Of all the safety features in your car, the brakes are the most important. Once disc brake pads are worn between 1/8 and ¼ of an inch it is time to replace the pads. DIY car owners who would rather replace the brakes in their car themselves can follow these simple steps.
Step One
Find a level place to park your car and wait several minutes while the brake pads and rotors have time to cool. Syphon off half of the car’s brake fluid from the master cylinder. Remember that brake fluid is toxic so you should use a syphoning device and not your mouth. Check your state’s hazardous material disposal regulations prior to throwing out the spent brake fluid.
Step Two
Loosen the lug nuts on the wheel. Raise the wheel off of the ground using a jack placed where your car’s owner’s manual recommends. Once lifted, remove the loosened lug nuts followed by the tire. Keep the lug nuts in a secure place within arm’s reach of the wheel.
Step Three
If necessary use a brake cleaner spray to remove any build up or debris which may make the brake caliper assembly difficult to move. Remove the inward facing bolts or clips holding the assembly in place. Carefully separate the assembly from the rotor. The brake assembly is connected to the brake hose, so care must be taken not to disconnect the two.
Step Four
The brake pad which contacts the outer part of the rotor has to be removed next. Make note of how the brake pad is attached to the assembly. Place a c-clamp between the outside of the caliper assembly and the remaining inner brake pad. Tighten the clamp until the piston is retracted and the pad can be removed.
Step Five
Make sure the rotor is still in good shape and clean everything with a spray brake cleaner. Coat the fresh brake pads with grease carefully; no grease should get on the rotor’s surface. Put the brake pads into the caliper assembly and attach the assembly to the rotor. Replace any bolts or clips you removed.
Step Six
Reattach the tire and tighten the lug nuts into place. Lower the jack so the wheels are on the ground. Steps one through five should then be repeated on each tire. Test your brakes at slow speeds before commencing regular driving.
Over time, a car’s brakes wear down reducing the stopping accuracy and reliability. In six easy steps, you can replace brake pads yourself.
*Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
