How to Change the Rear Brake Pads on a Jeep Grand Cherokee

Brake pads are an important part of your Jeep Grand Cherokee's braking system. They are the replaceable friction pads that pinch the brake disc or drum when the brakes are applied. You should replace the brake pads before they wear beyond a quarter inch or risk damaging your Grand Cherokee's brake discs

Instructions

Remove the old Brake Pads

1

Park your car on a level surface. If you have a stick shift car, make sure the car is in gear. Place blocks in front of the front tires so the car does not move while you are working on it.

2

Open the hood of your car. Locate the master cylinder and brake fluid container. If necessary, remove brake fluid until the level in the container is less than half full. A turkey baster is a good tool for this. Put the brake fluid in the plastic container and dispose of it the way you dispose of motor oil.

3

Raise the rear end of your Grand Cherokee with your car jack. Remove the rear tire or wheel assembly.

4

Slide the prybar into the caliper opening and using the outer brake pad as a fulcrum, push the piston back into the piston assembly. Pry the spring out of the caliper.

5

Use the socket wrench to remove the caliper bolts from the back of the caliper. Also remove the pins under the bolts and the pin bushing caps, the small caps at the ends of the pins.

6

Slide the caliper off of the anchor and suspend it near the disc brake with a small bungee cord or coat hanger. Suspend the caliper housing so that you do not damage the brake hose.

7

Remove the brake pads from the caliper.

Install the new Brake Pads

8

Insert the new brake pads into the caliper. Slide the caliper back into the caliper anchor.

9

Use silicone grease and apply a thin coat of grease to the caliper pins. Use the socket wrench to tighten the bolts and pins to 21 to 30 foot lbs. (29 to 41 Nm). Install the pin bushing caps, the small caps on the ends of the pins.

10

Reinstall the caliper spring between the caliper and the anchor first, then attach the other end of the spring in the lower caliper hole. It helps to hold the spring in place with your thumb while you maneuver the spring end out and under the anchor.

11

Add fluid to the master cylinder container to replace any you removed before you removed the old brake pads.

12

Season the brake pads by making only gentle stops when you are driving for the first week after you install the new brake pads. Try not to do any hard stopping when you are seasoning the brakes.