If your car pulses or squeals when you apply the brakes, this is a sign of impending brake failure, and you need to address the problem. Repairing your front disc brakes can be relatively inexpensive if you know what to do.
Instructions
- 1
Put on your safety goggles. Apply the emergency brake and chock the rear wheels. Lift the front right wheel with the floor jack. Remove the lug nuts and front wheel. Carefully place the jack stand under the frame rail and gently lower the car so that it is safely supported by the stand.
2Clean the brake caliper and rotor with the brake cleaner. Inspect the caliper. Locate and remove the two bolts holding it in place with the ratchet and a socket. Slide the caliper off the rotor and remove the old brake pads. Discard them. Using a short length of the nylon string, gently hang the caliper from the strut springs to avoid damaging the rubber brake hose.
3Inspect the caliper mounting bracket and locate the two bolts that secure the bracket to the spindle. Using the breaker bar and a socket, loosen and then remove the bracket bolts. Set the bracket to one side. Remove the rotor and discard.
4Install the new rotor and replace the caliper bracket. Tighten the bracket bolts securely. Open the master cylinder lid. Using the large C clamp, compress the caliper piston to allow room for the new pads. Install the pads and slide the caliper into place on the new rotor. Tighten the two caliper bolts securely. Recheck the bracket bolts to ensure everything is tight. Replace the front wheel and lower the vehicle.
5Repeat steps 1 through 4 on the other front wheel.
6Start the engine and depress the brake pedal before driving the vehicle. Pump the brake pedal repeatedly until the caliper pistons have expanded and the brake pedal level remains consistent. Examine the brake fluid level in the master cylinder and replenish if needed.
