General Motors rear disk brakes use a unique rotor/drum configuration to stop the vehicle and provide braking assistance when parked on an incline. The interior of the rotor is a small drum, with miniature brake shoes and a brake cable. Friction pad replacement is similar to normal disk brakes, and can take the average backyard mechanic about thirty minutes per brake.
Instructions
- 1
Raise the vehicle by putting the floor jack head underneath a frame rail and pumping the lever until the desired wheel is in the air. Support the jack with a stand on the same frame rail only. General Motors vehicles differ in how they are designed, but the suspension or body of the car or truck will be damaged by the weight.
2Remove the wheel by turning the lug nuts counterclockwise from the bolts. Set the wheel aside, and contain the loose lug nuts. Disconnect the ABS sensor from the caliper, if applicable.
3Remove the caliper by turning the rear mount bolts counterclockwise, which will disengage the caliper from the assembly. Slide the caliper off of the rotor and take the pads from the caliper pistons. Some models will have clips holding the pads in place that can be removed gently with a screwdriver. Inspect the pistons for leaks around the edge seals, and check the rotor for glazing or scoring. The caliper pistons can be held in place with vice grips, a clamp, a wood chock or simply compressed later during the fluid purge process.
4Replace the pads with new units by removing the piston binding, then positioning them into the caliper and attaching their clips, if so equipped. Quickly slide the caliper and pads over the rotor before the pistons extend. Turn the mount bolts clockwise. Reconnect the ABS sensor.
5Replace the wheel by turning the lug nuts clockwise, and lower the vehicle from the jack stands using the floor jack. Repeat the entire process on the opposite side.
