DIY Brakes for the Newbee
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Joined: Jun 2006
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From: Woodside, CA, USA
DIY Brakes for the Newbee
For the past 22 years, I've had my own, personal mechanic -- that is until his mid-life crises struck and he moved out. Now I'm determined to do it all myself...including my 2003 CRV maintenance. Can anyone direct me to any basic guidance on the web or otherwise that would easily instruct me how to do my own break job? I can change the oil and I know a rotor from a break pad, but I don't know the first thing about what tools to have on hand, etc.
LT
LT
Honda-Tech Member
Joined: Nov 2001
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Re: DIY Brakes for the Newbee (LTRWC)
Well you might want to have a set of metric wrenchs and sockets (and ratchet) handy.
To do brakes, you will also want to get a brake piston compressor...
looks like this
and an impact driver looks like this
and some jack stands:
and a jack, (you can use the one that came with the car, but you can get a hydrolic jack if you want. It will make your life easier.
Step 1: Loosen, but do not remove lug nuts
Step 2: Jack up car and lower it onto jack stands
Step 3: check to make sure the car is settle on stands.
Step 4: remove lug nuts and wheels
Step 5: On the back of the brake caliper there is either 1 or 2 bolts holding the caliper on (they are probably 12mm bolts), remove these to take the pads out
Step 6: DONT let the caliper hang by the hose.
Step 7: If you are replacing the rotor too, then there are 2 large bolts holding the caliper bracket in place (17mm) remove these.
Step 8: using your impact driver, remove the two screws on the face of the rotor
(put the driver on the screws (make sure its set to unscrew and WHACK it HARD with a Hammer)
Step 9: Remove screws and rotor, and reinstall with new one (I usually reinstall screws).
Step 10: Reinstall caliper braket
Step 11: Using piston compressor and old brake pad, screw the piston back into the caliper
Step 12: install new pads into caliper
Step 13: GREASE THE caliper slides, and make sure they move freely
Step 14: install the caliper
Step 14b: pump the brake until you get a firm pedal
step 15: install wheels,
step 15a : get all tools off the ground
Step 16: jack up car and remove jack stands
Step 17: Lower car, and and tighten lug nuts
To do brakes, you will also want to get a brake piston compressor...
looks like this
and an impact driver looks like this
and some jack stands:
and a jack, (you can use the one that came with the car, but you can get a hydrolic jack if you want. It will make your life easier.
Step 1: Loosen, but do not remove lug nuts
Step 2: Jack up car and lower it onto jack stands
Step 3: check to make sure the car is settle on stands.
Step 4: remove lug nuts and wheels
Step 5: On the back of the brake caliper there is either 1 or 2 bolts holding the caliper on (they are probably 12mm bolts), remove these to take the pads out
Step 6: DONT let the caliper hang by the hose.
Step 7: If you are replacing the rotor too, then there are 2 large bolts holding the caliper bracket in place (17mm) remove these.
Step 8: using your impact driver, remove the two screws on the face of the rotor
(put the driver on the screws (make sure its set to unscrew and WHACK it HARD with a Hammer)
Step 9: Remove screws and rotor, and reinstall with new one (I usually reinstall screws).
Step 10: Reinstall caliper braket
Step 11: Using piston compressor and old brake pad, screw the piston back into the caliper
Step 12: install new pads into caliper
Step 13: GREASE THE caliper slides, and make sure they move freely
Step 14: install the caliper
Step 14b: pump the brake until you get a firm pedal
step 15: install wheels,
step 15a : get all tools off the ground
Step 16: jack up car and remove jack stands
Step 17: Lower car, and and tighten lug nuts
Do it every 15k 
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