How to Replace Brake Kit 1995-2005 Pontiac Sunfire
Created on: 2010-05-22
Check out this video to learn how to replace the front brakes on your 92-05 Pontiac Sunfire. 1A Auto experts will show you how to do it!
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step 1 :Remove front wheel.
- Remove hub cap or center cap if you have it.
- While your car is still on the ground, use your lug wrench to loosen your lug nuts.
- Jack up and secure your car with jack stands.
- Remove the lug nuts with your lug wrench.
- Remove the wheel and set aside.
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step 2 :Remove the front brake calipers
- Use a screwdriver to force the pistons back in.
- Remove the three 3/8 Allen bolts to remove the calipers.
- Clean out the Allen bolts if needed.
- Use a wire tie to fasten the caliper out of the way.
- Use your screwdriver to pry out your brake pads.
- Pull off the brake rotor.
- Hit the rotor with a rubber mallet or hammer if necessary.
- Take care not to damage the lug studs.
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step 3 :Install new brake rotor and pads
- Clean new rotor with brake cleaner.
- Insert your new pads into the front brake caliper.
- Compress the front brake caliper piston with a c-clamp to reset the pistons.
- Mount the front brake caliper and torque the 3/8 Allen bolts in as tight as they will go by hand.
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step 4 :Put your front wheel back on
- Make sure to use a star pattern when putting your wheel lugs back on.
- Tighten to 75 ft lbs.
- Replace hubcap/center cap.
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step 5 :Test and set brake pads and rotors
- Before driving the car again, start it up and pump the brakes a few times to get the pistons in the brakes in place.
- Test the brakes in your driveway before taking the car onto the road.
- Set your rotors by evenly braking from 30mph to 10mph, 50mph-30mph and finally 70mph to 40mph.
- This is best done on a straight back road without any traffic.
Tools needed
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Large C-Clamp
Torque Wrench
Jack Stands
19mm Socket
Brake Parts Cleaner
3/8 Inch Allen Wrench
Flat Blade Screwdriver
Large Hammer
Wire Ties
Lug Wrench
Ratchet
Wire Brush
Floor Jack
1/2 Inch Breaker Bar
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Hi, I'm Mike Green. I'm one of the owners of 1AAuto. I want to help you save time and money repairing and maintaining your vehicle. I'm going to use my 20-plus years experience restoring and repairing cars and trucks like this to show you the correct way to install parts from 1AAuto.com. The right parts installed correctly. That's going to save you time and money. Thank you and enjoy the video.
In this video we'll be redoing the front brakes on this '97 Pontiac Sunfire. Same as any '92 to '05 Cavalier or Sunfire, and really similar for just about any car with front disc brakes. You may have some tools that will be different, but this is the basic procedure to do ... replace your front brake pads and rotors. The tools you'll need for these j-body cars is a 3/8 inch Allen wrench, and if you have a longer one, that's best. A 19 millimeter socket and ratchet to remove your wheels and tires, a flat blade screwdriver and a large c-clamp.
So I've taken the wheel off and I've turned the wheel so you can easily access the back of the caliper and, this is typical of most cars, so if you don't exactly have a Sunfire and you're watching this, you're going to remove two Allen, these 3/8 inch Allen bolts. One here, okay, and one right up here. The first you might have seen it on the lower one. Having determined it, you want to make sure that you've a little screwdriver. Just clean that out a little bit. Okay. Now if you have a nice big Allen 3/8"? Allen wrench like this, usually you can get enough leverage to get those bolts off. If you have a smaller one, a little trick for you, or just to make it easier, just put the Allen wrench on there. You take a larger wrench and put it on like that, that gives you the leverage, and you just pull nice and easy. Don't tug and don't jerk on it, just pull nice and easy and it'll come off. That just provides you some more leverage.
Knock those bolts out. Maybe go back to your wrench. Use it to pry a caliper off. You're going to want to get it going. So here's your caliper And now the shoes will come right out. This inside one is just held on the back by some clamps. Then this outer one has these clamps holding it here. You basically just kind of need to pull it. You're pushing it this way out of the caliper and then sliding it up. You've got a caliper out and up there and a disc, really easy, just work them right off. You can see, nice new rotors from 1aauto.com is the exact same as the original. It goes right on. What I actually like to do is I put a one nut on, just to hold it in place. It just makes it that much easier to get the caliper and pads on.
Really the only special tool you're going to need in this repair is a big c-clamp like this. What you have to do is, the caliper, okay this is the piston. As you're brakes wear the piston, kind of, comes out of the caliper, and you can see if up above, there. What you need to do is take a c-clamp, again, put it in, and basically just work the caliper piston back in, actually just required, you can see the piston going back on in. It goes in. Here's the new shoes from 1A Auto, and the smaller one is the inside one. These clips go inside that round forward the caliper and then this clips on. So here is your caliper, and then this one goes, kind of, upside down right inside, and then push it - push that clip right in. Now it's held in place. This one goes this way and basically just, kind of, pull it right down. Then you're going to put it right down in. You can see the big part of the shoe you want to have go down in there and this, see here. Make sure your bolts are out. Everything's all lined up good. Now you can just tighten up, start with one of these bolts in and tighten up your caliper bolts.
A couple of notes while I'm getting these bolts going. First, when you use your c-clamp and clamp the piston, you're going to be forcing brake fluid back into your master cylinder, so if you've recently filled your master cylinder, you're just going to want to probably actually reach in there and scoop a little bit of fluid out or else your master cylinder's overflowing goes everywhere. Second is, be very careful the first time you drive your car because when you first hit the brakes it's going to have to fill this up again and push the brakes together, so you want to basically pump your brakes a few times before you get going. Then even when you get going, just be very careful. Just go five or 10 miles an hour the first time and test your brakes and make sure they're working. Make sure there's nothing in front of you. Don't go out and drive on the road until you're confident that your brakes are all working fine.
Now, like most people, I don't have the proper bit for a torque wrench, so I have this long 3/8"? Allen wrench and I'll basically pull as hard on that as I can. That's probably good enough, but I'll also, just for good measure, take a wrench out here and just pull it a little tighter. Now we can put our wheel back on and make sure the brakes are working and we'll be good to go. My lug nuts are on there and tighten up a little bit. Now I'm just tightening them 75 foot pounds. I use a star pattern. I put the lug nut covers on and just use my socket and my hand and tighten them up. A couple notes while I'm finishing up. Just make sure you check your brake fluid. Pump your brakes a couple times. Make sure you get the calipers to re-seat.
We hope this helps you out. Brought to you by www.1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet. Please feel free to call us toll free, 888-844-3393. We're the company that's here for you on the Internet and in person.
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