Performing Your Own Brake Repair
Brake repair is one of the easiest repair projects that the car owner can perform at home. It goes without saying, however, that it is essential to perform brake repair correctly. 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 is equipped with two brake pads that close up when you press on the brake pedal of your car. Naturally, these pads wear down over time. You will know that you need brake repair when you begin hearing a metal scraping sound when pressing on the brake pedal. 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. Only metal is left after the pads are gone, and continued use will ruin the wheel mechanism. So, as the saying goes, pay me now or pay me later. Performing brake repair now will save money on more expensive repairs down the road.
Any auto parts store can sell you brake pads, but be sure to give them the make and model of your car as the pads may vary from make to make. Once home, the next step is to jack up your car and pull off 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. Now you can begin the actual brake repair.
You should be able to see the old brake pads clearly once the housing is out of the way. They sit loosely on the side of the disk without restraint and can easily be removed. You then take them off and replace them with the new brake pads and swing the housing back down. Adjust the caliper accordingly to allow for the width of the new pads so that it securely holds them in place, just touching the disk, and slide the piston back into its housing.It may seem daunting at first to perform your own brake repair, but the ease of the process should be reassuring once you get started.