Every now and then, you will have to replace your brake pads. A lot of car enthusiasts especially those who love to drive their cars on race tracks will need to do this more often than the regular cars. This is a task that you can do by yourself to save up on labor fees. All you need to have is a good knowledge in cars and a good guide to help you such as this one. Below are step by step instructions that will help you learn how to replace car brake pads on your own.
Before we do the replacement, there are a couple of things you’ll need to know for prepping up your car. Here are the things you’ll need to be able to complete this task.
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Allen wrenches, depending on your car
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C-clamp
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Hammer
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Jack stands
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Lug wrench
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Open end or adjustable wrench, depending on your car
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Small bungee cord
Once you’ve prepared the tools that you’ll need, it’s time to prepare your car. Remember that while doing this task it’s important to keep safety in mind. After all, you don’t want to break your car and you don’t want to put yourself in danger too.
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You will need to take off your wheels to replace your brake pads so make sure that you’ve safely jacked up your car and rest it securely on jack stands. Do not work on your car if it’s just supported only by a jack. You’ll need jack stands for it to rest securely. At the same time, it’s best to check your brake discs because they might need replacement as well depending on the wear they have. But before you do, make sure to break the lugs before jacking it up. It will be easier for you to remove the lugs while the wheels are on the ground. At the same time, it will also be safer.
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Now it’s time to remove the wheel. Breaking the lugs will be easy while your car is still on the ground. It will also be easier to remove the lug nuts from the bottom up. It will keep your wheels in one place before you remove the rest of the lug nuts. It would be easier to catch the wheel after you remove the last nut. Next is unbolting the caliper.
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In some cars, you can remove the brake pads without removing the calipers. However, most of the cars will need to have the calipers removed before you can access the brake pads. To remove the brake caliper, first locate it in the 12 o’clock position just on top of the lug bolts. There is a bold on either side at the back of the caliper. Remove the two bolts either with a hex or Allen wrench, depending on your car. Put the bolts aside. While holding the caliper from the top, pull it upward and if it doesn’t loosen up, try wiggling it around. Make sure not to press it too hard so as not to pressure your brake line. Use your bungee cord to hang the caliper on to something. This will keep your calipers set aside safely. Do not let it hang by the brake line because it could cause you major damage.
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Now, we’re ready to remove the old brake pads. Make sure to observe everything and how they are installed in there. Make sure you remember them so when you put things back together, you’ll know how to do it. In fact, it would be better to take a picture of how it is all put together so you have something to go back to if needed. Now, you can easily slide out the old brake pads. If your car is old and it wouldn’t slide easily, you can use your hammer to tap it just a little bit to loosen it up. If there are little metal tabs holding onto the brake pads, put them aside as you’ll need to install them back later on.
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Now it’s time to put the new brake pads. Put back in the metal clips if your car has them. While doing so, it would be best to inspect your brake discs as well. Now, put back any little remaining clips you’ve removed early on. Be sure to refer to your digital photo to make sure you’ve installed everything correctly.
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Now, you’ll need to compress your brake piston. Your caliper adjusts itself to make sure you have strong brakes. So, they are probably adjusted to match your worn out pads. You’ll probably see a round piston coming out. What you need to do is to push the piston back to its starting point. Be careful so as to not destroy your new pads. To do this, use the C-clamp and place the end with the screw against your piston. The other end of the clamp goes around to the back of the caliper assembly. Tighten the clamp until your piston has moved far enough where you can easily plop the caliber over your new brake pads.
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Now, slide in the caliper assembly over your new pads. Put back the bolts and tighten them snugly. You can try pressing your brake pedal to make sure you get a solid brake pressure. The first to two pumps will be soft as the piston adjusts. Try again and it should be strong enough.
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Now, put your wheel back on and tighten all of the lug bolts. Double check everything and you’re done!
