How to Change Brake Pads

There are many things you can do to your car yourself to keep it tuned properly, like change your oil and transmission fluid, rotate your tires and even change your brake pads. Changing brake pads may sound intimidating, but by following a few simple steps the process is fairly easy. Learn how to change brake pads with the following steps.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Brake pads
• Jack stands
• Jack
• Lug wrench
• Torque wrench
• Grease for brake pads

1. Park your car on a flat surface, and set the parking brake. This will not affect the brake pads.
2. Loosen the lug nuts before jacking the car up. If you lift the car off of the ground before loosening the nuts, the tire will spin around rather than the lugs nuts becoming loose.
3. Place the car on the jack stands so that the front tires are off of the ground. It doesn't need to be very high but high enough for you to remove the tires.
4. Take the lug nuts and tires off of the car. Keep the lugs in a safe place so that they don't get lost. Lay the wheel out of the way and facing up.
5. Remove the bolts holding the brake caliper in place. Pull them away, and you will see the brake pads being held on by a bolt or a few clips.
6. Unscrew the bolt or unclip the clips holding the brake pads in place. Discard them, and check the rotors. If there are any grooves, you should remove them and have them replaced. If they are smooth and shiny, you can leave them alone.
7. Apply the grease to the back of the brake pad and then install the pad onto the caliper using the bolt or clips.
8. Reassemble the car in the opposite order that you took it down. End by tightening the lug nuts with a torque wrench after you lower the car back to the ground.