Some people may wonder if it is easy to do a brake pad replacement or if it is necessary to take your vehicle to a garage. If you are a handy individual, good at DIY and reading instructions comes naturally to you and you can do just about anything, brake pad replacement may be another job you can add to your list of achievements.

So when is it necessary to schedule a brake pad replacement? When you hear a squealing coming from the wheel area when braking it may mean it is time to change your brakes. Only if you are appropriately skilled to perform work on your vehicle should you attempt to change parts yourself. If in any doubt about the safety of your brakes, or car in general, you should contact a qualified mechanic for advice.

Head to your local car part store and purchase brakes of your choice; whether it is the cheap set or the more expensive set which will last you a bit longer. Many also order their brakes online if you are certain which ones you need.

Once you receive or purchase the brakes you need it is time to get ready for the installation. The tools you will need for the brake pad replacement are as followed; Lug Wrench to remove the tire, C-clamp, Allen wrench if your car type calls for one, a hammer, and of course a car jack.

Place the car onto a jack to remove the tire. Once this is done you can go ahead and loosen the bolt which holds the brakes on. Sometimes you will need to remove the brake caliper and sometimes you may not, depending on the car you have. If the caliper is giving you problems and does not want to loosen try tapping it a few times with the hammer.

Once you have the caliper off you want to make sure you take a look at how the brake pad is placed onto the disc. You don’t want to have any problems when it comes time to placing the new pads on. Since you have you can now clearly see some brake components, use the opportunity to inspect them. Make sure there are not any groves or waves on the disc which means it may be time to replace this part as well.

After you’ve inspected the disc it is time to start with the brake pad replacement. You will need the C-clamp for this part. Place one screw end of the C-clamp around the back of the caliper area and the other towards the front of the disc. Tighten the clamp until you have room to place the new brake pads in. Once you are able to slide the brakes into the spot you can then replace the caliper and the bolts.

After the brake pad replacement is completed you want to “bleed” the brakes – you may need an extra hand for this part. Press on the brakes a few times to pump them up. If the pedal keeps going to the floor you may need to release a bit of brake fluid pressure. If you keep pumping and it finally feels solid you’re in great shape. Take it for a few spins around the block and make sure everything seems to be working properly, don’t forget to exercise caution with brake parts until they are properly ‘broken in’.