How to change brake pads and rotors

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Changing brake pads and rotors can save a couple hundred bucks and a trip to the mechanic. Find out how in this episode Twisted.

Watch out for all of ours Wrenched Autoblog videos with additional tips on how to diagnose, fix and modify cars from professional detailer Larry Kosila. While you’re at it, check out Larry’s series of other videos on car cleaning and maintenance Details about the blog!!

Materials used:

Instructions (video transcript):

[00:00:00] – [Narrator] Changing brake pads and rotors can save a couple hundred bucks and a trip to the mechanic. Here’s what you’ll need to complete: brake pads, screwdriver, socket set, brake cleaner, grease, Scotch-Brite pad, gloves, zippers, lever switch, rotor, C-clamp and high temperature grease. I’m Larry Casillo, a professional detailer and coach for the past 15 years. But speaking of what’s under the hood, then I’m a student. Follow me, because experts teach me to diagnose,

[00:00:30] fix and modify cars on Autoblog’s Wrenched. How often do you need to change brake pads and rotors? – Depends on the type of vehicle you are driving, the lining material and how hard you are driving. Some of our race cars go through a set of brake pads in one day. – [Larry] Some of the treatments you will see will vary from car to vehicle. Refer to the manual of the store or online resource for your particular car. The brake pads have a squeak that notifies the driver if it needs to be replaced. Some are metallic and noisy,

[00:01:00] while some are electronic and trigger an alarm signal. Make sure your replacement gaskets have this feature as it is vital to your safety. In the first stage Joe turns the steering wheel to give me easy access to the front and rear brakes. Then remove the pins that hold the caliper on the rotors. This may require a hex key, dynamometer or other special socket, depending on your car. If the hairpin is rusty, you can use penetrating oil and bumper, which is mostly more snoring,

[00:01:30] giving you more leverage to easily loosen the bolt. Some calipers have a spring clip that may need to be removed with a screwdriver. Next, remove the caliper and use a screwdriver if necessary, especially if it is rusty. Then pull out the old brake pads. It is a good idea to hook the zipper tie through the caliper and connect it to the shock absorber so that it does not rest only on the brake lines, which will damage the tire and cause it to leak.

[00:02:00] To remove the rotor, you must first completely remove the caliper holder with the two rear bolts. Now remove the rotor from the hubs, but some cars have a screw that holds it in place like this one here. At this point the rotor doesn’t come off, and especially if you don’t use it again, you can gently hit it with a hammer to quickly remove it from the hub.

[00:02:30] Then clean the hub with a Scotch-Brite pad or wire brush. This way, the new rotor can sit on the hat. Before installing a new rotor, quickly flush it with a brake cleaner to remove the protective coating applied from the factory to protect it during transportation. Then add a little high temperature grease to prevent the rotor from sticking to the hubs the next time you change them. Manually tighten the nut to hold the rotor in place, or in our case, a screw is used to hold the rotor on the hat. Next, quickly clean the caliper holder

[00:03:00] cover with Scotch-Brite and add a little grease where the outer metal gaskets come in contact with the caliper and piston. This is done in order to minimize squeaking and possible jamming in the future. If you use original equipment that comes with the car, your torque characteristics will be in your manual. However, if you use spare parts, the bolts and thread type may differ, so contact the manufacturer for specific torque characteristics.

[00:03:30] Apply grease or high-temperature silicone to the sliding pins to help them, and gently slide and extend when the brakes are compressed and released. We’ll need them in a minute, so put them next to each other. Now it’s time to put new brake pads in the caliper. But since the new pads are thicker than the old ones, we need to push the hydraulic piston back into the caliper so that they fit properly. You can do this in two different ways.

[00:04:00] Any main clamp C that fits at the bottom of the piston and just rotates, or this inexpensive reciprocating compressor. Place the tool in the caliper, squeeze the handle and squeeze the piston until it is across the housing. By doing this, we created more space in the caliper for new thicker brake pads that could be placed over the rotors. Before installing new brake pads, add grease to the back of each pad before inserting it into the caliper for smooth movement without squeaking.

[00:04:30] A pad with a metal clamp at the back snaps into the piston connected to the caliper. And sometimes it may take a little force to pinch. Try not to touch the side of the friction pads with greasy hands. By inserting the pads in place, cut the caliper clasp and hold the weight away from pulling the brake line. Gently place the caliper on the rotor and other pad. Once in place, install
pins that we have lubricated before, and tighten them according to the specifications of your car.

[00:05:00] This is an extremely important step, you don’t want the bolts to be too loose or too tight. If you are unsure, call your local parts department for advice. Some, but not all, calipers have an additional metal clamp to secure the pads and calipers in place. Similarly, if your car has an electronic brake pad sensor like this modern car, clamp them now. Once you’ve finished all four corners and reset the wheels, be sure to first gently press the brakes while driving, known as betting on the brakes.

[00:05:30] To do this properly, accelerate the car to 35 mph and slowly apply the brakes until it reaches approximately 10 mph. Then speed up again to 35 and repeat the process a few more times. First, avoid sudden braking so as not to glaze the pads and rotors. Here the goal is to gradually accumulate heat in the rotors and the mixture of pads that stack a thin layer of film on the surface of the rotors for better performance and ultimately smoother braking throughout the life of the pads. The brakes of any car – this is its most important feature

[00:06:00] and must pay special attention and attention to ensure the proper safety of their passengers and our fellow drivers on the road. For more information on how to repair a car, visit autoblog.com/wrenched. I’m Larry Casil from AmmoNYC.com, as always, thanks for watching.