How to Replace Front Brake Pads on a 1998 Chevy Venture

Install a new set of brake pads on the front of your 1998 Chevy Venture before they wear to the point of damaging the rotor or other components. This will save you many repair costs in the future. The front brakes on your Venture use a floating caliper. The caliper slides back and forth on the slide bolts, constantly adjusting for optimal braking. Brake pads for several driving styles are available, so talk to your dealer or parts store associate to get the ones that best meet your needs.

Instructions

1

Loosen the lug nuts on the front of your Chevy with a lug wrench, leaving them on the wheel studs for now. Raise the front of the van off the ground with a jack and position a set of jack stands under the front suspension to support it.

2

Remove the lug nuts from the wheel studs, remove the wheel from the van and thread a lug nut back onto one wheel stud. Tighten it hand-tight to hold the rotor in place while you remove the brake caliper. Locate the tow slide bolts that support the brake caliper on the caliper-mounting bracket.

3

Remove the two slide pins with a socket and ratchet. Slide the pins out the back of the caliper and set them aside. Lift the caliper off of the mounting bracket and turn it over so the brake pads are facing up.

4

Support the caliper while you have it off of the bracket. Do not allow the caliper to hang on the rubber brake hose or damage will occur to the hose. Pull the outboard brake pad from the caliper and discard it. Slide the inboard brake pad toward the center of the caliper to release it from the piston then lift it out of the caliper.

5

Position a large C-clamp over the body of the caliper with the fixed end of the clamp on the back of the caliper and the screw section inside the caliper piston. Turn the screw on the clamp, pressing the piston back into the body of the caliper. When the piston stops, remove the C-clamp.

6

Position the new inboard pad inside the caliper and slide it back to the piston. Snap the retaining springs on the back of the pad into the piston. Insert the outboard pad in the caliper and snap the retaining clips onto the caliper body to hold it in place.

7

Turn the caliper, with the new pads installed, over and place it back on the rotor and caliper-mounting bracket. Install the two slide pins through the mounting bracket and into the caliper. Use a torque wrench to tighten the slide pins to 38 pound-feet. Move to the opposite side of the van and repeat the process on the other brake caliper and pads.

8

Remove the lug nut that was holding the rotor while the caliper was off and install the tire on the wheel studs. Install the lug nuts and tighten with a lug wrench.

9

Raise the front of the van off the jack stands with a jack, remove the stands from under the van, then lower the jack. Tighten the lug nuts completely with a lug wrench.