After finding out that I would have to replace the brake pads in my car, I did some research on the average prices for this kind of service at a repair shop in my area. Wanting to save some money on these expenses, I did some more research to find out if brake pads are easy to replace, and if it was something I could complete on my own instead.
Are brake pads easy to replace? Even thought the task or replacing your brake pads might sound like a task for an experienced mechanic, it is actually a very easy process that can be done by beginners right at home. If you are able to gain access to a few necessary tools, you will be on your way to completing a DIY brake pad replacement in no time.
No matter how well you maintain your car over the years, there will come a time that your brake pads need to be replaced. Due to all of the friction that is forcefully applied to the surface of these components, they will suffer a great deal of wear and tear over time.
If you need to replace your brake pads, you might be wondering if you could do it yourself instead of consulting a professional. To learn more about the difficulty of this task, take note of the information on the topic that is contained in this article.
Are Brake Pads Easy To Replace?
When it comes to replacing the brake pads in your car, or any piece of equipment for that matter, it can be annoying and expensive to get it fixed at a repair shop.
Instead of going through the headache of leaving your car at the shop and making other arrangements for transportation while paying lots of extra money for someone else to do it for you, you can learn how to do it yourself instead.
While this might seem like a very daunting task, which is why most people will send their car off to someone else in fear of incorrectly completing the task on their own, it is actually a beginner level process that anyone can do.
Brake Pad Replacement Difficulty:
- Easy task for beginners
- No skills or experience needed
- Requires a few easily obtainable tools
- Straight forward process
There are no special skills needed or any kind of experience with mechanics in order to replace your brake pads. In fact, it will only require a few easily obtainable tools, and the close following of a very straight forward process.
Replacing your brake pads is almost exactly what it sounds like. It will consist of removing your tires, taking out the old brake pad, and simply attaching the new one, with a few more specific details in between these steps.
The processes of detecting brake pads that need replacement as well as the actions that you should take while replacing them on your own will be explained in detail throughout the rest of this article.
How To Replace Brake Pads
Now that you have received confirmation that replacing your car’s brake pads at home is not as difficult of a job as you might have assumed when you found out that it was necessary, you might be wondering how you can do it.
In this section, we will outline the process of replacing your brake pads all on your own. Take a look at the lists down below for the materials and tools that you will need, along with detailed instructions on how to go forward successfully.
What You Will Need:
- Owner’s manual
- Floor jack
- Jack stands
- New brake pads
- Brake grease
- Socket wrench
- Tire iron
For the task of replacing your brake pads at home, you will need to get your hands on a floor jack, jack stands, brake grease, a socket wrench, and a tire iron.
You will also need the owner’s manual that came with your vehicle with the specific instructions on how to complete this task, in case you get stuck along the way. The more obvious materials are the new brake pads that you will be installing into your car.
How To Replace Brake Pads:
- Use the tire iron to loosen the bolts and remove the necessary wheels
- Jack up this section with the floor jack for elevation and easy access
- Place the jack stands underneath the frame of the car to hold it in place
- Remove the old brake pads with the socket wrench
- Apply brake grease to the back section of the new brake pads (not on the front or any other component)
- Place the new brake pads in replacement of the old ones
- Reassemble the brake caliper
- Replace the tires and make sure everything is secured
To begin, use the tire iron to loosen the bolts on the tires that are affected by worn down brake pads, moving them completely. Jack up this section with the floor jack for elevation and easy access. This should be done with only one wheel at a time, if you require replacement brake pads across multiple of them.
Place the jack stands underneath the frame of the car in a secure position to hold up, following the use of the jack stand. Use your socket wrench to remove the old brake pads within the system, and remove them from their position.
Apply brake grease to the back of the new brake pads, being careful not to let it get on the front of them or on the rotor. The conclusion of this process will be as simple as sliding the new brake pads on in replacement of the old ones, and reassembling the brake caliper and tires before securing everything bad into place.
How Will I Know When My Brake Pads Need Replacement?
Along with understanding the process of how to replace the brake pads in your car, it is important to know when your brake pads actually need to be replaced. The last thing that you would want to do is replace your brake pads prematurely, or when it is not yet needed.
The list down below will outline the main factors that will help you identify when your brake pads need to be replaced.
How To Tell When Brake Pads Need Replacement:
- Indicator lights
Squeaking noises from the brakes
Metal grinding inside of the car
Minimal thickness of brake pads
The first, and most obvious, way to tell that your brakes need replacement is the flashing of the indicator lights. In most modern-day vehicles, you will see a special brake light on the dashboard that will tell you exactly what is going on.
In case your car does not have this feature, you can determine that something is wrong with your brake pads when you hear squeaking or grinding noises. The need for replacement can be caused by a variety of underlying problems, but if you hear either one of these sounds, you will know exactly what to do.
The last method is to inspect how your brake pads look. Remove the tires and take a peek into the braking system. If they appear to be thinning or looking smaller than they used to, you will need to take them out and replace when with new ones.
As you can see, needing a replacement for your brake pads is not as much of a dreaded experience when you know that you could easily do it yourself. By following the simple steps that were outlined in this article, you can come up with a quick fix for brake pad repair.