How to Change the Rear Brake Pads on a 1999 Taurus

The 1999 Ford Taurus uses brake pads on the front and rear wheels, giving the Taurus better braking power than it would have if the rear brakes were drums. Another advantage of rear pads is that they're easier to change than drums. While front brake pads generally wear out faster than rear ones, you should inspect the rear brake pads at the same time you change the front ones and replace the rear pads if necessary. Changing rear brake pads is slightly different than changing the front ones since the rear brake calipers are connected to the parking brake.

Instructions

Removal

1

Loosen the rear-wheel lug nuts using your tire iron. Raise the rear of the car and support it on jack stands. Remove both of the rear wheels. Block the front wheels with wheel chocks and release the parking brake.

2

Wash the brake assembly with brake cleaner spray; keep a drip pan or tray underneath the brake assembly to catch dripping cleaner.

3

Detach the cable connected to the lever on the caliper: Compress the lever and spring with slip-joint pliers; disconnect the cable from the lever with locking pliers; pry the retainer clip off the cable with a screwdriver; and pull the cable's end free of the caliper.

4

Remove the caliper's upper mounting bolt with a wrench and swing the caliper out of the way, prying the caliper's top end free of the mounting bracket.

5

Pull the inner and outer brake pads out of the caliper mounting bracket.

6

Compress the caliper piston into its bore: Rotate the piston clockwise with needle-nose pliers or a special caliper adjusting tool from an auto parts store, and make sure one of the slots on the piston face will engage the tap on the new inner pad's backing plate.

7

Press the caliper's sliding pins and make sure they can freely move within their bores. If not, remove the sliding pins, clean them with the brake cleaner, and lubricate them with high-temperature brake grease before reinstalling them.

Installation

8

Install the new inner and outer brake pads into the caliper mounting bracket.

9

Swing the caliper back down into place on the mounting bracket. Apply a drop of thread-locking compound to the threads on the mounting bolt and install the bolt, tightening it to between 23 and 25 foot-pounds.

10

Reconnect the rear wheels and lower the car off the jack stands after changing the brakes on both sides.

11

Fill the master cylinder reservoir in the engine compartment with fresh DOT3 heavy-duty brake fluid as needed.

12

Pump the brake pedal multiple times to seat the brake pads.