The brake pads are one of the important components in vehicle’s braking system. These components are responsible for stopping the vehicle when you press the brake paddle brakes. It is very important to understand how to replace the brake pads.
Changing brake pads of your car is very easy option than taking your car/vehicle to the mechanic. which result to an expensive charge. Now let us discuss steps to be followed to replace brake pads of your car.
How to replace brake pads of your car/ vehicle
- Firstly go through your owners manual to know which type of brake pads to be purchased and which suits your car model.
- Park your vehicle/car in a safe place and turn off the ignition system.
- Make sure that the vehicle is cooled down.
- Before unscrewing the wheel nuts make sure the car/ vehicle brake pads are cooled down and safe to touch them.
- Bring all the necessary equipments
- Make sure that all the necessary equipments like screw jack,lug nut wrench and new brake pads are around the wheel for ease access
- Now lift the car above the ground level by using screw jack
- Loose the lug nuts which are present on the wheel
- By using the lug wrench loosen each of the lug nuts that hold the wheels of your car.
- Don’t loosen all the tires at once only loosen the required replacement brake pads.
- Normally we will change eitherthe two front pads or the two back pads depending upon the car and the brake pads condition. So select which brake pads to be replacae either start with the front or the back brake pads.
- Remove the wheels from the wheel cabine
- After Finish loosening remove the lug nuts.
- Pull the wheel straight out towards you from the wheel cabine.
- If the wheel rims are made of alloy and on studs clean the studs, stud holes, rotor mounting surface, and the rear mounting surface of the alloy wheel
- Now apply anti seize compound before refitting the wheel.
- Carefully Remove the caliper with a small piece of wire to the wheel
- After removing the caliper bolts from the wheel cabine.
- The caliper will still connected to the brake line, so hang it up with a small piece of wire hanger so that it won’t hang and put some amount of pressure on the brake hose.
- Remove the cap from the brake master cylinder
- Brake fluid will be contaminated with dirt and other abrasive particle from the air.
- The brake fluid will also absorb moisture from the air, dangerously lowering its boiling point. You must bleed the brake fluid from the system before changing your pads and calipers.
- Leave the cap off while you bleed the system.
- Inspect the sequence of bleeding.
- Fit a small plastic hose to the bleeder nipple.
- Double check the brake system for air bubbles
- With the engine in off condition continually pump the brakes until they experience resistanc.
- While compressing the brake pedal results in the fluid gurgling in the master cylinder.
- There are still air bubbles in the system. Start bleeding them again.
- Remove the old pads
- Note how each brake pads are attached to the wheel cabine .the brake pads are typically snap with attached metal clips.
- Remove both pads, They may required a little force to remove so take care not to damage the caliper or brake line while removing them out.
- Put the new pads on to the brake cabine
- Put the new pads on to the brake cabine and spread anti-seize lubricant on the metal contact edges till the back of the pads.
- It prevent squeaking do not get any lubricant onto the inside of the brake pads.
- Check the brake fluid
- Re connect the brake fluid reservoir cap when finished.
- Reconnec the caliper to the wheel cabine again.
- Put the wheel back to it’s position
- Put the wheel back to it’s position – slide the wheel back into place and tighten each of the lug nuts before lowering the car.
- Tighten the lug nuts
- When the car is back on the ground, tighten the lug nuts.
- Tighten one lug nuts until each nut is fully tightened to torque specification in the owners manual.
- Start the vehicle
- Making sure the vehicle is in neutral and press the brakes for about 15 to 20 times to make sure that the brake pads are seated correctly.
After tightening all the components start your vehicle/car at test your brake pads at different speed intervals.