How To Replace Brake Pads

Changing your car's brake pads is an often overlooked piece of car maintenance. They’re sort of the “Set it and forget it!” of automotive systems. They’re not really a part you regularly check. Yet, your brakes are perhaps the most important part of your car as they ensure your continued survival. Maintaining them, then, should be a top priority and one of the easiest ways to do that is by replacing your brake pads when they start to fade. 

In terms of skill required, this job falls somewhere between easy and intermediate. You should set aside up to two to four hours, but the actual time it'll take will vary from vehicle to vehicle.

Grab a tire iron or an impact wrench and loosen the lug nuts on the front two wheels.

For clearance, raise the vehicle with a floor jack or a full hydraulic lift—whatever you have handy.

Be mindful of where you set the jack stands, preferably on the frame. Don't set place them on the rocker panel or any of the bodywork that would crumple from the weight of the car.

Store it out of the way so you have clear access to the hub.

They’ll be at the rear of the caliper. Once you've taken them off, store them in a baggy so you don't lose any.

You can pry it with a flathead screwdriver but it may fly off, so be careful. This is where those safety glasses may come in handy.

You can now slide the caliper off the rotor. Rest the caliper on the top rotor (or hang it with a hook) so it’s not hanging by the weight of the brake line.

With the caliper free, take off the brake pads. Inspect for uneven wear to ensure everything is properly lined up and there's no debris caught inside.

The brake caliper piston, the piece that pushes the brake pad into the rotor, may be extended. Using face clamp pliers, put one side of the plier’s grip on the piston and the other side on the caliper’s steel backing.

Be sure not to damage the piston’s rubber. 

Take the inboard brake pad, the one with a retaining clip on its backing, and place a small amount of brake pad lubricant on the back of it.

Press into the piston’s opening until it locks in place.

Take the outboard brake pad and place a small amount of brake pad lubricant on the back of it.

Rest the outboard brake pad on the caliper mounting bracket that’s still attached to the rotor.

Slide the caliper with the outboard brake pad attached back onto the mounting bracket with the outboard brake caliper.

Grease the caliper’s bolts, but not the threads, and reinstall them.

Complete this process at every corner that needs new brake pads.

Hand-tighten the lug nuts for now.

Raise the jack enough to remove the stands. Be extremely careful not to bump the jack while under the car.

If you're using a floor jack, twist the handle slowly to the left.

Torque the lug nuts to their manufacturer’s designated specification.

Pop the car’s hood and remove the brake fluid cap, which will likely have the letters "DOT" in big letters.

Press the pedal repeatedly to make sure braking pressure has returned and the air is out of the system. Then put the brake fluid cap back on and close the hood.

If there's no air left in the system, you’re done!