Change the brake pads yourself. How to replace brake pads in a car. Step-by-step instruction. Video: How to replace brake discs and pads

The brake system is one of those that is used more often than others, and therefore, even at the design stage, it is given the closest attention. Manufacturers do their best to make it last as long as possible. But there comes a time when brake pads require replacement. The wear rate depends on many factors: the type of gearbox, operating conditions, manufacturer, driving style, etc. The main thing is to remember that in no case should you hesitate. It depends not only on your own life but also the lives of others.

When to change?

Before you ask yourself how to replace or rear, you should determine for sure that this moment has come. How to do it? Yes, very simple. As a rule, they are equipped with a special wear sensor that starts to emit a nasty metallic screech when braking, which is almost impossible not to hear. In any case, it is necessary to carry out a periodic visual inspection of the brake pads. If their thickness has become less than 3 mm, and there is no screeching, you can safely proceed with the replacement.

Which ones to choose?

Before replacing brake pads, you need to decide on their choice. It is advisable to buy original parts, choosing them from special catalogs depending on the brand of car, year of manufacture, body type, etc., or purchase goods from well-known manufacturers. Otherwise, you can easily run into a fake.

Every car owner must understand that the proper operation of the brakes is a guarantee of the safety of the driver and passengers while driving. The correct operation of the brake system depends on many factors, but first of all, you should pay attention to the condition of the brake pads. The wear of the pads is determined by the rest of the friction part, that is, the material on the main part of the pads, with which they are pressed against the pancakes. This is the part that is prone to wear.

Brake pads are one of the most frequently worn parts of a car, so sooner or later every car enthusiast must learn how to change brake pads without resorting to the help of specialists.

Front brake pads and rear brake pads must be changed in pairs, that is, it is not recommended to change them on one front wheel and leave the old ones on the other. Also with the rear wheels. This leads to destabilization of the car during braking.

The choice of brake pads for the car

Of course, the longer life of the brake system depends on right choice brake pads. Here you can not save and chase cheapness. Moreover, cheap low-quality pads can ruin brake discs, leaving dents on them when braking, and replacing brake discs is a more complicated and expensive process than replacing pads.

However, the high cost of these parts also does not guarantee quality. Most best option, visit the vehicle manufacturer's website and find out exactly which pads were used in the production of your car model. They will last longer than pads from other manufacturers, as the developers took into account all the structural features of the car and used the most suitable materials.

Preparing to change brake pads

Before you replace the pads with your own hands, you need to prepare a tool:

• car jack;
• balloon wrench for dismantling the wheel;
• pliers;
• a thin peak about ten centimeters long;
• large screwdriver.

In order to start replacing the brake pads, you need to fix the car with a parking brake or substitute some bar or brick under the wheel that will not allow the car to budge. Then you need to slightly raise the car with a jack and release the bolts on the wheel with a wheelbrace. You need to raise the car until the wheel touches the ground and does not turn when the bolts are loosened. After the bolts are released, you need to raise the car with a jack until the wheel is off the ground.

After that, the bolts are unscrewed with a balloon wrench, and the wheel is removed from the hub. Then, depending on the side on which the pads are changed, you need to unscrew the steering wheel in the right direction: if the replacement is made on the left, then to the right side, and if on the right, then to the left side.

Then you need to remove the locking cotter pins from the guide pins with pliers and knock the pins out of the seat with a lance. After you need to remove the springs, if they did not fall out when removing the fingers. Further, pressing on the moving part of the caliper with a large flat screwdriver, you need to increase the distance between the brake disc and the pads. From the resulting gap, you need to remove the old brake pads and install new ones in the same position.

To assemble this part of the brake system, you need to perform all these steps in reverse order.

Knowing how to replace the brake pads on one wheel, you can perform all of the above steps on the remaining wheels.

Important points in the pad replacement procedure

1. Before replacing pads, check the brake fluid reservoir. It does not need to be full to the eyeballs, because. when moving apart the moving parts of the caliper, the liquid may spill out, and this will damage the paint of the car.
2. Before lifting the car with a jack, it is necessary to open the driver's door window, because. when lifting, the body may move slightly, and this will prevent the door from opening.
3. Because when disassembling the brake pad convergence system, many small metal parts are formed, it will be prudent to use a magnet to store them and prevent the loss of any element.
4. In the seat of the guide pins, rust may accumulate, which will make it difficult to remove them, so you need to spray a special liquid there in advance.
5. When installing all the elements back, it is recommended to clean them of dirt and dust and spray them with graphite grease. This will facilitate the subsequent replacement of the brake pads.

Diagnostics of the work done

Before driving the car on the road after replacing the pads, it is necessary to perform some diagnostic steps. The first step is to inspect the pads and wheels visually to check that they are installed correctly and that there is no brake fluid leakage.

Then, sitting behind the wheel, you need to press the brake pedal several times until the pedal failure disappears. This is necessary to bring the pads to the brake discs. Now you need to check on the go how the car slows down. When braking, there should be no destabilization, i.e. during the braking distance, the car must move smoothly, without skidding in any direction.

The best test is acceleration and hard braking. It is recommended to carry out this check in an open area so as not to damage your car or the cars of other road users.

How often should brake pads be changed?

As mentioned earlier, riding on worn pads is unsafe for the driver and passengers, so the car owner himself must monitor their condition. Professionals recommend changing all four pairs of pads at once, but practice shows that the front pads, due to the greater load on them, wear out faster than the rear ones.

In modern cars, there are indicators that determine the wear of the pads and inform the driver about it. But, according to experts, any electronics can fail, and in this case it can lead to tragic results.

It is always best to check the wear of the brake pads yourself. To do this, having unscrewed the steering wheel in the right direction, you need to visually assess the rest of the friction part on the pads. This is enough to understand whether the pads are worn or not. Or you can contact the service.

As you can see, the procedure for replacing brake pads is quite simple, so, as they say, good luck!

Video

Replacing pads on a VAZ is as follows:

Any car owner can change the front brake pads on their own in the garage or in the field. This step-by-step instruction will help you change the brake pads correctly and without errors. Even those who first decided to wave the pads with their own hands will be surprised how simple and quick the procedure is.

If you service the car yourself, then as a result you get satisfaction, and of course, saving money.

How often should the brake pad thickness and brake fluid level be checked? The answer is obvious - regularly. If the pads are worn out thinner than two mm, then in no case postpone the replacement - this is fraught with jamming of the caliper and expensive repairs.

Keep in mind - the front pads wear out faster. On disc brakes, it is very easy to check the thickness of the brake lining visually, so be sure to check it often.

What tools do you need to replace brake pads with your own hands.

As you can see, the set of tools you need is minimal.

Attention! Before you start replacing your brake pads, make sure the new pads fit your car, in other words, make sure you buy the right pads.

Step 1. We open access to the brake mechanism.

Place the car on a firm, level surface, place stops under the wheels so that it does not accidentally roll. It can be either special "shoes" or ordinary bricks or bars.

Before lifting the car with a jack, we tear off the wheel bolts. Then we raise the required side with a jack, completely unscrew the bolts and remove the wheel. Now access to the caliper is open.

Step 2 Remove the old pads.

The caliper is put on the brake disc like a clamp, and its task is to compress the brake disc with pads using hydraulic pressure. This is how braking happens.

Calipers are usually one-piece or two-piece construction, mounted with two or four bolts from the inside of the wheel to the caliper brackets.

Spray the caliper bolts with WD-40 to make them easier to remove. let the grease work for 5-10 minutes, then you can unscrew the caliper guides.

If there are fixing brackets, then you need to remove them with a small screwdriver. Many vehicles have pad wear sensors, so carefully disconnect the connectors.

Check caliper pressure. We take a large screwdriver and wring out a little pad, crushing the cylinder. Thus, the old pads will be easy to remove.

The caliper of the car at rest should move slightly back and forth. If not, the caliper is under pressure and may come off when the bolts are removed. Check if there are any shims or wear washers installed between the caliper mounting bolts and the mounting surface. If there is, then remove and inspect them, if necessary, replace with new ones.

Brake caliper guide bolts

Many vehicles use a two-piece sliding caliper that only requires the removal of two guides with 12-14mm sockets. You won't need to remove the entire caliper.

Do-it-yourself front brake pad replacement

Now we remove the caliper or set it aside if the guides were unscrewed only on one side.

Carefully hang the caliper from a wire or rope to the wheel or strut spring.

Do-it-yourself front brake pad replacement

Attention! The caliper will still be connected to the brake line, so secure it so it doesn't pinch or pull on the brake hose.

We take out the brake pads from the brackets. We clean the seats of the pads with a metal brush or a screwdriver.

Do-it-yourself front brake pad replacement

Be sure to check the guide bolts - the anthers must be intact, and the guides themselves should walk easily and smoothly in the grooves.

Attention! Each time the brake pads are replaced, the caliper guides must be cleaned and lubricated. This procedure will not take much time, but will extend the service life and increase the reliability of the brakes.

Use a special high temperature grease to lubricate the guides. Litol, in the old fashioned way, does not need to be used. Some pad manufacturers can find such a lubricant complete with new pads.

Step 3. Installing new brake pads.

All preparatory operations are completed - proceed to the assembly.

The first step is to press the brake cylinder completely. Compress the caliper cylinder to the brake caliper piston. Changing the brake pads with your own hands, and if still in the field, you can use a wheelbrace or a clamp to compress the caliper piston. You can also make a special tool with your own hands, use a large bolt and an old block for this. There are a lot of options, the main thing is to take into account the principle of operation of the original tool and use your ingenuity.

how to push in a brake caliper piston without a special tool in the field

Attention! Some analog pads may differ slightly in shape. For example, the lugs of the pads may be longer than the seats in the brake calipers, and the part does not fit into the grooves. In this case, do not panic, but check whether the shape and design of the shoe matches the rest of the parameters.
Yes, corresponds - we grind off the extra protrusions to the size of the old block.
No, does not correspond - there are significant differences - it is necessary to select other pads. Do not try to make the right pads out of the wrong ones, because of this, the brakes may jam or work poorly.

We insert new pads and put on the caliper. We treat the threads with copper grease to prevent corrosion.

Change The Brake Pads in Your Car Step 9 Version 6.360p

We assemble the caliper, as we disassembled, put on the wheel.

Important! Before you go on a trip - after replacing the pads you need brakes. Press the pedal all the way. Pull up and slow down. And so repeat a couple of times. Everything is fine? Repeat braking at higher speed. Make sure there is no grinding or other discomfort.

What causes brakes to stick?

1. Worn or dirty brake caliper piston. It is necessary to monitor the condition of the piston mirror and the integrity of the anthers and cuffs.
2. Distorted brake pad. Check the correct installation and fit of the part.
3. Wear, contamination, corrosion of caliper guides. lubricate and change the anthers or the guides themselves.

Before proceeding to the process of replacing brake pads, it is worth clarifying the principle of operation of the brake system. The fact is that by pressing the brake pedal, several actions take place in the car at once, the end result of which is the stop of the car. At the moment, all cars equipped with hydraulic brakes with a vacuum boost system - this helps to reduce the effort when pressing the brake pedal to effectively stop the vehicle.

By pressing the pedal, you press on the brake caliper cylinders with a special fluid (brake fluid). At the same time, the degree of pressure is increased by means of a special vacuum booster, and the brake caliper cylinders press special heat-resistant pads with a high coefficient of friction against steel brake discs or drums that are directly connected to the wheels. This is what makes the car stop.

When to change brake pads

First of all, it is worth remembering that any car requires periodic replacement of brake pads, regardless of the high cost of the model, but the frequency of replacement itself can differ significantly from the model of the car and the quality of the brake pads themselves. Usually, this interval is from 20,000 to 60,000 km. Remember that operating a vehicle with worn brake pads is a potential emergency. After all, the effectiveness of the brakes decreases, and the stopping distance increases.

It is worth noting that most modern cars and brake pads allow you to quickly understand that the service life is already coming to an end. Let's start with the brake pads: most modern manufacturers install a small piece of metal into the pads themselves at a certain depth, and when the wear reaches a critical point, the pads begin to “creak” strongly when you press the pedal. Also, there are car models with a pad wear indicator. The principle of operation is approximately the same, but not sound is used, but electrical contact. When the element touches the brake disc, a warning indicator lights up on the instrument panel.

Also, it is worth knowing that not only pads are subject to wear, but also brake discs. Their service life can be from two pad replacements to an indefinite time, it all depends on the quality of materials and operating conditions. However, it is definitely worth keeping an eye on it. When the brake disc wears out, the braking performance deteriorates.

In addition, when performing a self-replacement, it is necessary to pay attention to all brake hoses, looking for any hints of a possible leak. The fact is that even the weakest brake fluid leak can lead to an unpleasant consequence involving your car in an accident.

How to Prepare for a Brake Pad Replacement

Before proceeding with the replacement of brake pads, it is necessary to comply with all safety regulations. It is clear that many change pads with little or no insurance, but one case is enough to cripple. Therefore, before replacing the pads, it is necessary to put stops under several wheels, so that the car does not roll in case of emergency. The jack must be installed on a flat and solid surface to prevent the car from falling when you change the pads.

Before raising the car on the jack, it is necessary to “break off” the wheel bolts, but do not unscrew them completely. After that, the body is jacked up from the side of the wheel on which the pads are replaced, and after that, the bolts are unscrewed and the wheel itself is removed.

After these simple procedures, one wheel is available for repair work. Replacing the pads on each subsequent wheel follows the same pattern.

The next step will be the process of replacing the old pads with new ones.

Removing old brake pads

After all the procedures for preparing the car are completed, you can proceed directly to removing the old pads. To do this, you will need to unscrew one or more bolts that hold the brake caliper itself. After the caliper is freed from the bolts, it must be lifted above the brake disc.

Note that the brake hoses remain attached to the caliper and do not need to be unscrewed. The only thing is, use a wire or other improvised means, but do not let the brake caliper hang on the hose. Otherwise, it may damage the hose itself or the connection, and a brake fluid leak will occur, which will be difficult to notice after installing new pads.

After the brake caliper is securely hung and the brake hoses are hanging freely and not in danger of damage, you can pay attention to the condition of the brake disc. Firstly, it should be relatively smooth, without large scratches and grooves. It's a good idea to look up information about standard disc thicknesses and recommended minimum thicknesses before replacement. After checking, you can determine whether it is worth changing the brake disc, or it will still serve.

After the brake caliper was removed, access to the old brake pads appeared, and already by eye you can determine the degree of wear. If the thickness of the old pads has reached a third of the new ones, this is already a sign of the need for an urgent replacement. You should not use them until they are completely erased, otherwise, the pad may fly off the metal base, and it or the base will jam between the caliper bracket at the most inopportune moment.

How to install new brake pads

Now you can safely proceed to install new brake pads, but before installation, you will have to manually remove the caliper cylinder, which will not allow you to insert new wider pads.

Before you try to crush the caliper piston to the stop, it is advisable to remove the cap of the brake fluid expansion tank. Otherwise, you will have to apply more force to return the piston to its place. For simple and effective compression of the piston, a C-clamp can be used. With its help, gently squeezing the caliper and piston, it will be possible to do this operation without much effort and without the risk of damaging the boot or brake hose.

After the piston has returned to its place, the least remains - to assemble everything in the reverse order. To do this, install new pads in place of the old ones, and put the caliper on top. Make sure that the brake hose is not twisted, and the brake fluid reservoir cap must be returned back. The more it is left open, the more dirt can get into it.

After installing the caliper in its place, do not forget to return all the bolts to their place. A forgotten bolt can lead to a serious accident at high speed. Then the simplest part of the whole job remains - return the wheel to its rightful place, tighten all the bolts, and repeat this procedure on the remaining wheels.

Remember, after replacing new pads, you need to press the brake pedal several times. The fact is that we crushed the brake caliper piston to the stop, and for the first few clicks, it does not transmit force to the pads. If you forget about this fact, you can be left without brakes.

In addition, it should be borne in mind that the first few hundred kilometers, new pads do not fit snugly against the brake disc, due to irregularities on the disc itself. And until the pads “grind” (do not take the form of a brake disc), the car will slow down several times worse. Therefore, special attention will be required on the road, unfortunately, there is no other way to get rid of this.

Conclusion

In fact, changing brake pads, especially on disc brakes, is a simple and chore job that can be done in 20 minutes on both wheels with a little experience, but the first time around, it can seem a bit complicated. Therefore, if you have neither the time nor the desire to do this yourself, then you can contact any station Maintenance near you, or find one on the Internet, now many service stations have their own websites. For example, a service station located in St. Petersburg - http://autoport.spb.ru/.

Of all the components and assemblies of the car, the braking system should always be given the most attention. After all, the health, and often life, of the car owner and his passengers depends on its serviceability.

It's no secret that the most wear part in this system is the brake pads (slats), so they most often need to be replaced. Any motorist, in order not to contact a car service every time, eventually wonders how to replace the brake pads on their own. This procedure is not so difficult.

In order to replace the brake pads with your own hands, you first need to understand the following things:

• brake device,
• when to change pads
• what type of brakes are
• what tools are needed for the job.

In the recent past, almost all brands of cars (with the exception of sports models) had front disc brakes, and rear drum brakes. They differ in their device. Based on this, the process of replacing them occurs in different ways.

In modern cars, manufacturers pay more attention to safety. This affected the complete set of produced models mainly with disc brakes, both front and rear. There may also be nuances depending on the model of car, but in general, there are many common details in the question of how to replace brake pads, which will be displayed below.

Necessary fixtures and tools

To replace both the front and rear pads on the car yourself, you will need almost the same tools with some difference. Basically, the replacement process requires:

• Car jack.
• Wheel chocks (stops).
• Support stands (goats).
• Big syringe.
• Balloon key.
• Keys, pry bars, pliers, screwdrivers, a hammer, etc. - in general, all the necessary tools based on the characteristics of a particular car model and type of brake system.
• New pads to replace.

Front brakes

Device

The disc brake mechanism is considered more reliable and efficient due to better cooling of the disc and greater efficiency when braking. It consists of the following parts:

1. Damn brake disc.
2. Shoe guide brackets.
3. Support cover.
4. Brake bars.
5. Support cylinder.
6. Internal piston.
7. A wire with a sensor terminal that signals the wear of the pads.
8. Piston seal ring.
9. Protective cover.
10. Guide bolt.
11. A cover that protects the disc from dirt.

Read also: Why do brake pads squeak and whistle when braking?

Replacement process

The answer to the question of how to replace the front brake pads and do it right, consider below. Initially, we prepare the machine for carrying out these works with our own hands. On a flat surface, we put it in gear, squeeze the parking brake and fix the rear wheels with shoes on both sides. Then we loosen the bolts that secure the wheel to the disk. Raise one side with a jack until the tire tread is off the ground and install a support stand under this side. Everything is ready for the replacement, which takes place according to the following scheme:

• Unscrew the wheel bolts to the end and remove it from the disk.
• Having gained access to the caliper, first of all we turn the wheel in a convenient direction, for better access.
• We take out the brake hose from the mounting niche so as not to damage it.
• Using a screwdriver or chisel, we bend the edges of the lock washers that fix the guide bolts from unscrewing. It is also necessary to insert a screwdriver between the disc and the brake bar from the side of the caliper piston. Press down on the bar to relieve piston pressure and move the pads slightly away from the disc. This will allow you to lift the shroud and pull out the pads without force.

• We loosen one of the bolts and completely unscrew the other. We move the caliper casing with fixing brackets and take out the old pads.

• Before installing new pads, press the caliper piston with a pry bar, a long screwdriver or a suitable tool inward until it stops. Check the level in the brake fluid reservoir. It will rise as it impacts the piston. If during the ride you topped it up, then you will need to remove the excess fluid with a rubber bulb or a large syringe.
• It is useful to carry out a visual inspection of the thickness of the disc and check the brake hoses for cracks before replacing.

• We put new pads in place.
• We assemble in the reverse order, having previously lubricated the guides and all the unscrewed bolts.

Read also: Replacing brake hoses on a UAZ car

We repeat the same actions with the opposite side of the car.

Watch a video on how to change the brake pads on different cars yourself.

Rear brakes

Device

If the car owner coped with replacing the bars on the front wheels, then the question of how to replace the rear brake pads will not be so acute for him. And if the car has both pairs of disc brakes, then such a replacement will not be difficult at all. If the rear wheels have drum-type brakes, then it will be a little more difficult to replace. But following the tips below, doing it right is not so difficult. Drum brakes carry less load when stopped than front disc brakes. Naturally, their device is different. The rear wheel brake mechanism consists of the following components:

1. Nut fixing the hub.
2. The hub on which the wheel is attached.
3. A spring that tightens the bottom of the pads.
4. One of the brake pads.
5. Guide spring.
6. Cylinder wheel brake.
7. A spring that tightens the upper part of the pads.
8. Expanding (spacer) bar.
9. Finger that locks the handbrake lever.
10. Lever, handbrake.
11. A casing that protects the mechanism from dirt.

Unlike disc brakes, drum brakes work a little differently. When you press the pedal, the brake fluid flows through the tubes and hoses and acts on both pistons in the working cylinder. The pistons press the bars against the sides of the drum, thereby slowing down the speed of movement.

Replacement process

In preparation for these works, you also need to choose a flat surface. We fix the front wheels with stops. Without squeezing the handbrake, we turn on the first gear. Then loosen the bolts holding the wheel to the hub. Raise one side with a jack. We expose a support stand under it. Then we unscrew the bolts and remove the wheel. Now you can start disassembling the mechanism:

• The first step is to remove the brake drum fixed on the hub with two guide pins. Unscrew the pins. If the drum is not easily removed, we screw in turn two bolts of suitable diameter (or the same studs) into the other existing holes. We use them as a puller.