Thread: HELP - Please! - Brake pad replacement

I've always done this by cracking the bleed nipple and forcing the piston back, I use a big old pair of blacksmith tongs but a lever will suffice. If you have an assistant, best to close the nipple before the piston bottoms out, to avoid ingress of air through the nipple when the piston stops moving.
Pull one pad out, push the piston/s on that side back as above, put the new pad in, take the other pad out and do the other half of the caliper. If you pull both pads out, the pistons on one side of the caliper can pop out when you compress the other side.

Short version

using a soft metal pry bar pry the pads away from the rotor as far as you can after you suck about 1/3 of the fluid out of the brake reservior.

unbolt the caliper after you remove the locking pins for the pads, slide in new pads and then put the caliper back on. torque up the bolts put the locating pins back in and your done.

(obviously jack up the car and remove the wheel first IAW safe practices)

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

Short version

using a soft metal pry bar pry the pads away from the rotor as far as you can after you suck about 1/3 of the fluid out of the brake reservior.

unbolt the caliper after you remove the locking pins for the pads, slide in new pads and then put the caliper back on. torque up the bolts put the locating pins back in and your done.

(obviously jack up the car and remove the wheel first IAW safe practices)

Thanks guys - do I understand that you are saying that there is no issue forcing fluid backward through whatever fancy valve set up there might be for ABS?

Don't think there is any problem with forcing the fluid back, after all, some fluid has to move back every time the brakes are released or the pads would stay against the disc. I just find it easier to crack the bleed nipple than to remove fluid from the reservoir.