Most all make and model vehicles come equipped with brake pads for the front wheels. Certain vehicle make and models come equipped with brake pads for all four wheels. The basic brake pad replacement process is the same for all brake pads and for all make and model vehicles that have brake pads. Click on the Wheel hub assembly picture on the left for a diagram that includes the wheel hub, brake rotor, brake caliper and the brake rotor.
What Are Brake Pads
The brake pads on your vehicle are designed to stop the vehicle by applying forced friction to the brake rotors while the rotors are turning. Once the brake pedal is pushed in, the brake caliper compresses the inboard and outboard brake pads to both sides of the brake rotors until the wheels stop turning. The farther that the brake pedal is pushed in, the more friction the brake pads will apply to the brake rotors until the vehicle comes to a stop. Most all brake pads are made up of asbestos, semi-metallic, organic or ceramic materials. The brake pads also have a steel backing plate that the brake pad material is mounted to. The material is mounted to the backing plate by wear indicators. The wear indicators alert the driver when the brake pad material has reached the indicators. Once the indicators wear through the material and into the metal backing plate, the indicators will make a squealing sound to indicate to the driver that the brake pads have worn down too far. Below is a list of tools that will be needed to replace the brake pads.
- Lug wrench
- Jack
- Jack stands
- 1/2-inch drive ratchet
- 1/2-inch drive socket set
- Allen wrenches
- Flathead screwdriver
- Bungee cord
- Brake cleaner
- Clean rags
- C-clamp
- New brake pad kit
- Torque wrench
All of the tools mentioned above will be needed to complete the entire brake pad replacement process. Certain make and model vehicles will require different size sockets but the basic tool list is the same.
How to Remove the Brake Pads
- Park the vehicle on a flat and level surface. Turn the motor off and set the emergency brake.
- Loosen the lug nuts from both wheels by turning the lug nuts counter-clockwise with a lug wrench or a tire tool.
- Jack the front of the vehicle up and place the jack stands under the designated front jacking points underneath the front end. Lower the vehicle onto the jack stands and leave the jack sitting in the upright position.
- Remove the lug nuts from both wheels. Pull the wheels off and place them near each side of the vehicle.
- Move all of the tools to the front driver side wheel hub. Loosen and remove the two mounting bolts from the back of the brake caliper. Some caliper mounting bolts are regular bolts and some caliper mounting bolts are allen head bolts. Use the appropriate tool to loosen and remove the two caliper bolts. Place the bolts near the driver side front work area.
- Slide the flat end of a flathead screwdriver into the access hole on the front of the brake caliper. Position the tip of the screwdriver between the brake rotor and the inboard brake pad. (The inboard brake pad is the pad that is behind the brake rotor). Pry the brake pad against the rotor back and forth until the brake caliper is loose enough to pull off of the rotor.
- Pull the brake caliper straight off of the brake rotor with your hands. Hang the caliper to one of the steering or suspension components behind the wheel hub with a bungee cord. This will prevent the caliper from hanging by the brake line.
- Remove the outboard brake pad from the inside of the brake caliper. Pry the brake pad out with a screwdriver if necessary. Position one end of a c-clamp around the front of the inboard brake pad and the other end of the c-clamp around the back of the caliper housing. Turn the c-clamp clockwise until the inboard brake pad has fully compressed the caliper cylinder. Remove the c-clamp from the brake pad and the caliper. Then pull or pry the inboard brake pad out of the caliper.
- Clean the inside of the brake caliper with brake cleaner and clean rags. Wipe away all of the brake dust and any other debris from the inside of the caliper. Discard the old brake pads.
- Inspect the brake rotor for any damage such as grooving and wear. If the damage is excessive, replace the brake rotor with a new one. If the damage is minimal, have the rotor turned by a machine shop or a auto repair shop. Most all rotors will pull straight off of the wheel hub. For the rotors that do not pull straight off of the hub, remove the single nut that secures the rotor to the hub. Once the rotor is repaired or replaced, secure it back onto the wheel hub.
Installing the New Brake Pads
- Insert the two new brake pads into the clips inside of the brake caliper. Remove the bungee cord from the caliper and place the caliper back over the top of the brake rotor.
- Screw the two mounting bolts back through the back of the brake caliper. Tighten the caliper bolts down tight with a ratchet and a socket. Torque the caliper bolts according to the torque specifications inside of your vehicles owners manual. The torque settings for most all caliper mounting bolts are between 50-65 foot-pounds. Use a torque wrench and a socket to torque the caliper bolts down tight.
- Slide the wheel back onto the wheel hub and screw the lug nuts on tight. Move to the front passenger side wheel hub and repeat the same exact brake pad replacement process as outlined in the steps above to replace the front passenger side brake pads.
- Slide the wheel onto the wheel hub and screw the lug nuts down tightly.
- Jack the front end up and remove the jack stands. Lower the vehicle to the ground and remove the jack.
- Finish tightening all of the lug nuts down tight with the lug wrench.
- Crank the motor and press the brake pedal in and out five or six times to adjust the new brake pads to the proper distance away from each side of the brake rotors.
- Test drive the vehicle to ensure that the new brake pads are working properly. Park the vehicle. You have just replaced the brake pads on your vehicle yourself.
Tips:
- If the vehicle also comes with rear brake pads, follow the same process for replacing the front brake pads to replace the rear brake pads.
- A brake rotor can be turned by most any machine shop or auto repair shop.
- Always keep a constant check on your vehicles brake pads. Replace the brake pads before the pad thickness reaches less than one-eighth of an inch.
Warnings:
- Never install new brake pads to worn or grooved brake rotors. This will result in dangerous uneven braking that could cause the brake pads to lock up or pull the front end to one side or the other. Always have the brake rotor either turned or replaced when replacing the brake pads.
- Use caution when working under or near a vehicle that is sitting on jack stands.
References:
- Ford Pick-ups, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator Haynes Repair Manual covering 2WD and 4WD gasoline models for F-150 (1997 thru 2003), F-150 Heritage (2004), F-250 (1997 thru 1999), Expedition (1997 thru 2009), and Lincoln Navigator (1998 thru 2009);" John Haynes; 2010
- Edmunds: How to Replace Your Brake Pads
Resources:
Kevin Mclain - I Thoroughly research each topic so that my content is 100% accurate. I take pride in providing factual content that relates to the ...
