| 1. Jack the car up and remove the wheel. Make sure the vehicle is in Park on automatics and Reverse on manual transmission vehicles. Set the parking brake unless you will be working on the rear brakes. Loosen the lugnuts 1/2 turn while the vehicle is still on the ground. Jack the car up on a level surface and support it with jack stands. Caution: Never work under a vehicle that is not supported by jack stands. Remove the wheel and set it aside. |  |
| How to change brake pads tip: To remove brake dust off brake components and surrounding areas, always use brake cleaner spray. DON'T EVER USE COMPRESSED AIR to remove brake dust! Not only is it harmful to breathe brake dust, it can contain asbestos. |
| 2. Remove the brake caliper. Disconnect any ABS or brake pad wear sensor wires attached to the caliper that will prevent its removal. Using a socket or wrench, remove the lower caliper bolt. |  |
| If possible, swing the caliper "up", pivoting the assembly on the upper bolt. You might need to remove the brake hose bracket bolt to give the hose some flexibility. |  |
| If the caliper won't swing up or you are going to replace the rotor, then the caliper will need to be removed. Remove the upper caliper bolt and pull the caliper off the mounting bracket. Be sure to support the caliper while it’s disconnected, don’t let it hang by the brake hose. Use a coat hanger or bungee cord to secure the caliper to the coil spring or some other suspension component. |  |
| How to change brake pads tip: Anytime the caliper is removed from the brake assembly – do not press on the brake pedal. The hydraulic piston can be pushed out of the caliper, allowing air to get into the system. If this occurs, the piston will have to be reinstalled and the air will have to be bled from the system. |
| 3. Remove the pads. Now that the caliper is out of the way, notice the brake pads are still “attached” to the mounting bracket. Take note of any clips attached to the top of the pads and remove them. They will need to be reinstalled in the same position after the new pads are put in. Remove the pads from the mounting bracket. Make sure to remove any loose shims that may be stuck to the caliper or caliper piston. |  |
| Inspect the pads to see how much material is left on them – some material remaining is a good sign! If any of the pads is worn down to the metal backing, or the metal wear indicator was contacting the rotor, the rotor might have sustained damage by the metal to metal contact. Inspect the rotor to see if it can be reused. If you are just replacing the pads and you do not need to remove the brake rotor, skip to step 8. |  |
| How to change brake pads tip: When removing the old pads, compare them to the size and shape of the new pads. Make sure you have the correct ones before getting to far ahead. |
| This step is for brake rotor removal/installation only.
4. Remove the caliper mounting bracket. Remove the upper and lower mounting bracket bolts. Remove the mounting bracket. |  |
| This step is for brake rotor removal/installation only. 5. Remove brake rotor. Any small screws or clips holding the brake rotor on will have to be removed before the rotor can be taken off. If the screws are reluctant to come out, use an impact driver to remove them. A rubber mallet can be used to knock the rotor off the hub, if needed. Once the rotor is removed, inspect it to see if can be reused (unless you are installing a new one). |  |
| How to change brake pads tip: Models with an integrated hub will have to remove the dust cap, cotter pin (if equipped), axle nut, washer and outer wheel bearing before pulling off the rotor. Once the rotor is removed, inspect the wheel bearings for damage. |
| This step is for brake rotor removal/installation only. If the rotor still can't be removed, see if the rotor has any small threaded holes on the hub area. A bolt with a matching thread pitch can be alternately screwed into both of these holes which will push the rotor off the hub. When the rotor is off, it's a good time to clean the wheel hub with a wire brush to remove any corrosion or rust. Spread a light coating of anti-seize on the hub after it's been cleaned. This will prevent the rotor from sticking to the hub. |  |
| This step is for brake rotor removal/installation only. 6. Install rotor. If you're installing a new rotor, use brake cleaner or soap and water to remove the anti-rust coating on both sides of the rotor. Place the rotor on the hub, and reinstall any screws/clips that were used to hold the rotor in place. It’s a good idea to use anti-seize on these small screws to make future removal easier. These screws don’t have to be very tight; the wheel actually holds the rotor on. |  |
| How to change brake pads tip: Models with an integrated hub will need to reinstall greased wheels bearings, rotor, washer, axle nut, cotter pin and dust cap. Tighten the axle nut according to the manufacturer's recommendation. |
| This step is for brake rotor removal/installation only.
7. Reinstall mounting bracket. Reinstall both bolts for the mounting bracket, be sure to use anti-seize on the threads of the bolts. |  |
| 8. Install brake pads. Check the new pads for pre-installed shims. If the new pads don't have shims, the old shims will have to be transferred to the new pads. To minimize any brake pad squealing, it's recommended to apply brake caliper lube to all contact points between the pad, shims, mounting bracket and the caliper piston. Install the new brake pads onto the mounting bracket. The inner pad is usually the one that has the metal indicator tab mounted to it. |  |
| 9. Retract the piston back into the caliper. As the pads wear down, the caliper piston extends out. Since new pads are much thicker than worn pads, the piston sticks out too far to fit around new pads. Using a disc brake pad spreader or c-clamp, push the piston back into the caliper until it is even with it’s mounting surface. Use one of the old brake pads to push against the piston. Go slowly to avoid overflowing the reservoir. |  |
| How to change brake pads tip: The brake fluid level will rise in the master cylinder as the caliper piston is pushed back in – make sure the reservoir doesn’t overflow. Catch any spills with a rag since brake fluid will damage paint. |
| On models equipped with rear disc brakes, some caliper pistons can’t be “pushed” in. These are typically found on calipers with an integrated parking brake. The piston will need to be turned (usually clockwise) to retract it into the cylinder. The disc brake piston tool makes this job easy, but pliers will also work. |  |
| 10. Check caliper sliding pins and boots. Check the condition of the caliper sliding pins and boots by pulling them out of the mounting bracket. Clean and lubricate the pins with grease if necessary. |  |
| 11. Reinstall the caliper. Reinstall the caliper over the new pads, making sure the brake hose hasn't been twisted. Reinstall the caliper bolts. Replace any wires or connectors that were previously disconnected. |  |
| 12. Replace the wheel and jack the car down. Before reinstalling wheel, use brake cleaner to remove any grease from both sides of the brake rotor surface. Put the wheel back on and reinstall the lug nuts finger tight. Jack the car down to the ground and torque the lugnuts in a criss-cross pattern to avoid warping the rotor and hub. Congratulations on a job well done! |  |
| How to change brake pads tip: On rear calipers with integrated parking brake - the rear brakes need to be adjusted before driving. Set and release the parking brake repeatedly until the parking brake is firm. |
When pads or shoes are replaced, keep in mind that full braking performance won’t be realized until the brakes are bedded in (typically 500 to 1000 miles). Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for proper bedding in procedure.
