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In this video we're going to give you a basic overview of how to replace your front brake pads and rotors. While this vehicle may not be identical to yours, the steps and procedures are going to be very similar, if not the same, throughout a wide variety of vehicles. The only major differences will be the exact hardware used and the torque specs, which you can find through a wide variety of online resources.
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If your vehicle has a Center Cap, or full Hub Cap covering the lug nuts. Hub caps can be removed by grabbing and pulling, whereas Center Caps usually need a screwdriver or small pry bar to pop them off the wheel. Remove your lug nuts from the vehicle with the appropriate socket and a breaker bar. Make sure the tire is still on the ground at this point to prevent it from spinning when you go to remove the nuts. Just crack them loose, one turn. This will keep the wheel from falling off, but allow us to easily move it, once the pressure is off the car. If you have a wheel lock key, insert it into a lock lug if you have one. Loosen that up the same way. Raise and support your vehicle. We're using a lift in the shop, but if you're doing this at home, it can easily be done with a Jack and Jack Stands.
If you're not sure on where to lift your vehicle, you can check a variety of online resources or the owner’s manual in your vehicle if you still have one. Since we've already cracked our lug nuts loose, you should be able to just spin them off by hand, once the vehicle's raised and supported. Make sure when removing the last lug, you keep a hand on the wheel and tire, then remove them, and set it off to the side.
The average Front Disk Brake System consists of a few major parts. These parts are your rotor, your brake pads inside here, your caliper carrier bracket, and your brake caliper. The caliper has a hose running to it, which supplies the fluid pressure into the pistons, inside of this caliper. In this particular case, there are two pistons in here. When you press your brake pedal down, pressurized fluid fills these chambers and pushes the pistons out, squeezing the brake pads together. Which contain a friction material against the rotor, slowing down the rotation of your wheels.
A few things that can go wrong with your front pads and rotors are going to be the pads wearing down, to the point where there is no longer sufficient friction material to properly slow down the rotor, without creating a grinding or crunching noise. These pads can become glazed from excessive heat, which means they're going to be very smooth and not grab the rotor correctly. Allowing it to slip more than it normally would, which can create a squealing sound, and a longer braking distance, as well as a soft pedal feel. The rotor itself can become rusted and corroded, which has pitting and doesn't create the proper contact area for the pads. Or it can get rust-ridges built up which have a similar effect, but create a lot more noise.
And if the rotor itself gets overheated, it can warp creating a pedal pulsation, and a vibration. From the uneven surfaces going through the pad, forcing the caliper to move in and out with those high/low spots on the rotor. Feeding back into your pedal to create that that in and out pulsation, or vibration feel. Fortunately these components are very easy to change, and can really change the handling and driving characteristics of your vehicle. Remove the two bolts on the back of the caliper. These are usually a regular Hex bolt, but occasionally they're an Allen key with a little rubber cap you'll have to pop off to access them. You may need a screwdriver, or a small pry bar to free the caliper from the pads. Then using the zip-tie, a bungee chord, or some mechanics wire, go ahead and secure the caliper up and out of the way, so it doesn't get damaged while we finish our repair.
Remove the pads. You may have to pop them out with a flat blade screwdriver if they're stuck in there. Remove the two bolts on the back of the spindle, securing the caliper bracket. Make sure that both are cracked loose before removing either one fully. Once the bolt is out, remove the caliper bracket from the spindle. Some rotors may have a Phillips head or Torx screw securing the rotor to the hub. Remove that if necessary. And if your rotor is frozen to the hub, from rust and corrosion, tap it on the face of the rotor. You can hit the outer edge if you're not reusing the rotor. If you are, tap between the studs, free up the rust, and remove the rotor from the hub.
Most brake caliper brackets will have these little metal shims on them, which keep the pads tight and from rattling around and moving while braking. To remove them, use a small flat blade screwdriver and carefully pop them off one at a time. We'll take a wire brush and clean all the dirt and debris out of the part of the caliper bracket that the slide sit into. You may want to wear a dust mask while doing this, so you don't breathe in all the rust and brake particles. Once the bracket itself is cleaned out, you can either replace these slides or, ours are in pretty good condition, so you can just clean them up the same way.
Now, if these are heavily rusted or corroded, you'll want to replace them, but you can see ours is just a little bit dirty. They're still nice and shiny underneath all that build-up. Reinstall your slide, simply presses in. And take some brake grease and put a thin coat on the contact portions. We'll then hold down the boot for our slide, and remove the slide pin from the caliper bracket. Apply some more brake grease here. Pop it back in, make sure that boot sits back onto its collar. Repeat this process for the other slide and slide pin. Install your new rotor on backwards, and spray it off with brake cleaner. Then flip it around, install it correctly and spray down this side as well. If you have screws securing your rotor, you can reinstall that now.
If you're vehicle doesn't have a rotor screw, to make it easier, press your rotor in flat and using some washers or an old Axle nut works perfect. Install a lug nut by hand as tight as you can into that Axle nut. This will keep the rotor upright while we reinstall the rest of our parts, making it that much easier. Reinstall your caliper bracket and the two bolts that secure it. Start both bolts by hand, then tighten them down with the appropriate socket and ratchet. Install your brake pads, and apply a thin coat of grease to the backside of them. Release your caliper from whatever you used to secure it out of the way.
Using a large pair of groove lock pliers, carefully compress each piston, one side at a time. Going nice and slow so you don't push the other piston out in the process. You may have to go back and forth a couple of times if you do have dual piston calipers like these. Once it's fully compressed, slide it back over the pads, push the pins in to allow the caliper back into place. Reinstall your hardware. Once they're in by hand, go ahead and tighten them down with the appropriate socket and ratchet. If you've used the Axle nut and lug nut trick to secure your rotor, go ahead and remove that now.
Reinstall your wheel and tire. Reinstall your lug nuts as tight as you can by hand. Now you're all set to lower your vehicle. Reinstall your lug nuts and torque them in a cross patter to the proper specification. If you don't know what the specification is, you may be able to find it in your owners manual or a variety of other online resources. Once you're done, simply pop on your Center Cap or Hub Cap, and you're good to go.
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WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Lead and Lead Compounds, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer, and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
