Can I replace my own brake pads?

[thoboyz]

Hey guys.... I;m curious as to how hard it is to change my brake pads...I've never dome it b4, and my 96 Maxima is my first car, so technially, this is the first time EVER that I needed my brake pads replaced.

I assume the grinding noise coming from front of car when I step on brakes is because the pads need to be replaced...right?

Well, I have 2 new RAYBESTOS brake pads that I order, per recommendation from this website, so now...

HOW DO I PUT THEM ON, and is it easy enough for me to do...
If not, how much would a shop charge to do it?


O yeah, I only bought 2 new pads.....for both front wheels....I didnt buy any for the back wheels, because I thought the car didnt use the brakes in the back unless you pull the e-brake....Am I right? Or do I need to replace all 4 pads....

Thanks!
-Andrew

[aeaton21]

-Sigh- Yes you can change your brake pads but if they were grinding you need to replace your rotors to.... Go order them.

1 Take off your wheel
2 where the brake pads are on the backside of the caliper there are 2 bolts. Take those off
3 pull the calpier out and support it, do not let it hang by it's brakeline
4 the bracket that held the caliper has 2 bolts to hold that on, take those out and pull it off
5 pull off the rotor and put the NEW rotor on
6 take the brake pads off the caliper
7 push the piston all the way back
8 put on new brake pads
9 assemble in the reverse order

Should take about 20 min a side, Get familiar with your car, get dirty, it's the only way to get to know your car

As far as the back pads go, they are used all the time. If they didn't slow down the back of the vehicle then when you hit the brakes hard inirtia would want the back end to slide around front. They are probably ok, the front pads take most of the abuse. probabbly a 65/35 split in force....

[thoboyz]

Dangit....Are you serious? New rotors? Is it really that bad? I only heard the grinding for about one day, then I stopped driving the Maxima. Are you sure they need to be replaced??? :-/

Well, thanks for the advice man...

[aeaton21]

probably need to have them turned at least. The rotor has to be completely smooth, any grinding has stopped that

[i3o2Matt]

well if you only bought TWO pads, not two pairs of pads, you're only doin one wheel...cuz there are 2 pads per wheel...and if the rotors aren't too bad, then yea you could get them machined, or turned as aeaton stated

[thoboyz]

No...I bought pads for both front wheels.... And I took the car in to have a local mechanic replace the front pads, and told him about the grinding noise... He said he might be able to re-surface them...

I got a call later from him telling me that I won the medal, cause after looking at my rotors, he said he's never seen in his 20 years of doing breaks, rotors that looked as bad as mine... He said the were bad because of high heat spots.. (from high speed breaking)...haha...he was like, "Now, I'm not your father, but how do you drive this car..."
And I was like, "Well, when I need to show some punk how it's done, then yes, I drive hard...."

Neways, he had to order 2 replacement rotors too... Everything came to a total of $200 (new rotors and labor...) doesnt count the pads I gave him.


Thanks for you help guys!

[SHIFT_]

On my car the brakes go out every six months and my cuzin tryed putting a mightys auto parts brake pads but they still grinded even after we cut the rotors. Your going to have to cut the rotors and probably put on dealer brake pads. I also has a 96.

[thoboyz]

cut the rotors? I just got NEW rotors and the service shop put them on at the same time they put my new RAYBESTOS brake pads on.


What the heck is he talking about: "cut the rotors?"

Why would I need to do anything else, since they are brand new rotors and brand new pads...They work like they should and I barely have to press the brake to feel the car slow down....no granding any more either...

[SHIFT_]

Originally Posted by thoboyz

cut the rotors? I just got NEW rotors and the service shop put them on at the same time they put my new RAYBESTOS brake pads on.


What the heck is he talking about: "cut the rotors?"

Why would I need to do anything else, since they are brand new rotors and brand new pads...They work like they should and I barely have to press the brake to feel the car slow down....no granding any more either...

You cut the rotors when you have old rotors not when you have new ones. I didnt see that you changed the rotors. When you cut the rotors its like putting on new rotors. Sorry for the confusion.

[i3o2Matt]

lemme rephrase that for shift_...cutting the rotors is re-surfacing them, like wat ur mechanic said he might be able to do...what you rotors do is become uneven on the surface after a while n that could cause the grinding noise...re-surfacing, cutting, and machning mean all the same thing...making the rotors even again by cutting off the higher spots...this can take a while...but u didn't need it...

[Ceasars Chariot]

resurfacing , i wonder if they can cut some weight off the rotors by grinding them down more ? my stock rotors are 13.5 lbs, another lb or two would be cool