Replacing your front brakes is something we all have to eventually do at some point in our car maintenance schedule. Generally the front brakes wear out faster then the rear brake and often the front brakes are the easiest to replace. Keep reading and I will show you how.
As always wear safety goggles and take precautionary methods when jacking the car up in the air. In addition brakes generally wear out roughly every 20 to 45 thousand miles depending on driving habits.
Instructions
- 1
I always like to start off by identifying the various parts on the brake assembly. As you can see from the picture to your left there is not much to it. You have a brake mount that holds the brake caliper and between the brake caliper lies the brake pads.
The brake rotor is what the pads squeeze on to slow the car down. Generally these wear out and depending on how bad they are you have the option to replace them. Usually if you replace your brakes before they get down to the metal you don't have to replace the rotors. In the event you do please see the link at the bottom of the article to replace your rotor.
2Start by removing the caliper mounting bolts with a wrench.
3Once the front brake caliper is removed gently pull up on it and use something to tie it off to the side. Be very careful not to kink or bend the brake line. From there remove the brake pads and the secondary mounting bolts.
4Inspect your brake rotors for damage and possible replacement. Generally if they have grooves in them they are shot and should be replaced. In the event you need to change your brake rotors please see the link at the bottom of the article to replace your rotor.
5Once the rotors are inspected you must locate the master cylinder lid and remove it. The reason for this will be explained in the next step.
6The reason for removing the lid from the master cylinder is because you will need to use a C clamp to depress the piston in the caliper. When you depress the piston it causes pressure in brake lines that builds up in the master cylinder. Make sure you use an old break pad before you compress the C clamp so that it does not damage the piston
If the cap is on, it could damage due to the increased pressure caused by the depressing the piston.
7From here make sure you should have a small package of lube that came with your brakes. This is used to lube the the inside of the brake hinges where it touches the caliper, DO NOT PLACE THE LUBE ON THE BRAKES FLAT SURFACE.
Make sure the brakes are a close fit and not to tight or loose. Then put the brake caliper mount back on and tighten the brake mount screws.
8From here it is VITAL THAT YOU DO THIS STEP.!!!!!
CHECK THE BRAKE FLUID IN THE MASTER CYLINDER AND TOP OFF IF NECESSARY. Then put the lid back on hand have someone press the brake pedal all the way down to the floor and then release up slowly.
Keep repeating this method until you have normal brake operation. The reason for doing this is that you are setting the brake pads on to the break rotor.
In the event you want to bleed your breaks follow the link below. Congratulations!! you've just changed your brakes.
