Do It Yourself Brake Repair
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 a familiarity with basic 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 is equipped with two brake pads that close up when you press on the brake pedal of your car. These pads will, of course, 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. So, as the saying goes, 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. Back home with your car in the driveway, the next step is to jack it up and remove the wheel. You will have completed the bulk of your brake repair with these two tasks. If you want to check to see if brake repair is really necessary, you can view the pads through the view port in the brake housing before starting. 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.
You should be able to see the old brake pads clearly once the housing is out of the way. Sitting loosely on the side of the disk without anything to hold them in place, they are easily 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.