This is a step by step tutorial that will show you how to change the brake pads on your car. Please note that these instructions are for the front wheels only. The rear brakes are different.
Step 1: Obtain a manual for your car. I can give you general instructions, but each car is different and your manual will have pictures and instructions specific to your vehicle. You can find DIY manuals for common makes at any auto parts store.
Step 2: Tools and supplies. Order the brake pads at your parts store by giving them the year, make, and model of your vehicle. You will also need brake cleaner fluid and brake lubricant. Brake lubricant is special; you can’t just use grease. For tools, have a jack and jack stands, a socket and wratchet set, a c clamp and a small block of wood, and clean rags. Consult your new manual for any special tools that you may need to get your brakes apart.
Step 3: Prepare your car for surgery. Jack up your car on a flat surface. Your manual shows you where to place the jackstands. Don’t forget to loosen the lug nuts before you raise the car! With the car on jack stands and the wheels off, you are ready to tackle the brakes.
Step 4:Remove the caliper and pads. Every car is different, so consult your manual. Here is a basic description of the business end of a disc brake. That big round thing you see is the rotor. The chunky metal part that seems to be riding on it is called the caliper. If you get your head inside the wheel well, you can see that the caliper is like a hand gripping a large book. Your job is to separate the ‘fingers’ from the hand; or in some cases, slide the hand off the rotor. This is where your manual comes in, to tell you specifically how your car’s calipers are to be deconstructed.
Note: Don’t be afraid to use a hammer on a brake caliper. I don’t mean you should beat it mercilessly. But think about it. Brake calipers spend their lives riding about six inches from the ground in all weather. They get rusty. And since their job is to stop a 2000 pound vehicle quickly, the pads are designed to stick close to the rotor. Your brakes may be reluctant to come apart, and a hammer might prove convincing.
Step 5:Change the pads. Remove the old pads. Spray the caliper with the brake cleaner and wipe it all down with clean rags. Put it back together exactly as you took it apart. Make note of the places where the old pads were being rubbed on the backs, and apply some brake lube in those spots on the new pads. Once you get the inside pad off the caliper, you will see a round telescoping part. That’s the part that pushes the pads firmly onto the rotor to make the car stop. You may need to push it back in, using the c clamp and small block of wood. Just put the wood over the round part to make sure the c clamp pushes on the whole thing at once.
Step 6: Putting it all back together. This is one case where putting something back together is usually easier than taking it apart. The mystery has gone out of it, now you just need patience while things refuse to line up. You’ll get it back together, and when you do, make certain you have tightened everything. If you had to ask the guy down the street to come get a bolt loose for you, bring him back to tighten it again. Check and recheck! Brakes are one thing you do not want falling apart on you.
Step 7: Put the wheels back on, let the car down, and tighten your lug nuts. Always tighten your lug nuts in a star pattern, to make sure the wheel is even and all the nuts tighten completely.
Step 8: Get in the drivers seat and push the brake pedal several times. Does it feel like it’s braking, or does it hit the floor board? Turn on the car and do the same thing. If the brakes seem to be working, go for a slow test drive around your neighborhood, braking several times. Keep the radio off and listen for clunking, screeching, scraping, or screaming. That would mean that something is wrong.
If your test drive went well, congratulations! You have just done a brake job all by yourself!
