When it comes to your car, it is very important to maintain it and work properly. A vehicle that does not mechanically sound is very dangerous. Not only for the driver, but also for passengers, as well as for other cars on the road. Unusual sounds, smells and characteristics should be verified by someone who understands the operation of the vehicle. However, there are many car repair jobs that can be made by the owner, even with limited mechanical knowledge.
Changing disc brakes is one of these jobs. Not all vehicles are the same, so before you start removing parts from your car, make sure that you check the entire area you’re working on for any problems you may have encountered. Unfortunately, you cannot always solve problems until you start removing old parts. I also recommend getting started when you have a couple of days off from work. Then, if you encounter a problem, you will have time to get the necessary details or help before you can return to work. I changed the brake pads on all of my vehicles since I owned my first car almost 35 years ago. Disc brakes have always been very easily changed. Drum brakes are harder and will not be discussed in this article.
You will need to raise the car. But before you do that, make sure the car is sitting on a flat surface and you have a solid surface to work with. Then slightly loosen the mounting nuts on the wheel on which you will work. Only half a turn is good. Now lift the car up. But just climb one corner at a time. There is no need to lift more than one wheel at a time when you change the disc brake pads. Raise the car only until the wheel is about one inch apart. Immediately place the stand between the solid part of the frame or the bottom of the car and the ground. Never think about getting under the car when it is suspended without a stand. As soon as the car is lifted and the pedestal stand in place, remove the nuts and wheel. Install the wheel nuts on the wheel so you know where they are when you need to turn the wheel back on.
With the wheel off, thoroughly check the brake components. If everything looks good, you are ready to begin removing and replacing brake pads and rotors. But before trying to remove the bolts, I recommend spraying them with a liquid penetrant that will help loosen frozen and rusted bolts and nuts. I often use a product called PB Blaster. That worked well for me. Spray all the bolts that need to be removed, and skip the penetrant for 15 to 30 minutes. If necessary, you can spray several times.
On all the machines I worked on, I always change the brake pads and brake rotors. In the "old" days you had to take the rotors to the auto shop, and then re-open them. Today it is difficult to find a store in which rotors will appear. Modern rotors are much thinner, so they are much more difficult to surface. Plus, when you remove material, the rotor will heat up faster and easier to deform when used. Then you will have a terrible blow when you press the brakes. Rotors for many cars are fairly inexpensive. It is best to buy new rotors and replace them simultaneously with the replacement of brake pads.
There should be two bolts holding the brake caliper. You need to remove both of these bolts, and then pull the brake caliper from the brake caliper bracket. As soon as you unplug the brake caliper, remove the brake pads. Usually they are in the body of the caliper. Sometimes they still get stuck on the brake rotor. Just delete them. Then install the brake caliper assembly. It will still be attached to the brake hose, so do not let the caliper depend on the hose. Use a piece of wire or cord to hang the caliper. Or see if you can somehow find a place to install the caliper so that there is no pressure on the brake hose.
To change the rotor, you need to remove the caliper bracket. The caliper bracket is held on the front of the case with two more bolts. Remove these two bolts, and then remove the caliper bracket. Now the rotor should just fall. You may have to hit him a little with a hammer to get lost. Now the rotor and brake pads are removed. Now you need to start replacing parts. The first part to rely on is the rotor. If the old rotor is difficult to remove, put some Anti-sieze Permatex connection on the back of the new rotor before placing it back on the hub. This ensures that you do not have a problem so that the rotor turns off when you next start the brake.
Then you will need to replace the caliper bracket. It’s just a matter of aligning the holes in the bracket with the holes in the housing, and then using the two bolts that you removed earlier, reinstall the caliper bracket. On these bolts and all other bolts, when reassembling, you will want to tighten them to the factory-set torque parameters. Often you can find torque settings by performing an online search. Or you can request a torque specification from your parts store. You could take the leadership of Haynes or Chilton. They have the characteristics of torque for most ordinary repair work on your particular car.
Now it's time to install the new brake pads, and then reassemble the brake caliper into the caliper bracket. Before you can install the new pads, you will need to squeeze the caliper piston back into a fully retracted state. To do this, you want to remove the cap from the master cylinder. This allows air to escape from the system when you squeeze the piston back. Now take a large pair of pliers or a c-clamp and very slowly squeeze the caliper piston until it is fully retracted. Do this slowly and check for leaks around the piston gasket. If there are leaks, you will need a kit for refitting cylinders, or you will need to buy a new brake caliper. When you fully port the piston, slide the new brake pads into the brake caliper and then reinstall the brake caliper above the brake rotor. Reinstall the two bolts that you removed from the caliper and tighten them to the appropriate torque profile.
Make sure everything is properly tightened, inspect the entire work area for any additional parts that you may have forgotten to replace, and then replace the wheel. Tighten the tip nuts to the recommended torque specification and replace the wheel cap if you have one. Now you can take the car for a test drive. Just make sure you apply the brakes many times after you start the car and before you drive it out. This will push the caliper piston to the new brake pads. Now you can check the car's drive and make sure everything is in order. Many people do not have the tools necessary to do this work. If so, you can call your local auto parts supplier and ask if they have a tool borrowing program. Places like Advance Auto Parts and Autozone have tools for borrowing tools. You simply exit the tools and then return them when finished. If you do not return the tool or break it, you will get it for it.
Sometimes there are lubricants that you should use when doing brake work. There may be grease for bolts that hold the caliper to the caliper bracket. This is usually a bolt head with a pin that slides through the caliper into the bracket. It is important to use a lubricant if it is recommended. The caliper slides over this pin and ensures even brake pad wear. Often there is another lubricant that is placed outside the brake pads. This should help prevent squeaks caused by the friction of the brake pads on the brake caliper.
It may seem that there is a lot to do when you change your disc brake pads on your car. But in fact, the whole process will take you less than two hours, as soon as you feel comfortable. Now it takes me less than an hour to replace the front disc brake pads and rotors in my cars. When you understand how much money you can save, you will understand why it is a good idea to change your disc brake pads and rotors. Please remember to be safe and double check all your work to make sure nothing has been missed.
