Replacing your brakes could mean the difference between stopping in time and colliding with the car in front of you. With a handful of basic tools and the right parts, you can replace the brakes on your 2006 Volvo S40 in less than two hours. By replacing your own brakes when they are worn you save money and ensure your safety while driving. You can purchase replacement brake parts from a Volvo dealer or from your an auto parts store.
Instructions
Remove the Wheel
- Park the Volvo on a level surface and set the emergency brake. Work on one wheel and brake assembly at a time.
- Loosen slightly the lug nuts of the first wheel, but do not remove them. Position the jack under the appropriate point of the vehicle's frame. Place the jack stand next to the jack, lower the Volvo onto the jack stand, then remove the jack and put it aside.
- Remove the lug nuts all the way and place them aside. Do not throw them away. Remove the wheel and move it out of the way.
Removing the Brake Pads and Replacing Rotors
- Remove the retaining spring located on the outside of the Volvo's brake caliper. Place it close by because you will need to reinstall it in a few minutes.
- Remove the two rubber covers on the back of the brake caliper. Remove the bolts underneath them. Do not dispose of these parts.
- Move the brake caliper out of the way. Remove the old brake pads. Unbolt and remove the brake pad bracket only if you have chosen to replace your brake rotors as well as the brake pads. Use metric sockets and a ratchet to unbolt the bracket.
- Remove the old brake rotor and place it out of the way. The rotor should slide free of the steering hub. If it is rusted in place, hit it from the back with a hammer to break it free.
- Position the new rotor and bolt it on the brake pad bracket. Spray the new rotor with brake parts cleaner.
Installing New Brake Pads
- Apply a light coat of high-temperature grease to the two new brake pads only at the point at which they will contact the brake pad bracket. Wipe off the excess grease. If you get grease on the ceramic surface of the pads, spray them off with brake pad cleaner.
- Slide the new pads into the bracket without touching any of the cleaned surfaces. If you do touch the ceramic surface of the pads or the rotor, spray the area you touched with brake parts cleaner.
- Compress the brake caliper with the special compression tool. Slide the caliper over the new brake pads. Thoroughly grease the caliper retention bolts and bolt the caliper back into place. Reinstall the retaining spring.
- Reinstall the wheel and tighten the lug nuts. The wheel may turn. This is acceptable as long as all of the lug nuts are as tight as you can get them. Place the jack under the same point from which you originally jacked up the vehicle and raise the vehicle off the jack stand.
- Remove the jack stand and slowly lower the Volvo S40 to the ground. Tighten the lug nuts, being careful not to over-tighten them. Repeat all of the steps above for each wheel and brake assembly.
