How to Install Brake Pads on 95 Dodge Spirit

The Dodge Spirit was introduced in 1989. The 1995 Dodge Spirit was only offered in one trim base level, but had two different engine options. A 2.5-liter, in-line four-cylinder engine was standard in the 1995 Spirit; an optional 3.0-liter V-6 was available, and offered 41 more horsepower than the four-cylinder variant. The brake pads on the 1995 Spirit are held in place by the brake caliper. When you press the brake pedal, the pads are compressed against the rotor, which causes the friction to allow you to stop the car.

Instructions

1

Loosen the front wheel lug nuts with a tire iron. Raise the front of the Spirit with the floor jack. Place jack stands beneath the front frame rails, on either side of the engine. Remove the lug nuts from the front of the car, then remove the wheels.

2

Remove the caliper mounting bolts from the inboard side of one caliper, using a ratchet and socket. Remove the anti-rattle spring from the outboard side of the caliper. Remove the caliper, using a small pry bar. The outboard brake pad will remain on the caliper-mounting bracket, while the inboard pad stays in the caliper. Leave the inboard brake pad in the caliper for the next step.

3

Wrap a 4-inch or larger C-clamp around the inboard brake pad and the caliper. Turn the C-clamp slowly to retract the caliper piston completely into the caliper. Remove the inboard brake pad, using the small pry bar, if necessary. Hang the caliper from the front coil spring with a metal clothes hanger or thin metal rod.

4

Remove the caliper guide pins from the rear of the caliper, by hand. Dip each guide pin directly into a tub of caliper grease, then reinsert the pins into the caliper. Use your finger to apply a thin layer of grease to the edges of the caliper bracket, in order to help the new brake pads slide easier.

5

Inspect the brake rotor for corrosion and pitting. If the rotor has pits or grooves in it, the rotor will need to be machined or replaced. Measure the thickness of the entire rotor with a tape measure. If the rotor is less than 7/8-inches in thickness, the rotor needs to be replaced.

6

Install the new outboard brake pad onto the brake caliper bracket, against the rotor. Place a light coating of caliper grease on the metal backing plate of the outboard brake pad. Lightly coat the inboard brake pad with caliper grease. Insert the inboard pad into the brake caliper, with the clips facing the caliper piston. Push the pad into the caliper until the clips snap into place.

7

Install the caliper onto the brake assembly, and tighten the bolts to between 27 and 34 foot-pounds. Use a 1/2-inch drive torque wrench and socket to tighten the caliper-mounting bolts. Install the metal anti-rattle spring into the holes provided on the outboard face of the caliper.

8

Repeat Steps 2 through 7 to complete the pad replacement on the second side of the Spirit. Double-check the torque on all of the caliper-mounting bolts on both sides when you are finished.

9

Install the front wheels back onto the Spirit, and snug the lug nuts with a tire iron. Raise the car off the jack stands, then remove the jack stands from beneath the car. Lower the car to the ground, and immediately tighten the lug nuts to 95 foot-pounds of torque, using the torque wrench and a socket. Proceed to the driver's seat of the car, and pump the brake pedal slowly 10 to 15 times. If the pedal does not stiffen up or become harder to push after you pump it five times, stop pumping and bleed the front brakes.