1A Auto Video Library
Our how-to videos have helped repair over 100 million vehicles.
Enter Vehicle Year Make Model

Specify your vehicle's year, make and model to guarantee fit.

installation video player icon

How to Replace Front Brakes 2009-18 Ram 1500

Created on: 2019-07-17

Check out this video to learn how to replace your own brakes and save money! 1A Auto shows you how on a 09-18 Dodge Ram 1500.

  1. step 1 :Removing the Wheel
    • Loosen the lug nuts with a 22 mm or 7/8 in socket and breaker bar
    • Raise and support the vehicle
    • Remove the lug nuts
    • Remove the wheel
  2. step 2 :Removing the Brake Caliper
    • Remove the 13 mm caliper slider bolts
    • Pry between the brake rotor and the caliper to compress the pistons slightly
    • Remove the caliper and hang it to keep tension off the brake hose
    • Remove the brake pads from the brake caliper bracket, prying them if necessary
    • Remove the two 21 mm caliper bracket bolts
    • Remove the caliper bracket
  3. step 3 :Removing the Brake Rotor
    • Remove the brake rotor retainer ring. It does not need to be saved.
    • If the rotor is stuck, hammer around the rotor being careful not to hit the wheel studs
    • Remove the rotor
  4. step 4 :Servicing the Caliper
    • Clean the brake caliper bracket pad grooves with a wire brush
    • Remove the caliper bracket slider pins
    • Clean the slider pins
    • Clean the caliper slider channel with brake parts cleaner
    • Apply fresh brake grease to the caliper slider pins and reinstall them
    • Clean the brake pad clips
    • Remove the brake pad clips and attach them to the new pads
  5. step 5 :Installing the Brake rotor
    • Clean the wheel hub surface to remove rust and debris
    • Clean the rotor surfaces with brake parts cleaner
    • Slide the rotor onto the wheel studs
    • Temporarily thread on a lug nut to hold the rotor in place
  6. step 6 :Installing the Brake Caliper
    • Install the brake caliper bracket and secure it with the two 21 mm bolts
    • Torque the 21 mm caliper bracket bolts to 130 ft-lb
    • Install the brake pads into the brake caliper grooves
    • Remove the caliper from the hanger
    • Compress the brake caliper pistons with a compressor tool or clamp
    • Install the caliper onto the caliper bracket
    • Install the 13 mm caliper slider bolts
    • Torque the 13 mm caliper slider bolts to 31 ft-lb
    • Remove the temporary lug nut
  7. step 7 :Installing the Wheel
    • Install the wheel onto the wheel studs
    • Install and tighten the lug nuts by hand
    • Lower the vehicle with minimal weight on the wheel
    • Torque the 21 mm or 7/8 in lug nuts to 130 ft-lb in a star pattern

Tools needed

  • 13mm Socket

    Socket Extensions

    Torque Wrench

    Jack Stands

    Pliers

    21mm Socket

    Flat Blade Screwdriver

    7/8 Inch Socket

    Brake Grease

    Straight Cutters

    Wire Brush

    Floor Jack

    1/2 Inch Breaker Bar

Hi. I'm Mike from 1AAuto. We've been selling auto parts for over 30 years.

What's up, guys? I'm Andy from 1AAuto. Today I'm going to show you how to install these front brakes on this 2016 Ram 1500. If you need these parts or other parts for your vehicle, click the link in the description and head over to 1AAuto.com.

We're going to loosen up these lug nuts. We're going to use a 7/8 socket and a breaker bar. You can also use a 22 mm socket. Loosen these up. I'm going to raise and support the vehicle. We're using a two-post lift. If you're doing this at your house, you can use a jack and jack stands.

We're going to take these lug nuts off. Just use the socket. Take the lug nuts off. Grab the tire. Pull it down. We're going to loosen up these two 13 mm bolts. I'm going to use a 13 mm socket and ratchet, and right now the caliper slide is spinning, so I'm going to use a pair of pliers on here to hold the slide while I loosen up the bolt. Once it's pretty loose, you can do it by hand. That goes out.

You're going to take a straight blade screwdriver. Get in between the rotor and the caliper. Just pry back a little bit. Slide the caliper out. That's just going to compress the piston a little bit, and then you're going to take this brake caliper hanger. We actually sell these at 1AAuto.com. Slide it into this hole here. Now we can slide it on the coil spring. It's going to hold it. It's going to take the pressure off the brake hose. Slide it like that.

We're going to take a straight blade screwdriver. Take these pads off. Just get in between the pad and the rotor. Pry it out. These are on there pretty good. Frozen a little bit. Slide those out. Slide this one out as well, just like that. Do the same for the outside. I'm going to take a 21 mm socket and a breaker bar. You'll loosen up these two bolts for the caliper bracket. Loosen up the top one. Once those are loose, I can switch to a ratchet. Take that bolt out. Once this is loose enough, do it by hand. Support the bracket with your other hand. Pull the bolts out, and slide the bracket right off the rotor.

We're going to take this little retainer off. They only use this to hold the rotor on at the factory. It's not required, so we're just going to take it off. We'll cut it off and throw it out. We'll use some side cutters. Just grab it right here. Pry it out a little bit. Once you break it, it's pretty easy to get it off. Slide it out.

Now to get the rotor off, we're going to use a hammer. We're just going to hit in these locations, being careful not to hit the studs. There we go. Grab the rotor. Slide it off.

Here's our old brakes. Here's our new brakes from 1AAuto.com. If you look at the pads, the pads are the same shape. They have the same ears, the same pad design on the back side. Both the same. If you look at the rotors, rotors are the same height. You have the same bolt pattern, the same fins in the middle to cool. Back side, the same. Get yours at 1AAuto.com, and you'll be ready to rock and roll.

We're going to clean up this caliper bracket. Just take a wire brush. Just clean up in this area right here, just like that. Get some of the rust out, corrosion. Looks good like that, and we're going to do the same for the other side. Now we're going to take the slide pin out. Just grab the rubber grommet right there. Slide it out. Take a little bit of brake parts cleaner. Spray it on here. Use a rag to wipe it off. Clean that up good. Take a little brake parts cleaner. Spray it down the hole where the pin goes. Use a rag to clean some of that up. Drain it out. Take some brake caliper grease. Put it on the slide pin, just like that. Reinstall the pin. Make sure you get the rubber grommet to slide into position, just like that, and we'll do the same for the other side.

We're going to clean up these pad clips. I'll just take a wire brush. Just clean these up a little bit because we're going to reuse them. Once that's cleaned up, just slide it off. Just wiggle it back and forth, and take the new pad. Just get it into position, and just slide it on just like that. Now we'll do the same for the other ones.

I'm going to take a wire brush. We're going to clean this hub up before we reinstall the rotor to clean some of the rust off, just like this. All right. That looks pretty good. I'll take a new rotor. I'm going to put it on backwards first. Take some brake parts cleaner and clean off the back side of the rotor. There is a protective coating on it, so we want to wipe that off. Now we'll flip it around and do the same on this side. Spray some brake cleaner. Wipe it off.

To make this easier to install, I'm just going to take a lug nut. Just put this on temporarily, so it's easier to install the brakes. I'm going to take the brake caliper bracket, line this back up over the rotor, and then take the caliper bolts. There is some thread locker on these bolts. You can apply new thread locker, if you'd like. Get those started. I'll take a 21 mm socket and ratchet, and I'll snug these bolts up.

We're going to take a 21 mm socket and a torque wrench. I'm going to torque these bolts to 130 foot pounds. Now we're going to take some brake caliper grease. We'll just put it on the brake pad clips right here. We'll do it on the other side, as well. Then also on the back of the pads. We'll just put a little bit of it on the back of the pads, just like that. We'll install this one on the outside. Be careful not to get grease on the pad material itself. Now we'll do the same with the other one.

Now we're going to take the brake caliper, take the hanger off. Slide that out of there. Flip the caliper over. Take one of the old brake pads. Slide this into position. Now we have this brake caliper compressor tool. We sell this at 1AAuto.com. This is only a single piston tool. We have two pistons here. It will still work. We're just going to have to go back and forth with it. Just get this started. I'm just going to compress this slowly. As we're compressing this piston, the piston's moving into the caliper. It's pushing brake fluid through the hose, through the lines, back up into the master cylinder, and back into the reservoir. It's a good idea to check your reservoir after you're done your brake job and adjust the fluid level accordingly. Just go back and forth. Loosen it up. Go back to this side.

Once those pistons are completely compressed, make sure the rubber seals or the dust seals are not in the way. They're in there properly. You can make sure the hose is not twisted. Line this back up on the caliper bracket. Take the bolts that hold this on. Get this started. Get the lower one started.

Next I'm going to use a 13 mm socket and a torque wrench. I'm going to tighten down these bolts to 31 foot pounds. I am going to use a pair of pliers to keep the caliper bolt from spinning, caliper slide from spinning. Do the same for the top one. That's good.

I'm going to take this lug nut off. Install the tire and wheel. Slide that in position and take the lug nuts. Install them. Just take the socket. Just make sure these are all snug. I'm going to lower the vehicle and torque them.

Now I'm going to take a 7/8 socket or a 22 mm socket and a torque wrench. Going to torque these to 130 foot pounds. I'm going to tighten these down in a star pattern. That'll make sure the wheel gets tightened down evenly. I'll just go around again. Make sure they're all tight. Those are good.

After we do a brake job, we want to make sure that we get back in the truck and we pump the brake pedal, because there's going to be an air gap between the caliper piston and the brake pads, so just pump it slowly. Once you feel that the pedal is hard, then you're good to go.

After we're done, we want to make sure and check the brake fluid level. The level right now is at the max line. There's a max line here, a min line here. We're going to want to adjust this level accordingly. If you had to add fluid, just take the cap off. Add fluid. If you have to suck some out, just get it in between those two marks, preferably near the max line.

Speaker 3: Thanks for watching. Visit us at 1AAuto.com for quality auto parts, fast and free shipping, and the best customer service in the industry.

2007 - 2009  Dodge  Durango
2009 - 2010  Dodge  Ram 1500 Truck
2007 - 2009  Chrysler  Aspen
2012 - 2012  Ram  1500 Truck
2019 - 2021  Ram  1500 Classic
2011 - 2011  Ram  1500 Truck
2006 - 2006  Dodge  Ram 1500 Truck
2013 - 2018  Ram  1500 Truck
2007 - 2008  Dodge  Ram 1500 Truck
2006 - 2008  Dodge  Ram 1500 Truck
2011 - 2018  Ram  1500 Truck
2019 - 2019  Ram  1500 Classic
2011 - 2011  Ram  Dakota
2005 - 2010  Dodge  Dakota
2006 - 2009  Mitsubishi  Raider
Share on:
Go To Top

Same Day Shipping

Need your part faster? Choose expedited shipping at checkout.

Guaranteed To Fit

Highest quality, direct fit replacement auto parts enforced to the strictest product standards.

USA Customer Support

Exceeding customers' expectations, our team of passionate auto enthusiasts are here to help.

Instructional Video Library

Thousands of how-to auto repair videos to guide you step-by-step through your repair.