Are you interested in How to Change Brake Pads? If your brake pads squeak or creak, it may be time to replace them. You will be pleasantly surprised to discover that disc brake pads in your car can be replaced quickly, easily, and without specialized tools.
How to Change Brake Pads
If you do it yourself, you will also save a lot of money. But even if you’re not interested in doing the work yourself, knowing what that means will make it easier for you to understand what your mechanic might one day tell you.
Here is a general step-by-step guide to replacing brake pads.
Money saved: about $ 115 to $ 250 per axle for most cars and more for performance or luxury cars
Time required: 1 hour
Tools Needed
- Disposable mechanical gloves to protect hands and keep clean
- Jack and handles
- Cross key
- C-clamp or piece of wood for piston retraction
- Wrench (select socket, wrench, or adjustable wrench)
- Turkey for suction of brake fluid
- Plastic loop, elastic band, or piece of string
Required Materials
- New brake pads. Since you are saving money by working on your own, you may want to consider buying more expensive or original manufacturer brake pads.
- Brake fluid – Check the operating manual for the correct type.
Things to Note Before you Begin
Get to know your caliper assembly – most cars have a sliding caliper brake assembly. This is shown in the photo above. Compare this set of jaws with the one on your car. Other cars have fixed jaw sets. Fixed caliper brake pads are also easy to change, but the process is a little different, so we’ll cover that in a separate instruction document.
Do one side after another: for some reason, you should change the pads on one side of the car from start to finish before working on the other side. Also, since you are working one by one, turn the steering wheel so that the steering wheel you are working on is at an angle for better access to the brake.
Now we can start.
Steps to Change Brake Pads
- Remove the break
- Remove the slide screw.
- Rotate the bracket or caliper
- Remove the old brake pads.
- Replace the retaining clips or pistons
- Push the new brake pads.
- Insert the clips.
- Check the brake fluid level.
- Replace the caliper
- Replace the slide screw
- Repeat for the other side.
- Test drive in safe conditions.
This is a brief step-by-step process of replacing your bad brake pads.
How Much Does it Cost to Replace Brake Pads?
The cost of replacing a brake pad depends on a number of factors: the type of vehicle and brake system you have and whether you are buying stock/original brake pads, postmarket, or performance brake pads. But overall, expect to pay between $ 115 and $ 250 per axle for most cars, and much more for luxury or performance vehicles.
How Often do you Need to Change the Brake Pads?
For the most accurate answer, you will need to refer to the instructions for use, but you will usually want to replace the brake pads when they start to warn you. Some vehicles include brake pad sensors, which can trigger a light or message on the instrument panel to alert the vehicle owner.
Brake pads on other vehicles have a piece of metal that is exposed when the pad reaches a certain width. This causes a squeak or squeak that will not harm the vehicle, but that means you should replace the brake pads immediately.
