1st the specs: 1998 Sidekick JX Convertible, 1.6l, manual, no AC.
It has power brakes.
Right from when I bought it 2 years ago the brakes were always, well, not great. Had it been automatic it would have been undriveable but since it's manual it's OK.
Don't get me wrong, I've looked at the brakes and even brought them into my mechanic for him to take a looksee. There is still over 1/4" of pads and plenty of discs, I suspect the brake booster might be going.
Now for the symptoms that started a few days ago:
-Very occasionally (three times in the last week or so, I drive it to work every day, 70km round trip mostly highway but mostly traffic too...) there is a pulsating squeal from the back end that goes away when I brake.
-The brake pedal, when applied in a hurry, has a very discernible "spot" near the middle of the play, where the "feel" changes; the pedal gets harder and the braking gets better.
-When traveling at higher speeds, in excess of maybe 80km/h, and when applying the brakes HARD the truck's rear end wants to go left like if the rear right brake was non functional. The first time it did this I had to struggle not to enter a spin as I wasn't expecting it. I've since learned to manage, also I've been following from further than the necessary two second rule just in case.
Seems to me that the brake bias might be also very much towards the front, which might account for some of the erratic higher speed braking I've been experiencing.
Tomorrow night I'm going to take a look at the rear brakes (start by where the noise is from), remove the drums, check for any obvious failures, I'm thinking one of the springs might have failed or at worse one of the cylinders, maybe the shoes. Hopefully not the drums ($$).
Now the essential question: Where is the best place to purchase a full rear brake kit and also front kit, in Canada? I don't mind going online as long as they can deliver it in like two three days max. Also what are the recommendations for front brakes, I'd like something of a compromise between price and performance, no need for drilled/slotted discs and Nascar grade pads...
Thanks.
PS, is there an easy test (meaning that will not require special tools or instruments) to know if my brake booster works properly?
