How to Replace Your Brake Pads
- 1). Apply the parking brake and chock the rear wheels with bricks or blocks. If you don't chock the wheels the vehicle may roll when the pads are changed. Using a lug wrench, loosen the lug nuts on the front wheels, but don't take the lug nuts off yet.
- 2). Slide a jack under the front of the vehicle. First, place the jack under the differential on the driver's side and jack that side up. Place a jack stand on that side. Next, place the jack under the passenger side. Place a jack stand under that side. Now remove the lug nuts from the front wheels.
- 3). Inspect the brake rotor for roughness. If you find roughness you will have to get the rotors cut or replaced at your local auto parts store. If the rotors look good, use a hammer and a flat-bladed screwdriver to drive the caliper slides out. Wire the caliper to hang out of the way with the ABS wire and brake line slack.
- 4). Inspect the brake pads. The pads should have brake pad material on them with no scraping. If there is scraping you should have your rotors replaced.
- 5). Clean the caliper mounting bracket of brake dust or other gunk. Apply Anti-Seize to the points where the caliper slides fit.
- 6). Inspect the new pads to ensure that they are the same design of pads as the old pads. Put Anti-Seize on the edges of the pads so they can slide smoothly in the caliper mounting bracket. Put Anti-Seize on the back of the pads so they don't make noise.
- 7). Remove the mechanic's wire and put one of the old pads in the caliper and, using the large C-clamp, slide the piston into the caliper by tightening the C-clamp. You might see some brake fluid dripping; this is normal. When the piston is all the way in the caliper, remove the C-clamp and the old brake pad from the piston and place the caliper onto the caliper mounting bracket. Using the hammer, install the caliper slides into the caliper and caliper mounting bracket.
- 8). Put the wheels on the studs and tighten the lug nuts finger tight. It might be necessary to turn the wheel to let the hub splines line up. Lift the vehicle to remove the jack stands, remove the jack stands, then lower the vehicle. Torque the lug nuts to specifications. A local auto parts store has the specification, just ask them or look on their website.
- 9). Apply the brakes a few times to make sure the pedal is firm. Once it is firm remove the wheels chocks and disengage the parking brake. Drive the Explorer around the block to make sure the brakes are working well.
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