- 1). Place blocks in front of the front tires, which will remain on the ground, to prevent the car from rolling.
- 2). Jack up the rear end of the car and support each side with jack stands.
- 3). Remove the lug nuts on the tires and pull the tires from the vehicle. At this point, you should be able to see the caliper and rotor assembly.
- 4). Remove the calipers by removing the bolts. You may need to loosen the caliper by inserting a screwdriver between the brake pad and rotor to compress the piston. Remove one caliper at a time to prevent problems. This will allow you to see the remaining caliper should you forget how to reassemble.
- 5). Remove the brake pads. Depending on your vehicle, the brake pads may either be sitting in the caliper bracket or connected to the caliper with clips. If pads are clipped to the caliper remove the pads. Do not use a C-clamp to compress the caliper piston back into the caliper if your caliper is also a parking brake. You will need a special tool that screws the piston back into the caliper housing. You can rent one of these at your local parts store. Compress the piston into the caliper and set the caliper on the rotor. Do not let the caliper hang by the brake hose.
- 6). Install the brake pads into the caliper bracket or caliper, depending on your vehicle.
- 7). Place the caliper over the pads and rotor and replace the bolts. Tighten the bolts to the manufacturer's specifications.
- 8). Replace the tires and lug nuts and then lower the vehicle to the ground.
- 9). Torque the lug nuts to prevent rotor warping.
- 10
Pump the brakes before driving to seat the brake pads to the rotor. If the brake pedal does not feel right after three or four pumps, remove the tires and recheck the brakes. - 11
Test-drive the vehicle. The brakes may feel a little soft for the first few trips until the brake pads seat properly.
next post