[Closed] Changing car brake pads

It is very easy so yes, you should

yeah, not too bad

Spend £40 on a piston pushing tool kit, and from then on save a load of money. Best thing you can do for yourself after oil, plugs and filters.

Same as bike hydraulic brakes, just bigger.

1) Remove wheel
2) Remove any retaining spring
3) Remove pads
4) Force back pistons right up to the crown with constant pressure using something like pry bar for leverage
5) Fit new pads and refit retaining spring
6) Refit wheel and drink a cup of tea before doing the other side 🙂

Yup will give it a go.

Take a bit of care not to damage the rubber seal around the piston.

Where are you getting the pads from, main stealer, or motor factors?

Reason I ask is, if you get them from the main dealers, they'll probably be 2,3,4 times the cost of the SAME pads from the motor factors.

But buy a proper jack and axle stands.

And while you've the wheel off, place just under the sill - just in case...

Careful on pushing back pistons, as the last car I did the pistons rotated in - lots of head stratching before realising.

tbh Its one of those jobs that is satisfying to have done (if you've previously just paid folk), but saves bugger all.

I just fancy doing it - Looks like an hour tops, dead easy and EBC pads direct are 20 quid, so a fair saving on my 80 quid quote from LCS..

EBC have such a variable reputation for pads crumbling away from the backing, I'd go for almost any other pad.

On front pads, before you remove the caliper, prize the pistons apart while the old pads and caliper are in still in place by gently tapping a screwdriver between pad and disc. Go slowly or brake fluid could spill out of the resevoir. If it does, rinse it away with plenty of water.

For the rears, you may need a wind back tool, but you can sometimes get round this by rotating the pistons back in with a pair of plumbers adjustable pliers, but you will also need a suitable G-clamp to help press the pistons back.

When jacking up the car, put the wheel under the car as a failsafe.

When you do the rear brakes, don't forget you'll have to release the handbrake. You will need to chock the front wheels, leave the gear stick in 1st gear and don't attempt this on an incline.

It's an easy job which should save you about £50 and will take about 10 mins a corner after you have done it once or twice.

differs a bit car to car simplest is where the pads just pull out after removing pins etc some need the caliper removing/ swinging out the way

go to halfords and either read the manual for your car or buy it

i changed the pads on a yaris quicker than the neighbour managed to pump up his tyres up with one of them compressor charges thingys

Depends on the car, buy the hayes manual and follow that because some cars don't like the brakes being fiddles with, a friend who manages a local kwikfit had a £1500 bill from VW when an apprentice didnt follow the VAg instructions to the letter when it came to telling the ECU what he was doing.

just replaced pads,discs ans springs all round on the 106 last night. (£130 quid all round!)

some pistons wind in so dont try pushing them if this is the case.i could turn the rear ones in using an allen key across the slot. it was nearly possible to turn it by hand.

pairs of pads are the same shape but one might have dimples on the backing plate. just take note of the setup you have before stripping it down. take pics to look back at for the way the springs are fitted etc.

buy a wire brush, find a few cloths,get some quality grease along with a dollop of coppaslip.

Take the top of the resevoir & put some cloth around it in case the fluid spills over when you push the pistons back in. On most modern cars you remove two bolts & the caliper lifts off, leaving the pads sitting on the caliper mount. Tie the caliper up so it doesnt hang on the hose. While its off make sure the slider pins are free to slide.

When you do the rear brakes, don't forget you'll have to release the handbrake. You will need to chock the front wheels, [b]leave the gear stick in 1st gear[/b] and don't attempt this on an incline.

Only if it's front wheel drive. Won't make any difference on rear wheel drive, you'll be relying solely on the wheel chocks, so make sure they are well wedged under the tyres.

Do a bit of research before getting stuck in, on my car I needed a large hex socket attachment for my socket set, and the pistons on my estate wound back the opposite way to the Hatchback. And they needed pushing in at the same time as turning. One side was left hand thread, other side normal.

If you have a Passat with the electronic handbrake then it'll need a computer to wind in the calipers on the rear - you can't do it without it. I paid someone, but seriously considered buying a vagcom setup so I could do it myself - would have started paying for itself fairly soon.

its a Honda HRV which is basically civic running gear there's a you tube vid that makes it look dead easy, will use a g clamp and the old pad to reset the pistons, should be a doddle.

Thanks for all the help.

J