Don’t try to work on your vehicle if it’s only supported by the jack since it may not be secure and could slip. Make sure your vehicle is parked on a flat, level surface when you jack it up. If you’re worried about your vehicle rolling, put blocks in front of or behind the wheels still touching the ground.
If you have trouble removing the lug nuts from your vehicle, spray them with a lubricant to help loosen them from place.
If you can’t get enough leverage to loosen the bolts from the back of the caliper, then attach the socket to a longer breaker bar so you can get more power. You can buy breaker bars from your local hardware store.
The caliper will still be attached to your vehicle by a hose leading to your brake’s main cylinder. Leave the caliper attached to the hose for now since it could leak brake fluid otherwise.
Check the thickness of your brake pads when you remove them. If they’re less than 1⁄4 inch (0. 64 cm) thick, then replace them as well so you can stay safe while you’re driving.
Use a breaker bar if you can’t get a good amount of leverage to loosen the bolts. The caliper bracket may slip once you remove the second bolt, so hold it in place with your free hand so it doesn’t fall and get damaged.
You can buy new calipers online or from auto part stores. A new caliper usually costs between $25-50 USD. Standard calipers have 1 piston in them that pushes against the brake pads to slow down your vehicle. Performance calipers have multiple pistons to apply pressure on your brakes quickly and evenly.
You may be able to recycle your old caliper at an auto repair shop. Call one ahead of time to see if they can get rid of it for you.
If the hose or bolt leaked any brake fluid, wipe it clean with a shop cloth before screwing it into the caliper to prevent any corrosion from occurring.
Apply an anti-seizing fluid on the bolts before screwing them in if you want to remove them easier next time you need to make repairs on your brakes.
Make sure you install the brake pads so the padded side is against the rotor. Otherwise, you may damage your brake system.
Check that the caliper doesn’t move around after you secure it in place or else it could come loose when you’re driving.
Consult the vehicle’s user manual if you can’t find the brake cylinder. Loosening the cap will help the brake fluid drain quicker to make bleeding your brakes easier.
Don’t use an opaque hose since you won’t be able to see the air bubbles forming. Avoid using a hose that fits loosely over the bleeder valve since it could allow air in.
The bleeder valve helps remove air from the caliper so your brakes work properly.
Air in your caliper could make your brakes feel soft and you may not get as much stopping power as you normally would. You may need to refill your cylinder with brake fluid if it runs out.
Don’t drive too fast while you’re testing your brakes just in case something were to go wrong.
