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How to replace brake pads and rotors?
Do Your Own Damn Brakes
Fits North American (US and Canada) cars. Not VIN-matched. Torque is your vehicle maker’s, on the fill-in sheet in the PDF.
Diagnose the noise or vibration, replace pads and rotors, service the slides, bleed, bed-in. Torque fill-in sheet. North American cars and light trucks.
Free on this page. Match the row, then stop. Illustrated steps, torque and the job card stay in the PDF.
What you see High squeal when I brake (a wear tab often squeals, but not always)
Points to Pad wear indicator tab touching the rotor
What you see Grinding or scraping, like metal on metal
Points to Pad worn down to the steel backing plate
What you see Steering wheel or pedal shakes when I brake from speed
Points to Uneven rotor thickness (often called warped), loose wheel, or rust on the hub face
What you see Car pulls to one side when I brake
Points to Sticking caliper slide pin or piston, or a soaked pad
What you see Hot smell, smoke, or one wheel much hotter after a drive
Points to Dragging caliper or parking brake not releasing
What you see Pedal feels soft or spongy but stops the car
Points to Air in the lines or old, wet fluid
What you see Pedal to the floor or sinking, a fluid leak, or a red BRAKE / amber ABS light on
Points to Fluid leak or hydraulic failure
What you see Clunk or click when I first brake in a new direction
Points to Missing or loose pad clips, or loose caliper bolts
General information for the vehicles this guide covers. You do the work at your own risk; follow the vehicle maker's service information and the emissions and roadworthiness rules where your vehicle is registered.
A 30–60 second clip from the Repair Guider channel. The illustrated steps stay in the PDF.
Four previews. Torque specs and the printable job card stay in the PDF.
Job card
Is this your problem? This guide is for you if you're asking:
Not quite your problem? Request a guide, and requested guides jump to the front of the line.
A tradesman's driveway brake job: diagnose squeal, grinding and shake, lift safely on stands, replace pads and rotors, service the slide pins, bleed and bed-in, with hard stops for ABS, lines and seized calipers.
Tools have exact part numbers; wear parts are matched by VIN or the old part. Borrow what you can.
General information for the vehicles this guide covers. You do the work at your own risk; follow the vehicle maker's service information and the emissions and roadworthiness rules where your vehicle is registered.
Chapters that say when to stop:
Illustrated steps, torque specs and the one-page job card are in the download.
No other published guide is a sibling of this symptom. See every symptom we cover, or request the one you have.
Not always. I replace them if they are under the minimum thickness stamped on them, deeply grooved, or cause a shake. Smooth rotors above minimum can stay.
Most often the wear tab is touching the rotor, which means pads now. Other causes: dry pad contact points, missing shims, or glazed pads.
Not if I never opened the system. I bleed when the pedal is soft, after opening a bleeder, or when the fluid is old.
The number in your owner's manual. It differs between vehicles, so I never guess it.
General information for the vehicles this guide covers. You do the work at your own risk; follow the vehicle maker's service information and the emissions and roadworthiness rules where your vehicle is registered. Car guide terms · Edition 1.0 · 2026-10-07
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