/// Mister-Auto’s DIY Guides

www.mister-auto.co.uk - 0844 338 00 21*Please note: free and informative document for which Mister-Auto does not accept any responsibility or liability.

MOUNTING BRAKE PADS

15 mins / wheel

EQUIPMENT

DIFFICULTY

TIME

All cars are equipped with brake pads. You find them fitted into the brake calliper. The caliper presses the pads against the brake disc when the brake pedal is pressed. Brake pads are wearing car parts. Due to the friction between the brake disc and the pads, the latter are subjected to extremely high temperatures and thus wear and tear. To ensure your brake pads have a relatively long lifespan, it is best to buy good quality pads.The front brakes need to deliver the highest braking force. As a result, the average lifespan of a set front of brake pads is estimated between 18.600 and 27.900 miles. At the rear, your brakes need to deliver a less important braking force. The rear brake pads therefore last longer: about 37.200 miles. The more worn the brake pad is, the less effective it becomes.

BRAKE PADS

On the Mister-Auto website, you’ll find a wide selection of brake pads for your car. For the most well-known car makes you’ll be able to choose from brands including Mintex, Ferodo, Bosch or TRW. Be sure to choose brake pads from a quality brand as these car parts are essential for your safety on the road. Despite buying a top brand, Mister-Auto allows you to be able to save considerably on your car parts. We offer discount prices for all our car parts, so avoid cutting your brake parts expenses.Prior to ordering a brake pad reference, it is important to check the parts on your car.Mister-Auto offers you a large selection of brake pads from

different brands but you’ll discover that some correspond to your original pads and others do not. To avoid ordering pads that do not fit on your car, it is important to check the following:• the make of your brake caliper

(engraved onto its body)• the shape of your brake pads

(visible if you dismount a wheel)

Mister-Auto has included technical details as well as a brake pad scheme on the product description.

HOW TO CHOOSE BRAKE PADS?

WHEN DO I NEED TO CHANGE BRAKE PADS?

In general, brake pads will need to be changed when you notice they are worn. Nevertheless they can also need replacing if the caliper is leaking or if the hydraulic system is failing.

As a matter of precaution, the brake pad manufacturer will often recommend checking the state of your pads every 12.400 to 15.500 miles. It is best to do so when you are changing your oil for example to keep track of the intervals. - flat pliers

- combination pliers- 1 large plainslot screwdriver

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www.mister-auto.co.uk - 0844 338 00 21*Please note: free and informative document for which Mister-Auto does not accept any responsibility or liability.

WHAT DO I LOOK AT WHEN CHECKING MY BRAKE PADS FOR SIGNS OF WEAR?• If your brake pads are not

equipped with a brake pad wear contact, you’ll only need to check your brake f lu id levels. The thinner your brake pads become, the more brake fluid the hydraulic braking system needs to press them against the brake disc. So, if your brake pads are getting too thin, your brake fluid levels will reach the bottom of the reservoir.

• However, if your brake pads do have a wear contact, a dashboard warning light will come on when it becomes necessary to replace them. This

does not mean that as soon as the indicator lights up, you need to rush to the nearest garage or change your brake pads on the same day. From the point that your brake pad light comes on, you’ll be able to safely drive for another 2000 miles. After that, you’ll risk damaging the brake disc if you continue to use worn brake pads. If the latter have next to no friction material left, the metal backing will run on the brake disc, and scratch it.

• Besides these two checks, it is possible to dismount a wheel and literally look at the brake pads. You’ll need about ¼

inch of friction material to drive safely. If less than ¼ of pad is left, we strongly recommend you replace your brake pads as quickly as possible.

• If you have a relatively light car,

you probably won’t have disc brakes at the rear but drum brakes. In that case, to check the lining on the rear brakes count the number of visible teeth on the hand brake when blocking your car. If you see more than 6 teeth, you will need to replace your brake shoe lining.

• Do not fill up the brake fluid reservoir without checking

the state of your brake pads: if the brake pads

are worn, they won’t have a enough friction material

anymore. As a result, they will be stuck against the brake disc and the piston is permanently pushed outwards. When you look at your brake fluid lev-els, they are likely to be rather low. Don’t let these levels fool you though, they are only low because the piston is pushed out. To see if you have enough brake fluid, dismount the brake pads and push the piston back into the caliper. The brake fluid will flow back through the hose and indicate a higher and prob-ably normal level. You can see that if you had just topped up

the brake fluid without think-ing twice, the reservoir would have overflowed after fitting new brake pads with more fric-tion material.

• Prepare your new brake pads: brand new brake pads are often a bit shiny. Lightly file the friction material on the brake pads to ensure they completely touch the disc and don’t slide over the disc when you’re braking. The larger the braking surface of the pads, the more you will get from your braking force.

• S l o w l y w e a r y o u r n e w brake pads: avoid heavy or emergency braking the first 125 to 185 miles after mounting new brake pads. They need a little time to set to the shape of the brake discs.

• Check your other disc brake

parts: before mounting your brake pads, check the state of your brake discs. The latter need to be thicker than 1 mm. If they are thinner, you will need to change them as soon as possible and avoid fitting your new pads onto worn discs. They will wear unevenly if you do. The same goes i f you see that your brake discs are scratched, scorn or warped. Do not wait too long before you replace them then. Don’t forget to also check how the brake pads are worn. If you see for example that one brake pad is more worn than the other or if their wear is uneven, it might be necessary to clean or even completely replace your brake caliper.

TIPS FROM MISTER-AUTO

BRAKE PADS

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www.mister-auto.co.uk - 0844 338 00 21*Please note: free and informative document for which Mister-Auto does not accept any responsibility or liability.

Park your car on a flat and well-lit surface. Start by loosening your wheel bolts. Take your jack and lift the car. Fix the vehicle on axle stands and ensure it is well stabilised and level. Then completely dismount the wheel. If you have wheel trims, you’ll only need to pull to take them off.

Push the piston back into the brake calliper. Drive a screwdriver between the inner brake pad and the disc and to create a lever with which to push the piston. If the brake pads are very worn, they will be stuck against the disc.

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HOW DO I MOUNT NEW BRAKE PADS?

REPLACING BRAKE PADS IN EIGHT EASY STEPS

Replacing brake pads is an easy task that anyone can carry out them-selves. Ensure to closely follow the next steps though:

• Start by parking your car onto a well-lit, flat surface. When lifting your car with a trolley jack, ensure it is sufficiently stable and level. Prefer the use of wheel ramps or axel stands as they provide more stability than a jack. Underneath your car you’ll find the manufacturer’s instructions for lifting your car.

• Arrange all your tools and parts well to avoid losing anything. Put your wheel nuts upside down on their heads, in a neat row to avoid losing one or damaging the

screw-side. Prior to mounting your new brake pads, you’ll need to dismount the old ones. Pay close attention to the order in which you dismount the different parts to put them back in the opposite order. Also, be sure to complete one side before starting on the other. That way you cannot get mixed up and if you are uncertain about anything, you can easily check on the other wheel.

• Equip yourself with all the necessary tools before starting. The caliper guide pins in particular are tightly screwed. To loosen them, you’ll need special tools to avoid any damage.

• Push back the piston ensuring

you don’t accidentally damage the rubber boot with your tools. The easiest and safest way of doing this is in fact using the brake pad closest to the piston as a lever to push the latter back into the calliper. Wedge a screwdriver between the brake pad to create the lever.

• Finally, remember to well tighten the bolts and nuts and to check you have mounted all the parts. Then use the brake pedal to press the brake pads against the disc. It is highly important not to forget this final step. If omitted, you won’t have any braking force when you are pressing the brake pedal when driving for the first time with new pads.

Unscrew the calliper. Use two combination spanners or ratchet spanners to loosen the inner guide pin and unplug the brake pad wear contact if you have one.3

Unscrew the caliper

Push back the piston

BRAKE PADS

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www.mister-auto.co.uk - 0844 338 00 21*Please note: free and informative document for which Mister-Auto does not accept any responsibility or liability.

Clean the pads’ seat by brushing or scratching.

Connect the brake pad wear contact (if present).

Press the new brake pads into the calliper. Put some bolt sealant, which is usually included with the brake pads, onto the bolts to be able to tighten them properly. Then push the calliper back into place and secure the guide pin. If carried out correctly, the parts should fit together like a jigsaw.

Press the brake pedal several times to ensure the brake pads are well applied to the brake disc. Once you’ve lowered the vehicle back to the ground, remember to secure the wheel bolts to ensure the wheel is well connected to the axle.

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Lift the calliper and take out the brake pads by hand.

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Lift the caliper and take out the brake pads

Grease the brake pad seat

Grease the calliper guide pins Result

Finish

BRAKE PADS

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