You will be pleased to learn that the disc brake pads of your car can be easily and quickly changed without the use of particular tools. This will also save you a good amount of money. Below is how you can do this:
First, the lug nuts should be loosened on the wheel then the car jacked up and a jack stand placed under the frame of the car. The jack should be lowered to make the jack stand bear the weight. Remove the lug nuts and then the wheel. This give you access to the brake and you can reach under the car easily.
Locate the 'pins' or slider bolts which fasten the caliper. Usually, only the lower bolt should be removed and this slides out easily although the process may be long.
The caliper will pivot up. The hydraulic line (rubber hose) will bend to accommodate this therefore the hose should not be disconnected.
Here the brake pads' thickness can be checked to confirm the need to change them. Majority of brake pads have little metal tabs (metal wear indicators) which squeak when rotors are contacted by these tabs. Whether or not they are touching, if the rubbing material has less than or equal to 1/8th thickness of inch, the pads needs to be changed.
When the brake pads are exposed with the retaining clips holding them in place loosely, the used brake pads can slide out easily.
New clips usually come with new pads making the pads to easily glide back and forth. Retaining screws are not available and clips simply snap into place. Bear in mind that the clips match up properly as they are right-handed clips different from the left-handed ones.
Generally, a little parcel of grease that is graphite-based comes with the new brake pads. This should be applied to the new brake clips to prevent squeaking.
The replacing process is as easy as the sliding out of the old pads but the new clips are sometimes tighter. The applied grease will allow the ears of the pad to slide comfortably into place.
Before the caliper can be lowered into its place, the pistons have to be pushed back so the new and thicker pads will be cleared.
The slider bolt should be reinstalled and then re-tightened. The car wheels should be straightened and the tire remounted. Tighten the lugs.
All the above steps should be repeated for the front brake's next side. The car should be test driven in a safe situation to ensure that the replacement was successful. The driver should be particularly careful when making the very first couple stops.
