Brake Repair at Home
Brake repair is one of the easiest repair projects that the car owner can perform at home. However, it is extremely important to perform brake repair correctly, since top performing car brakes are one of the most vital safety components of your vehicle. The following instructions are designed to demystify the process and reassure the car owner that brake repair can be done properly at home. They assume a familiarity with basic brake components.
Disk brakes work by squeezing two pads together on both sides of a rotating metal disk. Each wheel is equipped with two brake pads that close up when you press on the brake pedal of your car. Naturally, these pads wear down over time. That metal scraping sound that you one day start hearing whenever you press on the brakes is your car telling you that brake repair is needed. You could choose to ignore the sound, but the pads will wear completely away and only metal against metal will be left to stop your car. Only metal is left after the pads are gone, and continued use will ruin the wheel mechanism. Pay me now or pay me later. Brake repair now saves money later on.
Any auto parts store can sell you brake pads, but be sure to give them the make and model of your car as the pads may vary from make to make. Once home, the next step is to jack up your car and pull off the wheel. These two tasks, buying the pads and jacking up the car, comprise the majority of your brake repair. If you still are not sure that brake repair is necessary, you can eyeball the pads through the brake housing view port before removing the wheel. If you determine that brake repair really is necessary, then your next step is to remove the wheel and the bolt or bolts holding the brake housing in place and swing the unit out of the way. You are now ready to begin actual brake repair.
The brake pads will be visible with the housing out of the way. They sit loosely on the side of the disk without restraint and can easily be removed. You then take them off and replace them with the new brake pads and swing the housing back down. Next, adjust the caliper to allow for the new pads and slide the piston back into the unit.The prospect of performing your own brake repair may be intimidating at first, but once you get started you will see just how easy the process really is.