Changing brake discs

Can brake discs be replaced? How do you change disc brake pads? Can disc brake pads contain asbestos? How often should brake discs be checked?

How to replace brake discs Loosen the nuts on the wheels of your vehicle before you jack it up off the ground.

It can be quite dangerous once you. Once the car is safely and securely raised using the jack, take all of the wheels off completely. You will need to do. If the discs are held on by.

Changing brake pads and discs. The tools you are likely to need will be a wheel wrench, a socket set, the specific removal socket for the caliper floating pins (explained below), a pair of pliers, a piston windback tool, some copper grease and lots of rags. A torque wrench is useful but not absolutely necessary.

Modern disc brake pads are ceramic, but older brake pads may contain asbestos, which can be harmful if inhaled in the form of "brake dust.

Apply anti-squeal paste to the backing of the new brake pads, but do not install them yet. For maximum safety – replace brake pads and discs together. To ensure a smooth, safe, consistent braking system, it’s highly recommended to have new pads and discs installed at the same time.

Even though brake discs are metallic, it doesn’t mean they don’t need wear out. Squeezing the brake lever after you’ve removed the disc rotors can force the pistons beyond their limits and compromise the hydraulic system, forcing you to bleed the brake unit. They are installed in brake callipers and are pushed against the discs by pistons, which are in turn moved by brake fluid that is pressurised by a master cylinder.

When a driver pushes the brake pedal, the master cylinder compresses the fluid which in turn moves the pistons to ease the pads against the discs. All modern cars have disc brakes on the front wheels, and a lot of models have discs at the rear as well. Disc brake pads gradually wear out.

They have to be inspected at every service, and renewed when they have worn to a specified minimum. We are often asked why brake discs cannot be replaced without replacing the pads at the same time.

There are a few reasons why we recommend replacing the brake pads when having a brake disc replacement done. The main reason is that if you don’t replace brake discs and pads together, your brand new discs will wear unevenly and can get damaged. Kwik Fit also recommends that brake discs or drums are replaced in axle sets. Replacing one brake disc or drum could cause an imbalanced braking performance that could lead to further premature wear.

This can cause an annoying squealing sound or, in more worrying circumstances, feel your car pull to one side.

Because car makes and models do vary we suggest you consult with a good workshop manual to get an overview. Checking your disc brake pads for wear and replacing if necessary is an essential maintenance task for all cyclists.

Great Britain Cycling Team mechanic Marc Yates tells you what tools you will need and shows you how to do it. Our guide to changing disc brake pads includes a video and step-by-step guide with pictures to ensure you replace your disc brake pads correctly.

Essentially, hydraulic pressure forces a piston against the brake pads set inside the brake caliper. The rotor is connected to and spins with the wheel and hub. The friction of repeated stopping will wear down the brake pads. It is likely that the old brake pads will not be perfectly flat, therefore, and putting them on the new brake discs will.

Replace your brake pads with the Saturday Mechanic, Ben Wojdyla. Before you change the brake pads in your car, make sure it has had time to cool down so the brakes aren’t hot.

Then, remove the wheel and the caliper to reveal the brake pads. Snap off the old brake pads and insert the new ones in the same position. If you want, you can spread anti-seize lubricant on the metal contact edges and on the back of the pads to prevent squeaking.

Most of the time, new brake pads will enhance braking performance without being hugely expensive. If you’re changing a brake disc, we’d recommend changing brake pads at the same time. Otherwise, new discs wear unevenly, and the resulting damage could be serious and cost your car its MOT test.

Does this still apply if the pads have only just been done - say about 2k miles ago? They wanted to replace them immediately, but I told them to wait.

I am pretty gentle on braking and I think the owner before me was pretty careful too. The car is currently at about 45k miles.