# 2005 dodge ram 1500 brake job



## Doc Holliday (Mar 12, 2011)

Not hard at all, mostly a socket and wrenches and if disc brakes a big C-clamp to push the piston back in. The piston needs to be pushed in or with the new meat of the pads the entire caliper won't fit over the disc.

I'm an hvac technician tech as well, been doing brakes since I was 14, well before I got into hvac.


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## Doc Holliday (Mar 12, 2011)

If you're doing the rear and are drum brakes with shoes, you do one side at a time as the other side will be a mirror image. That way you have a guide.

Now this is a little trickier than a simple disc brake job as there are springs and such but it's not rocket science. One of the hardest parts to remove is the little spring attached to an almost nail looking thing which penetrates the backing plate which holds the shoe in. You have to press the spring in and turn it to release and take that apart.


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## Doc Holliday (Mar 12, 2011)

On drum brakes you might need to take a mallet to the drum to loosen it up enough to pull off, to expose the shoes. 

Smack it hard and if you only have a hammer, than still smack it but not full on hard.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

1. check if you have drum or rotor brakes in the rear
2. buy large C-clamp, Walmart of Harborfreight tools LARGE.
3. you will need pads(shoes?) and caliper grease; do not dare not to lubricate caliper guides and pads seats
4. you need to check how caliper is released on your truck. on my Silverado, it's large Torx head socket. you may need regular socket with wrench, or Phillips head. Check
5. buy aftermarket pads, but buy smart. remove one side pads, and bring them to a store to match. or you are destined to drive several times back and for.
7. normally, you undo lower bolt on caliper, and then swing caliper up off rotor. but you may want to consider removing caliper, by undoing both guide bolts, and hanging it somewhere on a spring, with coat hanger made hook. thus, you can pull both guides out and pack them with caliper grease; clean and lubricate pads seats; sometimes they are removable type clips, so take them off one at a time, clean with brake cleaner, and reset; I also lubricate back of caliper pad. be careful removing pads, they might be inner and outer in shape. 
8. pads either fit right in, or do not force them; forced in pads are trouble down the road. 
9. same time, check cv-joint boots, ball joints, and, if you have zirks, grease joint with them
10, and you need good hydraulic jack and solid jackstand, at least - one. 
20 minute per side rookie job.
11. rear brakes, if you need to remove rotors (why?) normally have parking brake inside rotor bellhousing; parking brake sometimes may catch. if you have shoes, they are self setting, but there's release mechanism that is normally accessed from behind the dust shield. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m5AGid9ZTw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgnjeZctiAM

12. also, use old pad against caliper piston, when pressing it back in with c-clamp

13. RESULTING JOB SHOULD PERMIT CALIPER TO EASILY SLIDE ON GUIDES BACK FOR ABOUT 1/4 INCH. MUST!!!!!!


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## Jim F (Mar 4, 2010)

You should have no problem with the brake job. I haven't done the rears yet but did do the front ones recently on my 05 Dodge Ram and have to say this was the easiest brake job I did. I hajacked another thread to post my pictures here . It just made more sense than starting my own thread.


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