Let's Change the Brakes on my 91 Honda Accord!!
Your vehicle may vary but here is a list of the tools we will need;
- A jack
- Lug Wrench/Tire Iron
- a flathead screwdriver (optional)
- a 3/8 drive ratchet
- a 12mm socket
- a 3/8 extension
- caliper piston specialty tool (not required on all vehicles)
Here is a video showing you how its all done. I started the video after the tire was removed.
So here is the basic process summed up.
- loosen lug nuts
- jack car up so tire is off the ground
- remove lug nut cover(if vehicle is equipped with one) lug nuts and tire
- break loose one caliper bolt, break loose the other and remove both
- remove caliper housing
- remove old brake pads and retainer clips
- install new retainer clips and brake pads
- compress caliper piston (special tool may be required depending on your vehicle, see picture below)
- reinstall caliper housing
- reinstall caliper bolts, snug one up, then the other, then tighten down both
- reinstall tire, lugnuts and optional lug nut cover
- lower vehicle back down
Here are a few more shots from under the car
I realized after watching the video that when I was talking about the time involved in this task I was only figuring one side, so in all, you would spend maybe an hour on this for both sides. A shop may be able to do it in 30 minutes, but they have a vehicle lift ($5000+) so they are not working on the ground and they have the specialty tools($200+) that works better than the all in one tool I was using. So you could spend $100 at a shop to get your brakes changed in 30 minutes, or you can spend an hour at home yourself and save $50-$70. I prefer to do it myself and save money.
What How-to Steemit post would be complete without proof the repair worked? Here is a short video showing just that! I think you will get a kick out of it.
Proof of Brakes
Hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know in the comments if you have ever changed your brakes yourself and if so, was there anything I could have/should have done different.
If you have never changed your brakes before, after watching this video do you feel confident enough to attempt it on your own?