Front Pads:

TAKE THE CAP OFF THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR FIRST BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING.

To avoid leakage, either drain a bit out using a turkey baster or something to that effect or put a rag around the tank so that it does not leak onto your engine parts.

Step 1: Jack up the front right or left side. Here is a picture of the chasis point I used:



I would put a jack stand or two under the chasis rail just in case. I also had 4WD locked, the parking brake on and the car in first gear JUST to make sure it didn't want to roll anywhere.

Step 2: Remove the wheel (obviously). You will see the brake caliper:



Step 3: Remove the small pins holding the two bolts in place that go through the brake pads. They are long thick pins that go across the disc. At the end of the pins are small tiny clips. Take a pair of needle-nose pliers and pull the clips out of each pin.



Step 4: Take a small hammer or even the end of a pair of pliers (you will need these to pull the pads out) and gently tap the ends of the pins where the clips were that you just took out. After they start to move, you can pull the pins out with your pliers.

Step 5: After the pins and metal clip are out, take a pair of pliers and grab one side of a pad. Pull the end of the pad up as much as you can, then do it to the other side. Once the pad is pulled out enough, you can grab it with your hands or the center of the pad with your pliers and pull the pad out.

Repeat this for the other pad.





Step 6: Using a screwdriver and a set of pliers, compress the pistons. Note that when you compress one, the others pop out. Do TWO at a time on each side.



DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN!



IF it does, do not panic. You can take a small screwdriver and wedge it between the disc and the piston, gently tapping it with a hammer to move the piston away from the disc. The piston will feel like it will not compress when using pliers once it has moved away from the disc, but it will, you just need to wiggle it a bit and give it some muscle. The piston comes all the way out of the housing and must be easily wiggled back into the hole it goes into on the caliper.

Step 7: Once all 4 pistons are compressed, you can install the new pads. Note that the pad with the small silver metal clip-like piece goes on the INSIDE of the disc/caliper, or the pad opening closest to the engine. The pad WITH OUT the silver metal clip goes on the outside of the disc/caliper. That silver metal clip is actually the pad wear sensor, which is what makes the scraping metal noise telling you the pads need to be changed.

Note: There are thin metal plates that go on the brake pads. You will see them come off the old ones.The pads I bought already had the inner plate as part of the pad. If your pads have a thin metal plate already on the surface of the pad, you only need the solid metal plate with the caliper imprints on them, ie: the circle marks. You don't need to have 3 plates on there. It will be a li

 

Nice how to. Good little tips to know when those of us that brave to do this on our own give it a go. I'm hoping the back ones will be just as easy as the front ones. Great job.

 

Excellent tutorial Hummerguy! Thanks for taking the time to lay it out so clearly.

H34me

 

HG next thing you know you will be rebuilding motors and transmissions. Good job.

 

Thanks. The only parts of a car I haven't worked on yet are differentials, transmissions and engines. Everything else I've always done myself.

I just want to save people some money by not having to spend $300+ to do a job that costs you $60 in parts. Unbelievable.

 

Good job HG!!! Nice pics. Nice Lawn Mower! [8D]

Seriously, great Hummer Forums DIY thread, and I agree that it will help members save some $$, and do it right. [sm=smiley20.gif]



Now, it we can only get noobs to use the search feature to find this when they need it. [&o]

 

Thanks Doc!

There will be alot of people searching this thread on the internet, ie: Google , and since I'm one of the first batch of people that has had to do it, I figured why not?

 

hey great job and great pics ! glad to know the rears are easy too.

 

Does anybody know how hard the Trac. Cont. system is on the breaks? Off road, it is constantly going off, and I wonder if this will really shorten the life of the pads, or if it is not as intrusive as it feels. I was considering upgrading to some Green Stuff pads to improve the heat absorbing when off-road, but was wondering if it is needed.

 

HummerGuy Great job on the write up and pictures.

It looks like you still had some life in your old pads but it it is better to do it before you hear grinding noisesetc.

I agree on not turning the rotors unless they really need it!