Instructions for Replacing the Front Disc Brakes on a Mazda Protege
- 1). Lift one side of the front of the car using the floor jack. Place a jack stand underneath the car and lower the car till it rests on the stand. Repeat the process on the other front side.
- 2). Remove the lug nuts from the tires using the tire iron. Take the tires off and locate the bolts at the back of the brake caliper. Remove the bolts with a ratchet and socket.
- 3). Take the caliper off the rotor and hang it from the car's frame using a hanger or a bungee cord. The caliper is attached to the brake line, which may rupture if stress is put on it. Hanging it from the frame prevents any of the weight of the caliper from being put on the brake line.
- 4). Depress the piston in the caliper with a C-clamp. Putting the jaws of the clamp on the piston, tighten it as far is it will go in order to make room for the new brake pads to fit in the caliper.
- 5). Remove the old brake pads and M-clips from the caliper bridge. Clean the M-clips and caliper bridge with brake cleaner to remove brake dust and debris.
- 6). Check the rotors for excessive grooving. If you see deep grooves or gouges, or the rotor appears to be thin, use a ratchet and socket to remove the bolts holding the caliper bridge in place. Take off the caliper bridge and the rotor. In some cases, the rotor can be "turned": ground down to a clean surface. If the rotor is too thin, you will need to replace it with a new one. Clean the new rotor with brake cleaner before putting it on. Reattach the caliper bridge to the new rotor.
- 7). Insert the new brake pads and the M-clips into the caliper bridge. Put brake grease on the back of the pads where they contact the caliper, making sure not to get any grease on the surface of the pads.
- 8). Bolt the caliper back on the bridge. Repeat steps 3 through 7 on the other side.
- 9). Put the tires back on the car and tighten the lug nuts as far as you can. Raise the car with the jack and remove the jack stands. Lower the car and finish tightening the lug nuts.
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