Symptoms
Pads under 1/8 in, chatter from new pads, a pulsing pedal from warped rotors, or fluid on the caliper from a piston seal.
The fix, step by step
- The front and rear pads are the same; the front calipers are Jeep parts and the rears carry the parking brake.
- Fronts retract with pliers, while the rear pistons must be turned to retract.
- Flash Off-Road shows how to do it without the $350 Kent-Moore tool.
- Chamfer the edges of new pads to stop chatter.
- Rotors have a minimum thickness of 0.815 in cast into them.
- Replacing or turning them means removing the halfshaft bolts, so have new Nord-Lock washers ready.
Tools & part numbers
- Channel-lock pliers
- piston tool for the rears
- 3/8-in flare-nut wrench (1/2-in for the caliper fitting)
- brake fluid (DOT 5 silicone to 1998, DOT 3 from 1999)
- AM General pad 5745162C (Flash Off-Road)
Where to buy the parts
Brake pads, 1998 H1 6.5 TD (catalog)RockAuto ↗
Rotors, 1998 H1 6.5 TD (catalog)RockAuto ↗
High Performance Semi Metallic Brake PadsPredator Inc ↗Amazon ↗
12-in Alpha Brake KitPredator Inc ↗Amazon ↗
Hunting a used or discontinued part? Search eBay Motors for AM General Hummer H1 parts →
Rated for a competent home mechanic with a decent tool kit. Confirm torque figures, fluids and procedures against the factory service manual for your VIN, support the truck on stands rather than a jack, and work at your own risk (disclaimer). Some parts links are affiliate links, which pay us a small commission at no cost to you.