How to Install Rotors on a '97 Grand Prix GT

The Pontiac Grand Prix was introduced in 1962, and continued production until 2008. The 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix was available in a base model, and a GT trim package. A 3.1-liter V-6 engine was the primary engine in the base model. A 3.8-liter OHV V-6 was optional in the base model, and was the primary engine in the GT package. The GT also was available with a 3.8-liter supercharged V-6, capable of producing 240-horsepower. The rotors on the Grand Prix are large metal discs the brake pads press against to stop the car with friction.

Instructions

1

Loosen the front wheel lug nuts. Raise the Pontiac with a jack and place jack stands beneath both subframe rails. Lower the car onto the jack stands. Remove the lug nuts, then completely remove the wheels from the car.

2

Remove the caliper mounting bolts from the caliper, using a 3/8-inch ratchet and socket or a Torx bit. Remove the caliper from the brake assembly and hang it from the front coil spring with a metal rod or clothes hanger.

3

Remove the outboard brake pad from the caliper, using a screwdriver to pry the clip free. Install a large C-clamp around the inboard brake pad and the rear of the caliper housing. Slowly compress the C-clamp to retract the caliper piston all the way into the caliper. Remove the C-clamp, and then pull the inboard brake pad free from the caliper.

4

Remove the caliper mounting bracket bolts with a 3/8-inch drive ratchet and socket. The mounting bolts are behind the rotor and connect to the steering knuckle assembly. Remove the caliper mounting bracket from the Grand Prix. Remove and discard the old rotor.

5

Install the new rotor onto the hub of the Grand Prix. Install one lug nut by hand until it presses up against the face of the rotor. This will hold the rotor in place during the installation process. Spray the front and back of the rotor with brake cleaner to remove the rust protectant oil from rotor. Use about half of the can of brake spray to clean both sides of one rotor.

6

Add a thin layer of caliper grease to the rear shim plate on the new inboard brake pad. Install the inboard brake pad into the hole in the caliper piston until it snaps into place. Apply a thin layer of the grease to the outboard brake pad and install it on the caliper. Use a flat-blade screwdriver to manipulate the clip on the new outboard pad if necessary, until the knobs on each clip sit in the recesses on the outside of the caliper.

7

Install the caliper mounting bracket onto the steering knuckle, and start the bolts by hand to ensure proper threading of the bolts. Tighten the bolts to 80-foot-pounds with a 1/2-inch drive torque wrench and socket. Install the caliper over the rotor, and tighten the caliper bolts to 32-foot-pounds with the torque wrench and a socket. Remove the single lug nut from the vehicle.

8

Repeat Steps 2 through 7 to complete the rotor and pad replacement on the second side of the Grand Prix. Double check the torque on all of the caliper and caliper bracket bolts, then install the front wheels onto the car. Tighten the lug nuts until they are snug, using a tire iron.

9

Raise the Grand Prix off the jack stands, and then remove the stands from beneath the car. Lower the car to the ground and immediately tighten the wheel lug nuts to 100-foot-pounds using the torque wrench and a socket. Proceed directly to the driver's side of the vehicle after you torque the wheels, and pump the brake pedal 10 to 15 times slowly until the pedal becomes stiff. If the pedal does not become stiff or goes to the floor of the vehicle after about five pumps, stop pumping the brakes and bleed the brake lines.