Brakes play a vital role in maintaining road safety. As a global genuine brake system supplier, ADVICS would like to share information on proper maintenance procedures. In this video, we will explain how to replace brake pads and rotors in 10 steps.

Move the gear lever to park position. Check if the brake fluid inside the master reservoir tank is at a normal level. Please make all necessary preparations and abide by safety rules when performing brake system maintenance.

Please do the following before removing the wheel, turn the wheel to see whether there is any dragging on the brake rotor. Slightly move the wheel vertically and horizontally to see if the wheel hub is loose. After removing the wheel, check the brake hose and brake rotor surface for any abnormalities or damage.

Remove the slide pins and upper and lower caliper bolts remove the caliper body and place it on a special hanger. Remove the brake pads.

Remove sand and dust from the caliper bracket and body with brake cleaner. And check the following. If caliper rubber parts have any signs of damage, deformation or deterioration if there are any abnormalities in slide pin operation.

Detach the shims from the pad and remove old PBC grease with the brake cleaner. Check the brake pad condition. Is the brake pad friction material thickness below the acceptable level? Are there any cracks on the friction material surface? Does the brake pad friction surface have any signs of carbonization or uneven wear? If you find any of the aforementioned abnormalities, please replace the old brake pads with new ones. Also, brake pads should be replaced immediately if friction material thickness is under two to three millimeters due to the increased risk of brake fade and vapor lock.

If the caliber piston is in the forward position, please retract it by using this special service tool. Please make sure that the piston is fully retracted. After retracting the piston, please make sure that there is no brake fluid overflow in the master cylinder reservoir tank.

Remove the caliper brackets. Check the rotor thickness before removed. When measuring rotor thickness, please use a micrometer not a vernier caliper. Rotor minimum thickness information is usually located on the sides of the rotor. Also, please check the rotor surface for any signs of uneven wear, as it may cause judder and vibration.

Then, use a dial indicator to measure the rotor run out. If it exceeds the specified value, the rotor must be replaced with a new one. Please know that brake rotor run out specific values may differ depending on the car model. So please refer to your repair manual for details.

Visually inspect the condition of the removed brake rotor surface for any signs of rust for record like grooves. Please also check the rotor for any debris or foreign objects.

After removing the rotor, please use a steel brush to clean the wheel hub from rust and foreign objects before installing the new rotor. Remove the rust preventative oil from the new brake rotor surface by applying brake cleaner and wiping it with a cloth. Make sure that oil is removed entirely otherwise it may negatively affect the brake efficiency. Then, place the new rotor on the wheel hub.

Remove the slide pins from the caliper bracket and remove old grease from the pins with a brake cleaner. Check the condition of the slide pins and slide pin boots and replace them with new ones if there are any abnormalities. Apply a special grease on the slide pins and put them back in the caliper bracket.

Reinstall the caliper bracket. Attach the clips to the new pads and apply PBC grease. PBC grease is used to prevent brake squeal. Firstly, apply the PBC grease between the brake pad backing plate and the shim. Brake squeal is usually caused by vibration that occurs during braking when pad friction material comes into contact with the brake rotor surface. In this case, the brake rotor acts as a squeal amplifier due to vibration being transmitted to the caliper and suspension parts. Applying the PBC grease helps to reduce brake vibration, thus eliminating squeal. However, if applied incorrectly, PBC grease will not help to reduce the brake squeal. If there are two shifts, please also apply the grease between these two shims. Be careful not to apply the grease on the pad friction surface.

Next, put the grease where the caliper piston contacts with the brake pad shim. Additionally, please check your car repair manual as application areas may differ depending on the car model. Install the new pads with PBC grease applied inside the caliper. Make sure that brake pad shims have been attached correctly. Brake Pad installation method and positioning inside the caliper may differ depending on the car model so please refer to the repair manual for details.

Then, fix the caliper body by tightening the bolts. After reinstalling the wheel, step on the brake pedal several times to pump the brakes by bringing the pad in contact with the rotor.

Lastly, check the brake fluid level and the master reservoir tank and if it’s within the normal level, all maintenance procedures have been completed. For the brake system to function properly, please make sure to perform all the maintenance procedures correctly.