How to Change Front and rear Brake Pads and Rotors (Complete Guide)

Need new brake pads and rotors? Learn how to replace your brakes yourself and save more than half the cost of a shop! I show you every step including how to remove and install pads and rotors, where to use brake grease, how to grease the guide pins, and how to torque the bolts for a safe and complete brake job.

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Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of ChrisFix, I cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information. ChrisFix assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. ChrisFix recommends safe practices when working on vehicles and or with tools seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of ChrisFix, no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not ChrisFix.

[ScorpioWomanMoon]

Im a single mom who works and goes to school Im on a very tight budget, my car is my life line thank you so much for this video. I literally cried when I finished this project

[NumeroGaijin]

As a guy that didn't have a father or another suitable figure to teach me these things, I am glad that you made videos and now I am able to do what I was helpless to do on my own. Thank you! Changed my life.

[chieftonga]

I love that you explain the “why” behind a lot of things you’re doing. Even the little things. Thanks bro!

[FlexSZN]

Chris fix is one of the only YouTubers who actually tutorials that are easy to follow for beginners. He doesn’t have to explain the details but he does. We appreciate you man!

[unknownunknown]

It's unbelievable the amount you can learn on YouTube. You can become a good mechanic without even leaving your house. Love your work bro!

[annechovey]

Hey Chris. I have been crazy busy since I first viewed your videos, long story but my wife and I just bought our first home, a fixer upper and we needed a truck to make it all come together. I found a GMC 1994 V6 4.3L 116K and it needed all new brakes and fluids replaced, coolant, AC, and Fuel Filter. You are my go to site, first stop, for any work that I might need to do. I cannot overstate how much I appreciate your work. Not just the what, but How you present your instructions. SIMPLE is not easy or basic, but shows mastery and control, with little left to chance. You have saved me and my wife hundreds if not thousands of dollars, at a time when money is tight and our rental home was repossessed by the bank (after 7 years of loving our life we faced a bit of a crisis). It is a blessing on one hand: a nice house that with a little work will be a great return on investment, but we lost a trusted mechanic because of our move. When every penny was needed for moving and closing costs. I was able to find and fix a low cost vehicle that has plenty of life, but needed some TLC. Your videos, suggestions (tools, Harbor Freight, suggested videos) all gave me the confidence to try. We now have a safe useful vehicle with plenty of life in it, a truck that I use everyday to haul stuff for our remodeling projects. If you think about it, you have done much more than help us with our vehicle. You have helped us buy a house. The world would be a much better place if more people were like you. I cannot overstate my gratefulness. Thank you, JC.

[ftbbalic]

I like the fact that Chris does his jobs the way HE would have wanted his car fixed; not the way mechanics would repair it. These mechanics dont do a third of what you do man! I love watching your videos

[joepoe]

I just did my breaks. Couldn’t have gone any smoother. The only thing I would have added at the end was to remind to pump the brakes. I got lucky and no damage was done but I had to put it in park real fast because the breaks weren’t pumped. I hope I just helped someone with that info. Everything else was perfect Chris. Thank you.

[ashkomansh]

Until now, I had been paying these shops about $900 - $1, 200 for changing rotors and brake pads. Your video is wonderful. I bought all parts for about $400 and changed everything myself. Learnt a new task. And gives me peace of mind that this critical braking system will function properly when needed. Thank you!!!

[sanc]

Not only do I appreciate the easy to follow and detailed instructions, I appreciate how you point out little tricks along the way (such as using anti-seize instead of brake grease). The tire under the car as a backup is also a great idea, I'm going to start doing that (before I used just a jack and jack stands). Please keep up the good work.

[michaelnurmela]

I use alot of your videos in my Auto Maintenance class, teaching students how to do their own brakes and oil changes etc. Keep it up, these are great!

[sheldondevries]

I am a novice when it comes to cars, I can do basic oil changes air filters fuel filters, but never have attempted brakes. This video was super informative, and my first rear brake pad and rotor change took only an hour. The rotor was a little fused in the center but adult of penetrating oil and it came right off. Thanks so much for sharing, made the guy feel like he was a mechanic for a second.

[haeke]

Hey Chris - Just finished my second set of disc brakes - Thankyou once again. Your channel is helping so many people. We should all donate even just $1 . You have literally saved me hundreds.

[Linktw]

Chris, i gotta tell ya,
this was by far the best instructional vid i've come across in a long long time. I must have watched hundreds of "how to's" on a wide range of different expertises over the years, yet I don't think I've ever seen anyone getting EVERY aspect of it PERFECT. hoping that you do all of ur how to's this way i'm gonna check some out right away.

In a nutshell, why your vids are perfect in my opinion:
1: HD resolution recording and 100% focus. 2: proper lighting on your workpiece. 3: Impeccable camera angles on every single detail. 4: clear view of what your hands are doing. 5: Straight to work, no lame pre-chitchat. 6: no long stories full of eh's and err's, almost seems scripted. 7: purely informational. 8: stays on topic 9: Attention to detail, briefly mentioning every single step no matter how small. 10: suitable for wide range audience with full explanation front to back at good tempo for those who are familiar with the material, yet without skipping any critical simple basics that a "first-timer" might need to be aware of.

So anyways, awesome job man, I enjoyed every bit of it dispite the fact that I failed to fix my breaks in the end haha. the tutorial was very helpful so much appreciated!
(piston is completely jammed so can't fit the new disk and pads until I find a replacement caliper.. D'oh!) ...u don't happen to have a video on replacing an entire caliper and bleeding the hydraulic circuit do you??

Greetings from the Netherlands,

[HenryScott-rw]

I’m a novice mechanic and this is my first time attempting to do brakes but I feel pretty confident that I can do it with the help from your video, thanks!

[jackful]

Great video! Thank you.
For ages I've being reluctant to mess with brakes components with my own hands. 2 decades ago it was said to be carcinogenic etc.
Now that I'm starting to get more handy working on various aspects of the vehicle, I'll be giving this a try myself.

Some comments:
I like how you put the anti-seize on the clip, before putting the clips on the front caliper. For the rear you did the other way around, which risks getting anti-seize onto the rotor.
Also, ideally, pop and change the upper clip first. Notice when you changed the lower clip first (rear), and then you go to pop the upper clip -- the dirt from upper clip loosening fell right onto the lower (new) clip's anti-seize. Now the dirt will just be stuck there.

Depending on the caliper & bracket, might not want to use wire brush, especially not steel wire brush. It could ruin the anti-corrosion coating. (Whatever the coating is). Ideally use just hard bristle plastic brush if that is sufficient for the job. Otherwise bronze brush is used to clean firearm barrels exactly because bronze is a softer metal (relatively).
Folks that have only seen original factory caliper take this anti-corrosion for granted. Those that have seen "OEM replacement calipers" installed by dealers, and being disappointed 2wks after the installation at the sight of corroded "new" calipers, know what I'm talking about.
Last time I had calipers replaced, I painted the "new" (refabricated) calipers with G2. (Yeah, and then I took them to a garage to have the guys install them for me.)

Again, great stuff. Thank you for posting this!

[levon]

Watched your video yesterday and changed my front discs and pads today. It took me 1.5 hours in relaxed pace. My car is a skoda fabia 1.9 tdi estate 2010(UK) completely different car but the process was exactly the same. VERY informative video and very easy explained thank you.

[chrisfix]

Florent Allard I used a new camera because I broke my camera I usually use when I was filming the video that will be out this week. I was trying to get a cool shot but I ended up ruining the camera. Now I need to buy a new camera for these videos so I am saving up!

[FlynnMTaggart]

Dude. You are about to save me a lot of money.

[paulboddy]

Hey Chris, thanks for taking the time to make these videos, they are really appreciated. I have a 2014 Honda CRV, so I combined your video with a more model specific video and tackled the job. It gave me a huge sense of accomplishment, and with the money I saved by doing it myself I was able to add the necessary tools, I was missing, to my collection. Your videos are well laid out, very well shot, to the point and easy to follow. Thank you and keep up the good work!!