How to Do a Brake Job on a Ford Focus

The Ford Focus anti-lock braking system has been designed to exceed governmental safety standards for braking distance. In order to maintain the intended level of braking performance, the Ford Motor Company recommends that you regularly service your braking system every 30,000 miles. Proper maintenance of the braking system includes: replacing worn brake pads, replacing scored or warped rotors, replacing damaged calipers and ensuring that the brake fluid remains at the proper level. A repair shop can maintain your brakes and charge you for labor, or you can do it yourself and save money.

Instructions

1

Park the Focus on a flat surface and engage the emergency brake.

2

Loosen the lug nuts on the wheels with a lug wrench.

3

Lift the Ford with a jack and lower the vehicle onto jack stands. Remove the lug nuts by hand and pull the wheels from the wheel bolts.

4

Place a 13 mm wrench onto the caliper slide bolts and rotate them counterclockwise. Remove the two bolts.

5

Place a 15 mm socket onto the upper caliper bridge bolt. Connect the ratchet to the socket and remove the bolt. Remove the second (lower) caliper bridge bolt with the socket and ratchet.

6

Disconnect the caliper and caliper bridge from the rotor. Twist the fastener that connects the brake line and the caliper to disconnect the brake line. Place a drip pan beneath the brake line to catch any leaking fluid.

7

Pull the rotor from the wheel bolts.

8

Spray the new rotor with brake cleaner and thoroughly clean the packing oil from all surfaces of the rotor.

9

Place the new rotor onto the wheel bolts. Replace the caliper bridge onto the rotor.

10

Place the new brake pads onto the sides of the new caliper. The brake pads are held to the caliper by metal clips on the back of each pad.

11

Connect the brake line to the new caliper and twist the fastener to tighten the line to the caliper.

12

Place the new caliper, with brake pads installed, over the caliper bridge. Screw in the caliper slide bolts by hand then tighten them with the 13 mm wrench.

13

Place the wheel and the lug nuts onto the wheel bolts.

14

Remove the jack stands and lower the Ford Focus to the ground. Tighten the lug nuts with the lug wrench.

15

Press the brake pedal slowly and hold it down for 10 seconds. Repeat two more times.

16

Lift the hood of the Focus and remove the cap to the master cylinder. Replenish the supply of brake fluid in the container then replace the cap.