How to Change the Brakes on a 2005 Wrangler

The 2005 Jeep Wrangler comes with front and rear disc brakes. The disc brake pads are designed to stop the Wrangler by applying friction to the turning brake rotor. When the brake pedal is pushed in, the brake caliper pushes the inside and outside brake pads against the brake rotor. The friction from the pads against the turning brake rotor is what stops the Wrangler. It is important to replace the disc brake pads before the pads wear down to one eighth of an inch; if the pads wear down too much, the wear indicators inside the pads will damage the rotors.

Instructions

Drive the 2005 Jeep Wrangler to a safe and secure work area. Engage the parking brake and open the hood.

Open the lid from the brake fluid reservoir. Insert the tip of the basting syringe inside of the brake fluid and suck out a syringe full of brake fluid. Place the syringe full of brake fluid in a sage area. Put the lid back on the reservoir and lower the hood but do not latch it.

Loosen each of the lug nuts from the driver side front wheel and the passenger side front wheel with a lug nut tool such as a tire tool or lug wrench.

Slide the floor jack under the front of the 2005 Jeep Wrangler and jack the front end up from a safe jacking point. Once the Wrangler is high enough, place the two safety stands under the frame rail on each side of the Jeep. Position the safety stands near the back of the front wheel compartments so the safety stands can evenly and securely hold the weight of the front end. Slowly lower the jack until the front end is on the stands and stop the jack. Leave the jack up.

Finish removing the lug nuts from the driver side front wheel and the passenger side front wheel. Remove both wheels and position the wheels in a flat position to prevent rolling.

Locate the brake caliper component on the side of the front driver side brake rotor. The brake caliper is the component that houses the brake pads. Unscrew and remove the two slide pin bolts from the back of the caliper with a ratchet and a socket.

Slide the tip of the pry bar into the opening on the side of the brake caliper. Pry the outside brake pad toward the back of the brake caliper until the caliper is loose enough to remove from the rotor. Remove the pry bar.

Pull the brake caliper off of the brake rotor with your hands. If the caliper is stuck, tap the top and bottom of the brake caliper with the rubber mallet to loosen the calipers grip on the brake rotor. Pull the caliper off.

Hang the caliper to the steering knuckle behind the wheel hub assembly with a piece of mechanics wire. Pull or pry the inside brake pad out of the caliper retaining clip with the pry bar. Position the c-clamp over the outer brake pad and the back of the caliper. Turn the c-clamp clockwise to push the outer brake pad against the caliper cylinder until the cylinder compresses completely inside of the caliper. Unscrew the c-clamp and remove it from the caliper.

Inspect the front and back of the brake rotor for excessive wear and grooving. If the rotors have grooves, the rotors will need to be machine turned by a machine shop or a auto repair shop. If the brake rotor has excessive wear and grooving, the brake rotor will need to be replaced.

Pry the outside brake pad out of the caliper retaining clip with the pry bar. Position the new inside and outside brake pads into the caliper retaining clips. Remove the mechanics wire and slide the caliper back over the side of the rotor. Secure the slide pin bolts back into the back of the caliper with the ratchet and socket. Make sure each bolt is very tight.

Slide the wheel back on the hub and screw the lug nuts onto the lugs. Tighten the lug nuts with the lug nut tool. Move to the other three wheels and replace the brake pads by repeating the same steps above. When the brake pad replacement job is complete, jack the Jeep Wrangler back up and remove the safety stands. Lower the Jeep and remove the jack.

Tighten each lug nut with the lug nut tool until all of the lug nuts on each wheel are tight. Then, crank the 2005 Jeep Wrangler and push the brake pedal in and out a few times to seat the new brake pads to the rotor. This will also remove any air from the braking system. Turn the engine off.

Raise the hood and squirt the brake fluid back into the reservoir from the syringe. Then, check the fluid level inside the brake fluid reservoir. Add fluid if it is low and put the lid back on the reservoir.

Close the hood and drive the 2005 Jeep Wrangler around the test the new brake pads. Driving the Jeep around will also completely seat the new pads to the brake rotors.