Do It Yourself Brake Repair
Posted 06/25/09
Brake repair is a common do it yourself project for the car owner, particularly during economic downtimes when money is tight. 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 that the car owner already has a basic concept of brake components.Brakes work by pressing together two pads that rest on either side of a rotating metal disk in your wheel mechanism. Each wheel of your car is equipped with two of these brake pads that close together when you press on the brake pedal. 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. The scraping and grinding of metal on metal will eventually completely ruin the wheel mechanism. Pay me now or pay me later. Brake repair now saves money later on.
Brake pads can easily be purchased from any auto parts store, but be sure to give the store the exact make and model of your car as the pads may vary. 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. Now you can begin the actual brake repair.
The brake pads will be visible with the housing out of the way. Sitting loosely on the side of the disk without anything to hold them in place, they are easily removed. Simply remove and replace them with the new pads and swing the housing back into place. 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.