Well, at long last I have replaced my front brake pads. The holdup was, I got some erroneous information that the brake pads for the L300 are the same as used in the Montero. Ordred a set from RockAuto and discovered this is not true! At least RockAuto only carries parts for the Montero V6, and these brake pads are larger than for the Delica. In photos they look much the same, but side by side, not alike.
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So some more research (I can't believe nobody on this forum has been through this before) and it turns out that the Dodge Ram 50 was a "Captive Import" made for Chrysler by Mistubishi, and shares many parts with the L300, particularly in the chassis. I phoned Lordco and they had some brake pads for the 1993 Ram 50, by Raybestos, Wager (get from warehouse) and AC Delco. With an account the Raybestos are $91 and the AC Delco are $71. If you don't have an account, the prices are $105 and $65. So if you choose the AC Delco, don't tell Lordco you have an account!
I installed them today, and they fit fine. The car stops, and the brakes feel normal. I got the Raybestos, and the part number is PGD349C (ceramic).
Now, RockAuto sells Ram 50 brake pads for considerably less, like $44 for Raybestos. But the rains are comin', and I gotta get these installed, so had to by local, so I could see what I'm getting. RockAuto lists the Centric 10203490 C-tek Metallic for $11.17, the Wagner MX349 Thermoquiet for 13.05, and the Wagner ZX349 for $35.61. I bet anything with 349 in the part number will fit. Let me know if you try any of these.
So the inner pad was more worn than the other, and I read this means a sticky piston. But it said start by making sure the guide pins are lubed with silicone grease, so I did that. Here's the old pads:
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And here's the new ones (on the other side):
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Here's mu bungee trick for holding the calliper open while I change the pads (I notice on the Ford F150, they open the other way, so gravity holds them open -- but I guess they open if you lose your guide pin too):
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Here's a Montero pad next to the Delica pad. I have a brand new set for $20, if you got a buddy with a Montero!
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Here's my trick for bleeding the brakes by myself. I had to push the pistons in so far to fit the new pads, the level came up too high in the reservoir. So how am I gonna get that brake fluid out? I can either siphon it, or bleed it. They were a little spongy anyway, after that country-bumpkin mechanic replaced the brake hoses> Gall darnit, if you're a professional, you gotta do at least as good a job as a backyard mechanic. But I digress...
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And las but not least, here's a shot of the Raybestos part number, for those of you for whom seeing is believing.
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Except for bleeding the brakes, which was a lot of stand-up-liedown-stand-up-liedown-stand-up-liedown-stand-up-liedown-standup... it was a pretty easy job. I managed to do it without so much as a nick on my hands. Though I did pinch my finger once when I was cracking open a bleeder valve.
So anyway, this whole exercise underscores the difficulty with owning a Delica: you want the right parts in hand before you start, so you don't have to take the vehicle apart twice. I think a lot of owners, once they've completed a repair, don't log in and post findings like part numbers. Please take the time to do this; it really makes a difference when researching a repair.
