Step by step guide to replacing brake pads?

[kat_cam85]

Hi, i'm looking to change my brake pads as the standard ones are worn and to be honest they were never any good anyway.

I've found some EBC pads that i'm hoping to fit but I'm pretty clueless here, I know that i'll need to do the following:

1) Remove the old pads and replace with the new (obviously).

2) 'Bleed' the brakes and replace the fluid, I know where the reservoir and the piston are under the bonnet but that's about it! :)

I've had bad experiences with garages (namely DUTTON FORSHAW CITROEN IN PRESTON) and I want to do the work myself.

Can anyone help me step-by-step including tools needed and let me know if it's ok to jack the car up (or are axle stands needed).

Sorry to sound like a total dunce but I've got to learn somewhere!!

Thanks in advance............

[The_Notorious_C_A_T]

-Loosen off wheel bolts when car is on ground and put into gear and put on hand break
-Jack up front of car and remove wheels
-Undo the brake fluid resivour(sp) cap and then leaver the front brake pistons back, I wedge in a screwdriver against teh back of the outside pad and the carrier
-When you get to the front calipers, there are 2 19mm bolts that hold the carrier and caliper to the strut, undo them and remove caliper, then swap out pads. Note those 19mm bolts should be in there pretty tight or even thread locked so have to give it some force to undo. The pads should just slide out, will be obvious when you have the carrier and caliper off.
(note when replacing pads, expecially with just cheap standard stuff it's best to do the disks at the same time, the disks should just be 2 torq screw holding them against the hub, t40 or t45 iirc although most cars don't have them due to being snapped off !)


To bleed the brakes you have to start at the furthest away from the master cylinder, so when looking at car, start with back left, then back right, then front left and finally front right.
-Bleeding is just a case of undo the bleed nipple on the caliper that you want to bleed and pump the brake pedal until a steady stream of fluid comes out. Note that you should only have 1 bleed nipple open at a time, don't bleed one caliper while having another calipers bleed nipple open.

[Peterrose1991]

how longs it take roughly to bleed the brakes. gotta do it soon when i get my new pads but need to know how long i need to have spare

[The_Notorious_C_A_T]

About 20 minutes the actual bleeding at most as long as nothing snaps off or anything silly like that. But I would say half hour taking your time and the jacking up and removing the wheels etc etc.

The full pads and disks replacement and bleeding, I would leave at least an hour if you ain't done it before.

[jayjul10]

:wacko::wacko:About 20 minutes the actual bleeding at most as long as nothing snaps off or anything silly like that. But I would say half hour taking your time and the jacking up and removing the wheels etc etc.

The full pads and disks replacement and bleeding, I would leave at least an hour if you ain't done it before.

[Aksel]

-
To bleed the brakes you have to start at the furthest away from the master cylinder, so when looking at car, start with back left, then back right, then front left and finally front right.
-Bleeding is just a case of undo the bleed nipple on the caliper that you want to bleed and pump the brake pedal until a steady stream of fluid comes out. Note that you should only have 1 bleed nipple open at a time, don't bleed one caliper while having another calipers bleed nipple open.

Just to specifi this abit more... You have to pump until the new liqiud comes out. Then you pump one last time hold the pedal to the floor and close the bleeding valve, if you let go it will pull air back inside. So basicly you would have to get someone to help you with this.
And remeber to keep an eye on the resovouir level if it runs dry you get air in the system.

[evans1089]

Read the guides?
1- http://www.saxperience.com/forum/showthread.php?t=245202
2- http://www.saxperience.com/forum/showthread.php?t=245166

[Dan-_-]

I have warped discs should I change the pads as well??

[f13sta]

you don't need to bleed the brakes if your just changing the pads and discs only need to bleed the brakes if your undoing the flexy hose or replacing brake fliuid.

[Don_Dice]

I have warped discs should I change the pads as well??
yes, you should always put new pads on when changing disks.

you don't need to bleed the brakes if your just changing the pads and discs only need to bleed the brakes if your undoing the flexy hose or replacing brake fliuid.

Thats what i thought, you may have to undo the brake fluid reservoir cap so you can push the caliper back but thats it. No need in bleeding unless the calipers and/or hoses are getting changed as no air is getting into the system. Dont know why people are thinking you need to bleed the system with a pad change???:wall:

[DreamEater]

No need to dig up old threads :-)

+1 On my postcount too :P

[Lucy_W]

-Loosen off wheel bolts when car is on ground and put into gear and put on hand break
-Jack up front of car and remove wheels
-Undo the brake fluid resivour(sp) cap and then leaver the front brake pistons back, I wedge in a screwdriver against teh back of the outside pad and the carrier
-When you get to the front calipers, there are 2 19mm bolts that hold the carrier and caliper to the strut, undo them and remove caliper, then swap out pads. Note those 19mm bolts should be in there pretty tight or even thread locked so have to give it some force to undo. The pads should just slide out, will be obvious when you have the carrier and caliper off.
(note when replacing pads, expecially with just cheap standard stuff it's best to do the disks at the same time, the disks should just be 2 torq screw holding them against the hub, t40 or t45 iirc although most cars don't have them due to being snapped off !)


To bleed the brakes you have to start at the furthest away from the master cylinder, so when looking at car, start with back left, then back right, then front left and finally front right.
-Bleeding is just a case of undo the bleed nipple on the caliper that you want to bleed and pump the brake pedal until a steady stream of fluid comes out. Note that you should only have 1 bleed nipple open at a time, don't bleed one caliper while having another calipers bleed nipple open.

Wish I didn't buy the torq sizes mentioned above.. would've saved myself 10 quid.. ;)

[Hardrive]

Wish I didn't buy the torq sizes mentioned above.. would've saved myself 10 quid.. ;)

What size torq is needed?

[brenner]

-Loosen off wheel bolts when car is on ground and put into gear and put on hand break
-Jack up front of car and remove wheels
-Undo the brake fluid resivour(sp) cap and then leaver the front brake pistons back, I wedge in a screwdriver against teh back of the outside pad and the carrier
-When you get to the front calipers, there are 2 19mm bolts that hold the carrier and caliper to the strut, undo them and remove caliper, then swap out pads. Note those 19mm bolts should be in there pretty tight or even thread locked so have to give it some force to undo. The pads should just slide out, will be obvious when you have the carrier and caliper off.
(note when replacing pads, expecially with just cheap standard stuff it's best to do the disks at the same time, the disks should just be 2 torq screw holding them against the hub, t40 or t45 iirc although most cars don't have them due to being snapped off !)


To bleed the brakes you have to start at the furthest away from the master cylinder, so when looking at car, start with back left, then back right, then front left and finally front right.
-Bleeding is just a case of undo the bleed nipple on the caliper that you want to bleed and pump the brake pedal until a steady stream of fluid comes out. Note that you should only have 1 bleed nipple open at a time, don't bleed one caliper while having another calipers bleed nipple open.

To bleed brakes, it's best spray anti seize compound on the bleeder screws. Then see if you can loosen them. If everything is OK, you can start. Have someone in the car pump the brakes a few times and then stop, but keep applying pressure to the brake pedal and yell "I'm holding" At this point, the guy at the back left wheel opens the bleeder screw a half turn. The brake pedal will go to the floor (that's why the guy in the car had to keep pushing the pedal). Now the guy a the bleeder screw says "Hold the pedal down". He now tightens the bleeder screw. After the screw is tight (not super tight), the process is repeated until the brake fluid has no more bubbles in it. Oh, I forgot a step: get a piece of rubber or plastic tubing(clear if possible) that fits over the bleeder screw, and put the other end into a glass jar with about an inch of brake fluid in it. This way you can see the bubbles when you're bleeding the brakes. You should do it at least 3 times. Then do the next wheel. In the order mentioned above. If your car is older, might be a good idea to CHANGE the brake fluid. Remember to periodically check that your master cyl reservoir is not getting too low. If you break off a bleeder screw, you will have to drill the broken piece out and retap the hoe and put in a larger threaded bleeder screw or buy a new piston or have it renewed at a shop. Good luck