The 1995 Nissan Maxima is a reliable 4-door sedan. However, if your brakes are squealing, grabbing, or jerking, then its reliability wanes. Changing the brakes is well worth the time and energy, considering it usually takes less than 90 minutes and requires very little physical exertion. Also, the money you save by doing it at home is significant, usually a few hundred dollars.
Instructions
- 1
Use the tire iron to loosen (do not remove) each lug on each of the rear tires. You can loosen them each one to two full rotations.
2Place the floor jack beneath a sturdy section of the underside of the rear of the car. Jack it up enough to be able to place a jack stand underneath it. Repeat for both sides. Make sure to place wood blocks in front of each of the front tires.
3Remove the lugs from each tire and remove the tires themselves.
4Use the socket wrench to remove the bolts holding the brake pad housing to the rotor. Using the bungee cord or rope, tie the housing to the underside of the car, so that no strain is on the brake line (the small black hose protruding from the brake pad housing).
5Remove the brake pads. The brake pads should simply slip out.
6Compress the brake caliper. The brake caliper is the cylindrical piston in the brake pad housing. This can be done in one of three ways. You can simply use your hands to compress the caliper. You can use a c-clamp to compress the caliper. Also, if the caliper will not simply compress (if it has a horizontal groove on it) you will need to use the brake caliper compression tool (which can be bought or borrowed at your local auto parts store).
7Slip the new brake pads into the slots from where the old ones were removed. Brake pads are universal so it doesn't matter which side you put them on, as long as one whole boxed set is used for each side. You want the rough "brake material" facing inward.
8Replace the bolt holding the housing on after it is back in place. Then reattach your wheels. Carefully lower your car with the floor jack.
