How to Replace Your Brake Pads

Things You'll Need

C-Clamp
Hammer
Small Bungee Cord
Lug Wrench
Adjustable Wrench
Allen Wrenches

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Brake pads get worn out regularly. Life expectancy depends on the way you drive, brake, and maintain your vehicle. If you hear squeaking, rubbing, or metal sounds coming from your tires when you are braking it’s probably a good sign that your brake pads need changing. Follow DIYprojectsonline’s easy step by step instructions to replace your brake pads.

Ok before we get started you should have a couple things in mind, mainly safety first. Wear proper clothing such as dirty pair of long sleeve shirt and pants. Safety equipment like safety glasses and gloves should be worn as well.

Before you jack up your ride, loosen the lug nuts a bit. It’s much safer and makes your job a whole lot easier when the wheel is on the ground. When you jack up your vehicle, don’t think that’s the safest it will be!! Many mechanics have told horror stories of people getting squished under their cars because the jack slipped and fell.

To prevent yourself from serious injury or causing more damage to your car, place a wheel or jack stand under the car so if the jack does give way you have something holding up the car.

Steps

You have loosened the lug nuts while the wheel was on the ground so this step should be easy. Remove the wheel by taking out the lug nuts. I personally found it safe and easy to remove the lug nuts from the bottom up, which means you leave the top lug nut for last. In this manner, the top lug nut will hold the wheel while you remove the other lug nuts.
Now it’s time to remove the caliper so you can pull out the brake pads. In some cars there is no need to remove the caliper, but in most cars you must. The caliper should be in a twelve o’clock position above the lug nuts secured to the brake disc.

On the back of the brake caliper, you will find either a hex bolt or Allen bolt or both. Remove the two bolts and put them aside. I like to have a cup or something where I can place all screws, nuts, and bolts in it so I don’t loose them.

Now hold the caliper from the top and pull at an upward angle. Wiggle it around to loosen it up, but if it is still not moving, give it a few LIGHT taps in an upward direction with your hammer. You see the black hose that’s still connected? Make sure you don’t damage it in anyway because those are your brake lines.

Once you get the caliper removed, place it on a towel or use the bungee cord you have and hang it around your shocks.
You got the caliper removed but don’t remove the brake pads yet. Take a second and look at how the brake pads are installed. Some cars have metal clips around the brake pad so take note on how they are placed in position. In this way, it will be much easier to put it back together again. Better yet take a digital snapshot!!

Your brake pads should slide out. If they are a bit stubborn and don’t want to move, give light taps with the hammer to loosen them up. Remove the old pads and metal tabs and put them aside, you will need the tabs. Put in the new pads into the slots without any of the metal tabs. Once properly in the slot, place the metal tabs in the correct position.
Almost done. Take a look at your caliper. You see that round piston coming out of it? This is what pushes the brake pads from the back. The only problem is that it adjusted itself to match the braking performance of your old pads. You must push the piston back into its original position or else you will be destroying your new brake pads in less than a day.

Take the C-Clamp with the end of the screw against the piston and the other end around the back of your caliper assembly. SLOWLY tighten the clamp until the piston has moved far enough that you can place the caliper assembly over the new pads.
Last step. With the piston compressed, the caliper assembly should fit snugly over top of it. Now screw in the bolts you removed earlier. Before you put the wheel on, make sure the brake system is working properly by pressing down on the brake. The first or second push should be soft, as the piston finds its starting point, but consecutive braking should progressively get harder and harder.

Now just put the wheel back on and tighten the lug nuts with a 100 pound force from your hands. Do not put more pressure than that as the nuts might strip. Remove the jack stands or wheels you have under the car and lower your car and remove the jack.

There you have it, complete brake pad change in less than 30 minutes. Always make sure to double check everything you tighten or loosen.

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