Safety Glasses
Nitrile Gloves
Brake Pads
Brake Rotors
Jack
Jack Stands
Wheel Chocks
Caliper Hanger
Socket Set
Breaker Bar
Torque Wrench
Bleeder Tool
Brake Line Wrench
Brake Parts Cleaner
Silicone Grease
Caliper Compressor
Brake Fluid
Flathead Screwdriver
Shop Towels
Step 1: Prepare Your Vehicle
Park on a level surface. Use a socket and breaker bar to loosen the lug nuts on the front wheels.
Step 2: Lift the Front End
Jack up the front end of the vehicle and put it on stands. Chock the rear wheels.
Step 3: Remove the Front Wheel
Remove the lug nuts on the wheel where you’ll be working first and take that wheel off. Turn the steering wheel for easier access to the caliper.
Step 4: Remove Caliper Bolts
Remove the rubber caps to access the caliper bolts and use a 7mm socket to remove the bolts.
Step 5: Remove the Caliper
Use a flathead screwdriver to gently push the piston in enough for the caliper to be removed. You’ll also use your screwdriver to pry off the old brake hardware. Remove the caliper from the rotor and use your caliper hanger to suspend it, making sure to keep pressure off the brake line.
Step 6: Remove the Old Brake Pads
Take the old pads out of the caliper. You can pry them out with your flathead if needed.
Step 7: Remove the Caliper Mounting Bracket
Use an 18mm socket and breaker bar to loosen the caliper mounting bracket bolts and a ratchet to take them off completely. Set it aside for now. Since you’re replacing the rotor, it’s ok to use a hammer to break it loose if needed. Never hammer a rotor you plan to continue using.
Step 8: Remove the Rotor
Remove the rotor from the hub. Use a wire brush to clean any rust off the face of the hub. Once clean, apply some of your 100% silicone grease to the hub before installing the new rotor.
Step 9: Wipe Your New Rotor
Use brake cleaner and a rag or shop towel to wipe down the friction surfaces of your new rotor. Remember brake cleaner strips paint, so be careful with it around any painted areas. Also use your brake cleaner to thoroughly spray down your caliper mounting bracket.
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Do It Right: Don’t use a wire brush on the caliper mounting bracket. If it’s rusty where the pads or the brake hardware ride, it needs to be replaced. |
Step 10: Install Your New Rotor
Install your new rotor on the hub and use a lug nut to keep it in place while you work. Use your silicone grease to lubricate the caliper mounting bracket where the pads will ride. Put it back in place on the rotor and secure it with the bolts you removed previously. Torque these bolts to 129 foot pounds.
Step 11: Clean Your Caliper Piston
Clean the exposed portion of your caliper piston with brake cleaner on a towel or rag. If the rubber boot is cracked or if there’s brake fluid leaking, the caliper needs to be replaced.
Step 12: Open Your Bleeder Valve
Attach your bleeder tool and open the bleeder valve by turning it counter-clockwise. Use a caliper piston tool or C-clamp to push the piston back into the caliper. Use an old brake pad between your caliper piston and piston tool. The caliper piston needs to be flush with the caliper housing. Be sure not to pinch the boot, and be sure not to push on the piston itself when you do this.
Step 13: Compress Your Caliper Piston
Compress the piston. Old, discolored brake fluid and small particles of dirt will be discharged. Once finished, re-tighten the bleeder valve before detaching your bleeder tool.
Step 14: Reinstall New Brake Pads
Lubricate the caliper where the ears of the pads will go and the back of the first brake pad around the rose clip. Put that first pad into place in the caliper. Now, add some silicone grease to the inside of the caliper where the other pad will go and install the pad. Set the caliper in place in the bracket.
Step 15: Reinstall Guide Pins & Bushing Caps
Lubricate the guide pins and reinstall them. Torque them to 37 foot pounds and replace the bushing caps. Check to make sure the pads are against the rotor and that the piston is flush with the caliper. If you used a lug nut to hold the rotor in place, you can remove it now. Install your new anti-rattle clip.
Step 16: Reinstall Front Wheel
Put the wheel back in place and hand-tighten the lug nuts, making sure the wheel is seated flush against the hub.
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Do It Right: Except in unusual circumstances, pads and rotors should be changed in pairs, so repeat these steps on the other side. |
Step 17: Lower Your Vehicle
Lower your vehicle, and use a torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern to 100 foot pounds.
Step 18: Test Drive Your Vehicle
Once the job is complete, before you drive anywhere, pump your brake pedal several times until you feel the pressure return. It should feel the way it did before the brake job. Check your master cylinder and add fluid as needed.
To help break in the new components, test drive your vehicle, slowing it fifteen to twenty times from 50 to 30 miles per hour with moderate brake pressure, allowing the brakes to cool in between each slowdown. Try to avoid aggressive stops during this break-in process. Your brakes will probably smell after you’ve done this, and that’s okay. If the odor persists past five hundred miles or so, or if you have excessive dust on one wheel, you may have a stuck caliper.
To help break in the new components, test drive your vehicle, slowing it fifteen to twenty times from 50 to 30 miles per hour with moderate brake pressure, allowing the brakes to cool in between each slowdown. Try to avoid aggressive stops during this break-in process. Your brakes will probably smell after you’ve done this, and that’s okay. If the odor persists past five hundred miles or so, or if you have excessive dust on one wheel, you may have a stuck caliper.
