How to Replace a Caliper on a GMC Safari

Replacing the caliper on a GMC Safari is not complicated. If you have the mechanical skills to replace the brake pads and/or rotors, you can certainly replace the caliper. You'll need someone to help you bleed the brakes after you replace the caliper, so grab your tools and recruit someone to give you a foot (to pump the brake pedal) when the time comes.

Instructions

Park the Safari on a flat paved surface. Apply the parking brake and release the hood latch. Place a wheel chock behind one of the rear tires. Open the hood and suck out half the fluid from the master cylinder reservoir using the turkey baster and discard the fluid. Replace the master cylinder cover securely.

Loosen the lug nuts to the wheel you're replacing the caliper on, using the breaking bar and a socket. Lift the Safari on the side using the floor jack. Place the jack stand under the lower control arm or under the front frame. Remove the lug nuts and wheel.

Pinch the brake hose with a brake hose clamp and remove the brake hose bolt on the caliper with the 1/2-inch drive ratchet and a socket. Place a drain bucket beneath the hose once it's removed from the caliper. Even though the hose is clamped, there may well be some slight leakage from the hose.

Remove the caliper slide bolts using the 3/8-inch drive ratchet and the 3/8-inch drive 3/8-inch hex head socket. Pry the caliper off with the flathead screwdriver. Remove the outboard pad from the caliper first, then extract the inboard pad by prying the hardware clip out of the caliper piston.

Open the box of the new caliper and determine if there is a caliper bridge equipped with it. Some aftermarket calipers may only come as half calipers. If the bridge came equipped, you may decide if you want to replace it. To do so, simply remove the two caliper bridge bolts with the 1/2-inch ratchet and a socket and remove the bridge.

Apply a light coat of silicon brake lubricant to the top and bottom contact points of the new or old bridge. If you removed the old bridge, replace it with the new one and replace the bolts and tighten. Remove the new caliper slide bolts from the new caliper and apply a coat of lubricant to them as well. Insert the inboard pad first by pressing the pad clip into the piston cavity. Install the outboard pad.

Place the caliper over the rotor and the caliper bridge. Insert the caliper slide bolts and tighten with the 3/8-inch drive ratchet and hex head socket.

Reconnect the brake hose and remove the old copper washers. Make sure they didn't stick to the hose and pry them out with the screwdriver if they did. Place the new copper washers (equipped with the new caliper) onto the head of the brake hose bolt through the brake hose flange and then place the other copper washer on the thread side of the bolt and insert it into the caliper. Tighten. Remove the brake hose clamp

Crack the bleeder screw open with a hand wrench and allow to gravity bleed by opening the master cylinder cap and filling the reservoir with new DOT 3 brake fluid. Leave the cap off for now. Be sure to position the drain bucket strategically beneath the bleeder screw. When brake fluid begins to trickle from the bleeder, close the bleeder screw and recruit your helper.

Fill the master cylinder up again and replace the cap securely. Have your helper carefully get into the Safari and pump the brake pedal five or six times. Have your helper hold pressure on the brake pedal. Open the bleeder screw until the brake pedal drops to the floor on them. Continue this process until no air bubbles are present in the brake fluid and the foot brake pedal feels normal. Have your helper carefully exit the Safari. Tighten the bleeder screw and cover it with the black rubber plug that came equipped with the caliper. Also, be sure there are is no brake fluid seeping from the brake hose connection.

Put the wheel and lug nuts on and tighten snugly. Lower the Safari and tighten the lug nuts alternately with the socket and an adjustable torque wrench set at 100 foot-pounds.

Check the level of the master cylinder one last time and add brake fluid as necessary. Replace the cap securely. Remove the wheel chock, release the parking brake and test drive.