How to Change Front Brake Pads
If you know how to change the frontbrake padson your own car, you can perform this maintenance job whenever necessary and save a lot of time and money in the process. Brake pads wear out over time, and need to be replaced to keep the brake system working properly. The brake system uses the pad's friction material to slow or stop your car. It is this material that wears thin, making necessary to replace the pads.Preparing to remove the brake padsPreparation will make your job much easier and faster. First, park your car on a level surface and loosen the wheel lug nuts on both front wheels. Open the hood and clean the brake fluid reservoir with a rag. The reservoir is the container on top of thebrake master cylinder, which is mounted in front of the brake booster, a drum-like component located on the firewall, on the driver's side of the engine compartment. After wiping clean the reservoir, remove the cover and siphon some of the brake fluid into a disposable container out of the reservoir using a clean turkey baster. Then, place a clean rag on top to prevent dirt or grease from contaminating the system. Also, place more rags under the master cylinder to catch the brake fluid that might spill during your repair job.You can now lift the front of your car and secure it with a couple of jack stands. Block the rear wheels with wooden blocks, engage the parking brake and finish removing the front wheels. It is a good idea to have both wheels removed, but you only have to work on one brake assembly at a time. Use the other assembly as a reference as you replace the first set of pads, if necessary.Removing the brake padsUnscrew the bolt or bolts on the back of thebrake caliper. Some calipers have only one bolt, while others have two. Use a large C-clamp to retract the cylinder piston into its bore inside the caliper. This will give you enough room to reposition the caliper with the new, thick pads over the brake disc. You will need to place the clamp over the caliper and turn the clamp bolt against the outer pad. This is the pad facing you. Make sure the clamp bolt is pushing against the pad and not the caliper housing. Once the piston is set into its cylinder, remove the C-clamp.If it has only one bolt, you can swing the caliper away from the brake rotor now to gain access to the brake pads. If the caliper uses two bolts, you need to jiggle the caliper off the brake rotor completely and secure it to a suspension component using a piece of heavy wire. This will prevent the caliper to hang from the brake hose and damage it.Before you continue, make a note of the position of the brake pads and each part in the assembly. This will help you install every component back in its original position. Besides the pads, you might need to remove an adapter, clips and shims. Organize each component on a flat surface. Then spray each component and the brake assembly-brake rotor and caliper-with brake parts cleaner. Wipe clean the parts and the assembly using lint-free towels.Installing the brake padsCompare the old pads to their replacement and make sure they have the same configuration. Then, insert the new pads into the calipers or mounting bracket on the wheel assembly, including adapters, clips and shims as necessary. Double-check that everything is in its correct position. If necessary, compare your installation with the brake assembly on the opposite front wheel. Once you have tightened the caliper mounting bolt(s), install the new set of pads on the other front wheel.When ready, replace the front tires and lower the vehicle. Then, you can check the brake fluid level in the reservoir and add new brake fluid, if necessary. Replace the lid. Now, go ahead and test your car brakes on a low traffic street to make sure they are working properly. Now that you know how to change front brake pads on your car, add this repair job to your car maintenance list. It will help you keep your car performing at its best without spending a fortune at the shop.
