One of the most common maintenance jobs that a car owner faces, other than normal maintenance like oil changes and tire changing, is changing the brake pads. For those who do a great amount of stop and go driving, it is quite normal for your brake pads to wear down every few years. Knowing how to replace those brake pads will save you quite a bit of money over the years, and it is a simple maintenance job.
Loosen the nuts on your front wheels, and then jack your vehicle up and lower it on jack stands. Make sure you engage your emergency brake, and to be extra safe put wooden blocks behind the rear wheels to keep it from rolling.
Remove your front wheels to get at the brake assembly.
Remove the mounting bolts that hold the caliper and brake pads to the rotor. Slip the caliper off, then remove the bolts that hold the brake pads to the caliper.
Turn the piston in the caliper to the open position using a vise grip. We do this because, as the brake pads wore down, the piston moved closer to the rotor, and with new brake pads this needs to be fully opened.
Apply grease to the new brake pads.
Assemble the new brake pads in the reverse order you took them apart.
As a general rule, you should always change the brake pads to both sides of the car, even if the wear is not the same.
When you are done, test the brakes by pumping them several times. This will release air in the brake lines. When you are done with that, check your brake fluid to make sure it is at the correct level, then lower your car and test drive it.
And that’s it! For a beginner, doing both wheels should take an hour or so. By doing this, you just saved yourself a minimum of $75 in mechanic labor fees.
And if you really want to save money, pick up some replacement brake pads at your local salvage yard. There you will find savings of up to 50% on quality used brake pads, and who couldn’t use savings of that amount?
All Import Auto Parts has everything you need for your car maintenance jobs, whether they be big or small. From replacement transmissions to replacement windshields, and everything in-between, including all car brake parts, you can count on the pros at All Import Auto Parts to have what you need.