop the rear wheels by applying friction force to the brake rotors. Drum brake shoes stop the rear wheels of the truck by applying friction to the inside surface of the brake drums. The more the brakes are used, the farther the brake material will wear down. Replace the brakes before the braking material reaches less than a quarter-inch.

Instructions

Park the 1996 Dodge 4x4 truck on a level surface and turn the engine off. Engage the parking brake.

Loosen all of the lug nuts from the front wheels with a lug wrench. Jack the front end of the truck up and place the jack stands under the proper front jacking points. Lower the jack until the truck comes to a secure stop on top of the jack stands. Leave the jack upright under the truck.

Remove all of the lug nuts from the front wheels and pull the front wheels off. Place each wheel near each work area. Move over to the driver-side front wheel area and locate the brake caliper, in side of which the brake pads are housed. Loosen and remove the two primary caliper mounting bolts on the backside of the caliper with a ratchet and a socket. Pull the mounting bolts out of the caliper and place them on the ground.

Insert the tip of a small pry bar through the access hole on the front of the caliper. Pry the inner brake pad against the brake rotor until the caliper is loose enough to remove from the rotor. Pull the caliper off the rotor and hang the caliper to one of the steering components behind the wheel hub with a bungee cord. Pull the outer brake pad out of the caliper. The outer brake pad is opposite the brake pad that is against the caliper cylinder.

Slide one end of the C-clamp around the back of the brake caliper and the other end around the front of the inner brake pad. Slowly turn the C-clamp clockwise to compress the inner brake pad against the caliper cylinder until the cylinder is completely inside of the caliper housing. Loosen and remove the C-clamp from the caliper. Pull the inner brake pad out of the caliper.

Insert the two new brake pads into the retaining clips inside of the brake caliper. Inspect the surface of the brake rotor for any damage such as excessive grooving and excessive wear. If the damage is excessive, pull the rotors off and replace them with new rotors.

Remove the bungee cord from the caliper and slide the caliper over the top of the brake rotor. Screw the two primary mounting bolts back through the back of the caliper. Tighten the caliper bolts down tight. torque the caliper bolts down to 25 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and a socket. Slide the wheel back onto the hub and screw the lug nuts on tight. Move to the front passenger-side wheel and replace the brake pads in the same manner.

Jack the front end of the 1996 Dodge 4x4 truck back up and remove the jack stands. Lower the front end to the ground. Finish tightening the lug nuts down tight. Loosen all of the lug nuts on both rear wheels with the lug wrench. Move the jack to the rear of the truck and jack the rear end up. Place the jack stands under the proper rear jacking points and lower the rear of the truck onto the jack stands. Leave the jack in place.

Finish removing the lug nuts and the rear wheels from the rear of the truck. Place each rear wheel near each work area. Move to the driver-side rear wheel area and determine if the rear brakes are disc brakes or drum brakes. Most 1996 Dodge 4x4 trucks have drum brakes on the rear wheels, but if yours are disc brakes, follow the same procedure as for the front brake pad replacement. For drums brakes, start by pulling the brake drum off the top of the driver-side rear brake shoes. If the drum is stuck, use the rubber mallet to tap the drum off. Place the drum on the ground. Inspect the inside surface of the drum for damage such as grooving and wear. If the damage is excessive, replace the brake drum with a new one.

Remove the top brake shoe hold-down springs from the anchor point in the center of the backing plate with the brake spring removal tool. Remove the two lower brake shoe retainer springs from the backing plate and the retainers inside of each brake shoe with the brake shoe spring removal tool. Pull the brake shoes apart with your hands and pull them straight off the backing plate. Place the old brake shoes to the side.

Unpack the new driver-side rear brake shoes kit. Place the new brake shoes onto the backing plate and reinstall the top hold-down springs and the bottom retainer springs with the brake shoe spring tool. The new kit will come with the brake spring retainers already inside of the brake shoes. Attempt to slide the brake drum over the new brake shoes. If it will not fit, move to the back of the brake shoe backing plate and locate the brake shoe adjustment access hole. Shine the flashlight through the hole and locate the star wheel gears. The gears attached to the star wheel are what adjust the brake shoes back and forth.

Slide the end of the brake shoe adjustment tool through the access hole on the back of the brake shoe backing plate. Turn the gears on the star wheel clockwise to compress the brake shoes toward each other. This will make the room needed to slide the drum over the brake shoes. Slide the drum over the brake shoes and slide the wheel back over the drum. Screw the lug nuts on tightly.

Move back to the rear of the brake shoe backing plate and turn the star wheel gears on the brake shoe adjuster counterclockwise until the brake shoes are fully compressed to the brake drum. The star wheel will stop moving once the shoes are fully compressed to the brake drum. Turn the star wheel gears clockwise one to two times to position the brake shoes to the proper distance away from the surface of the brake drum.

Move to the passenger-side wheel area and repeat the same process to replace the brake shoes. Jack the rear end of the 1996 Dodge 4x4 truck back up and remove the jack stands. Lower the rear end to the ground and remove the jack. Finish torquing the lug nuts down tight on both rear wheels.

Crank the engine up and push the brake pedal in and out five or six times to seat the front brake pads to the proper distance away from the surface of the brake rotors. This will also position the brake pedal to its proper position. Release the parking brake and test-drive the truck to ensure that the brakes are working properly. Park the truck and turn the engine off.