Installing Brake Pads and Bleed Brakes


In a previous post, we had replaced the rotors and brake calipers in the Miata, and this one describes changing the brake pads and bleeding the brakes. You need to bleed the brakes if you change the calipers. You must buy DOT-3 brake fluid, 2-3 cans just in case, from your local parts store.

Details on the front brake pads change can also be found in an earlier post.

FRONT BRAKE PADS

Changing the front brake pads is easy. You must have the wheels off and the car on jack stands or on a lift.

Step 1: Loosen the bolt that flips the caliper open as shown in Figure 1 using a 10mm socket, and flip the caliper open as shown in Figure 2. Since the caliper is new, we do not need to adjust the brake cylinders like we did in the earlier post.

Figure 1. Loosen bolt on caliper Figure 1. Loosen bolt on caliper

Figure 2. Flip the caliper open Figure 2. Flip the caliper open

Step 2: Place new clips or reuse your old clips on the caliper bracket. These prevent the brake pads from rubbing on the caliper. The below figures show the same clips from different viewing angles.

Place clips on the caliper bracket Figure 3a. Place clips on the caliper bracket

Place clips on the caliper bracket Figure 3b. Place clips on the caliper bracket

Place clips on the caliper bracket Figure 3c. Place clips on the caliper bracket

Step 3: Apply brake grease to the brake pads and install them on the caliper and hook the pad clips on the holes on the pads. It should look like Figure 4.

Brake pads installed with clips Figure 4. Brake pads installed with clips

Step 4: Now close the caliper up gently and adjust its position so that you can insert the bolt back in and tighten it.

Close the caliper and install the bolt back Figure 5. Close the caliper and install the bolt back

REAR BRAKE PADS

Rear brake pad install is also relatively simple, but different from the front brake pads since the caliper is different.

View of brake calipers without the brake pads Figure 6. View of brake calipers without the brake pads

Step 1: Locate the hidden bolt behind the caliper that needs to be loosened, using a 10mm socket or wrench, to open the caliper up for installing the brake pads.

Locate rear bolt behind the caliper Figure 7. Locate rear bolt behind the caliper

Loosen the bolt Figure 8. Loosen the bolt

Step 2: Once the caliper is opened, you must install the clips as shonw in Figure 9, on which you have to seat the brake pads.

Place clips on caliper for seating the brake pads Figure 9. Place clips on the caliper for seating the brake pads

Step 3: Using brake grease, lubricate the pads (Figure 10), and seat the pads back in position as shown in Figure 11, and close the caliper as shown in Figure 12.

Lubricate the brake pads Figure 10. Lubricate the brake pads

Seat the brake pads in position Figure 11. Seat the brake pads in position

Close the caliper up Figure 12. Close the caliper up

Step 4: Now install the bolt back on and tighten it. A view of the caliper with the brake pads installed is shown in Figure 13.

Rear brake pads installed Figure 13. Rear brake pads have been installed

Step 5: Now torque all the bolts on every caliper based on the specifications listed in Figure 14, which has been taken from a Haynes manual.

Haynes manual image of the torque specifications for the calipers Figure 14. Haynes manual image of the torque specifications for the calipers

BRAKE BLEEDING

It is time to bleed the brakes now.

You need 2-3 cans of brake fluid (DOT-3) from your local parts store. Just remember to not get any brake fluid on the paint as it can remove paint and lead to corrosion of the car body. Fresh brake fluid will look clear and old brake fluid will look like black coffee or brown in color.

Step 1: Open the hood of the car and locate the brake fluid reservoir and open its cap. Remove the old brake fluid from the brake reservoir, as shown in Figure 15, in the using a turkey baster from your grocery store till it is completely empty (Figure 16). Do not re-use the turkey baster for any food, as the brake fluid can be poisonous. Store the old brake fluid in a container that you should then dispose of responsibly at an auto parts store.

Using turkey baster to remove brake fluid Figure 15. Using turkey baster to remove brake fluid

Empty brake fluid reservoir Figure 16. Empty brake fluid reservoir

Step 2: Place a container to catch any overflowing brake fluid from the caliper. Start with the front caliper and then move on to each caliper. The process is the same for all.

Place container below rotor to catch overflowing brake fluid Figure 17. Place container below rotor to catch overflowing brake fluid

Step 3: Loosen the bleed valve on the caliper. This is the small nut with a black cap. Now remove the protective plastic/rubber cap on the new caliper where the brake line is supposed to fit (Figure 18) and locate a new washer from the caliper parts box (Figure 19) which will be used here.

Remove the plastic/rubber cap Figure 18. Remove the plastic/rubber cap

Washers in the parts package Figure 19. Washers in the parts package

Step 4: Find the old caliper that you had placed safely and compare it with the installed new caliper. You can match the position of the brake line attached to the old caliper, and see the position of the removed cap in the new caliper which is where the brake line must be attached.

Compare the brake line attachment Figure 20. Compare the brake line attachment on the old caliper with the position in the new one

Step 5: Loosen the brake line nut on the old caliper using a 12mm socket or wrench. This was a bit tough to do for me since I had removed the caliper off the rotor, and took more effort to take off the nut. Next time, I would recommend the user to take off this bolt while the caliper is attached to the rotor, and let the brake fluid leak out before changing the caliper.

Loosen the brake line bolt using a 12mm socket/wrench Figure 21. Loosen the brake line bolt using a 12mm socket/wrench

Step 6: Once the brake line is out of the caliper, replace the washer with two new ones (Figure 19) and set them up so it looks like Figure 22.

Arrange the new washers in position Figure 22. Arrange the new washers in position

Step 7: Place the brake line in the new caliper as shown in Figure 23 and tighten the nut so it stays in position (Figure 24). Make sure that the brake line does not come off the caliper.

Install new line Figure 23. Install new line in the spot

Tighten the brake line nut Figure 24. Tighten the brake line nut using a 12mm socket

Step 8: Repeat the process on the passenger side front caliper as shown in Figures 25 and 26.

Passenger side front caliper ready for brake line Figure 25. Passenger side front caliper ready for brake line

Passenger side brake caliper with the brake line installed Figure 26. Passenger side brake caliper with the brake line installed

Step 9: Similarly compare the rear caliper brake lines, and install the brake line as shown in Figures 28-30.

NOTE: Remember to loosen the bleed valve on all the calipers.

Compare brake lines on the old rear caliper on the driver's side Figure 27. Compare brake lines on the old rear caliper on the driver’s side

Brake line installed on the rear caliper on the driver's side Figure 28. Brake line installed on the rear caliper on the driver’s side

Compare brake lines on the old rear caliper on the passenger's side Figure 29. Compare brake lines on the old rear caliper on the passenger’s side

Brake line installed on the rear caliper on the passenger's side Figure 30. Brake line installed on the rear caliper on the passenger’s side

Step 10: Now we need to setup the e-brake cable. Again, this is something better removed from the old caliper before you take it off. However, since I had already done that I just took a shortcut and installed the cable bracket from the old caliper into the new one, rather than use a new bracket.

Ideally you want to loosen the e-brake cable nuts as shown in Figure 31 and take the cable off the bracket it is held on. But, I was unable to do that. So instead I removed the bracket, to which the cable is attached, from the old caliper as shown in Figure 32 and installed it on the rear caliper as shown in Figure 33. Remember to tighten the bolts only after the cable has been hooked on correctly.

Loosen the e-brake cable nuts if possible Figure 31. Loosen the e-brake cable nuts if possible

Loosen the nut on the old caliper's e-brake cable bracket Figure 32. Loosen the nut on the old caliper’s e-brake cable bracket

Remove the new bracket Figure 33. Remove the new bracket and replace with the old one

Hook the cable on the end Figure 34. Hook the cable on the end

Complete the install of the e-brake cable Figure 35. Complete the install of the e-brake cable

Step 11: Keep the brake reservoir cap open, and have a friend help you bleed the brakes. Unfortunately, I have no pictures for this process so I recommend watching one of the several Youtube videos on this topic, or read this.

Once you have bled the brakes correctly you should see the brake fluid in your brake reservoir be clear like in Figure 36.

Brake reservoir with fresh fluid Figure 36. Brake reservoir with fresh fluid

Finally install all the wheels back on, and torque the lug nuts to 80ft-lbs. Then take out the car for a drive, first slowly and test that the car stops when the brake pedal is pressed, in both forward and reverse gear.

Install the wheels back on Figure. Install the wheels back on