How to Replace the Brakes on a Ford Taurus

Changing the brakes should be a regular part of your overall maintenance plan for your Ford Taurus. You should inspect them periodically before they wear down to the point that they cause damage to the brake drums or rotors. If you drive the car a lot in stop and go traffic, then you should be checking them at least every three months. Once the pads wear to the point that they are grinding into the rotors or drums, then a relatively inexpensive brake job could end up costing you much more.

Instructions

Front Brakes

1

Park the car on a level surface and place wheel chocks behind the rear wheels.

2

Loosen the lug nuts on the wheel you are working on with a lug wrench but do not remove them.

3

Raise the car with a jack and place a jack stand under the car's frame near a jacking point. Raise it as close to the frame as possible.

4

Remove the wheel from the car.

5

Remove the brake caliper guide pins with the proper-sized socket and ratchet.

6

Use a wire tie to secure the caliper to the strut so it is not dangling.

7

Remove the inner and outer brake pads by sliding them out.

8

Push the caliper piston back into the housing with a C-clamp.

9

Place the new brake pads into the caliper by sliding them in. Make sure that the clips seat properly and are sitting flat.

10

Reinstall the caliper guide pins and tighten them with the wrench.

11

Remount the wheel and remove the jack stand.

12

Lower the car to the ground and repeat the process for the other front wheel.

Rear Brakes

13

Place wheel chocks in front of the front tires

14

Loosen the lug nuts on the wheel you will be working on but do not remove them.

15

Raise the car with the jack and place the jack stand under the frame near the jacking point. Raise the jack stand as close as possible to the frame.

16

Remove the wheel from the car then pull the brake drum off. If the brake drum doesn't release easily, hit it with a rubber mallet until it breaks free.

17

Remove the old brake shoes using a pair of pliers to disconnect the springs by twisting them off. Remove all other springs from the brake shoes with the pliers.

18

Install the new brake shoes and lock them into place with the locking springs. Position the other spring back onto the pads with the pliers.

19

Measure the inside diameter of the brake drum with a tape measure.

20

Adjust the brake with the brake adjuster until the diameter is the same as the inner diameter of the drum.

21

Place the brake drum back onto the axle.

22

Remove the jack stand.

23

Remount the wheel onto the car and lower it back to the ground with the jack.

24

Repeat the same process for the other rear wheel then pump the brake pedal until you feel pressure, indicating that the brake pads have seated.