How to Do a Brake Job

Brakes must always be kept current to ensure safety while driving. If brakes are not changed when the mileage requires it, this can cause extensive damage to your vehicle. Instead of paying a hefty fee for a professional brake job, consider doing your own brake job to save money.

Things You Will Need:

• Brake pads


• Floor jack


• Lug wrench


• Socket wrench

1. Examine the brake pads by looking through the wheel around the tire. If necessary, use a flashlight so you can see clearly. Determine how thin the pads are. If they are extremely thin, such as 1/8-inch thin, it is possible that your rotors are damaged, which will cost you more money and time to fix.


2. Lift the car off of the ground with a floor car jack and remove one tire at a time with the use of a lug wrench. This wrench is needed in order to loosen the lugs on each tire.


3. Remove the caliper bolts. In order to do this, you need a socket wrench. Once you have loosened and removed these bolts, simply slide the calipers off so you are able to remove the brakes.


4. Examine the rotors closely to ensure there is no damage. Just because the brake pads may be thicker than 1/8-inch, this does not guarantee that your rotors are okay. If the rotors have jagged ridges, they need to be replaced immediately.


5. Open the piston so that you can insert the replacement brake pad. Repeat this process for all brakes that you are replacing. If you are replacing one in the front, you must replace both in the front.


6. Check to make sure each pad is secure and lower the car to the ground.


7. Take the lug wrench and use it to tighten the lugs back onto each tire. It is important to do this step once the car is lowered so that each lug is tight.