It certainly feels annoying when you have to wait and pay a whole lot to change brake pads at the mechanic. When you can actually do it yourself with these simple procedures.
Procedure To Change Brake Pads
Below is a clear guide to change your brake pads your self.
Get the correct brake pads.
Before you decide to change your brake pads it is advisable to know the exact pad of your car. You can get the right pads for your vehicle at any auto shop or order online. All you need to know is the model of your car, make and year of production or version and you will be shown the various types. However to get the right one you can contact your mechanic or ask the dealer for some advice.
Let the Engine Cooldown
Pads are of the parts that experience the most wear and tear. As a result, there is a lot of heat generated on the surface. So expect it to be extremely hot.
Uninstall The Wheels
These should be easy for an average car user. using the following steps you can do it easily.
- First, slacken the nuts. Using the appropriate wrench
- Jack up the car carefully.
- Loosen the nuts completely.
- Take out the wheels.
Check your manual steps to change your tire.
Remove the caliper bolts
Use the right spanner to remove the caliper fits on the brake rotor. It is like a clamp that helps in slowing down your car with hydraulic pressure.
Get the Caliper out of the Way
Get the caliper hanger out of the way. You could use a cable to keep it secured because it will still have the brake line attached.
Remove the Caliper Fastener
Remove the caliper bracket fasteners and take out the bracket off of the rotor. Note the orientation of the pads on the rotor.
Inspect the rotor.
Check the rotors if they need replacing. Check for fault signs such as pitting, grooves, blue spots or rings, deep rust, and cracks.
Remove the old pads.
Again take note of how the brake pads are fixed before you change to the new brake pads. Remove both pads by simply applying the required force to pull or push it out.
Change in the New Brake Pads
Apply lubricants on the edges and on the back of the new pads. Avoid getting lubricants inside the inside of the brake pads.
Check the brake fluid.
Recheck the brake fluid reservoir. If it still at the full position, Then replace the cover of the brake fluid reservoir. Else top it up.
Replace the caliper.
Slide in the caliper slowly just the way it was at the beginning. Replace the caliper bolts in the appropriate holes.
Fix the Wheels back on
Replace the wheels in the following procedure.
- Place in the wheel
- Tight the lug nuts
- Lower the jack
- Tighten the nuts a final time
Start the vehicle.
Now you have successfully completed the change brake pads procedure. Start the car and pump the brakes 15 to 20 to ensure the pad is rightly set.
Test your new brake pads.
Now you can drive the car at a slow pace of 5 mph (8.0 km/h). if the car stops appropriately, increase the speed and test the brakes again. However if there some abnormal stops during the test, it means you got the configuration wrong as you change the brake pads. You probably reversed it.
The same steps work to change brake pads of other wheels of the car. Some times you might be required to bleed the brakes to get it functioning to the best capacity.
