How to Change Brakes on a 2002 Ford Focus
Doing regular maintenance on a car consists of more than just an oil change? The brakes are the most important safety feature on a car and s...
Doing regular maintenance on a car consists of more than just an oil change? The brakes are the most important safety feature on a car and should not be overlooked. If you hear grinding or squealing coming from the brakes when driving, it is time to change them. The brake pads are an easy maintenance repair that can be done right in your own driveway in less than an hour. Make sure to purchase the correct pads for a 2002 Ford Focus.
Instructions
- 1
Place car in park and emergency brake on. The car should not be running.
2Place the jack under the car so that lift head is positioned in the designated lift area. Jack the car up so that some of the weight is on the tire and some weight is on the jack. Loosen the lug nuts with a tire iron. Jack the car completely up so that tire is off the ground and remove lug nuts completely. Take the tire off and place it so that half sticks under the car and half sticks out from under the car. If the jack fails, the tire will stop the car from falling all the way to the ground.
3Use a wrench to loosen and remove the top bolt on the caliper. Pull back on the caliper so that it swings away from the rotor. Remove the old brake pads from the caliper.
4Place a C-clamp on the caliper so that when you tighten the clamp, the brake piston will be pushed back into the caliper; this reduces the need to either drain the caliper or bleed the brakes when completed. The C-clamp should be big enough so that one end of the clamp will rest on the back of the caliper while the other end will push on the brake piston.
5Clip the new brake pads onto the caliper. The pads are manufactured so that they can only be attached to the caliper the correct way; you cannot make a mistake. Swing the caliper with the brake pads attached back over the rotor. Insert the top bolt and tighten it with a wrench or socket wrench.
6Place the wheel back on hub and tighten the wheel nuts. Finally, lower the car back to the ground and make sure that the wheel nuts are tightened completely.
