How to Replace the Rear Disc Brakes on a 2002 Buick LeSabre

The 2002 Buick LeSabre featured the option of rear disc or rear drum brakes, with disc brakes being superior to their drum brake counterparts. They functioned better and needed less adjustments than drum brakes, which would become unadjusted if the parking brake was not used. Drum brakes, once unadjusted, place too much stress on the front brakes. Rear disc brakes eliminated this dilemma and maintained their braking response to help the front brakes.

Instructions

1

Lift the Buick LeSabre on a car lift or with a floor jack and support the rear safely onto jack stands.

2

Remove the rear wheel nuts using the 1/2-inch-drive impact gun and a socket. Remove the wheels.

3

Place a large C-clamp over the caliper housing so the top of the clamp is against the rear of the caliper body and the drive of the clamp is over the outboard brake pad. Tighten the clamp to compress the caliper piston until resistance is felt. Remove the C-clamp.

4

Remove the parking brake retaining bolt from the bottom of the control arm using a hand wrench.

5

Remove the lower caliper bolt. Pivot the caliper upward and support it with a bent metal coat hanger to hold it in place. Remove the inboard and outboard pads from the caliper bracket. Remove the metal pads clips from the caliper bracket and then clean off the brake dust and corrosion using a small wire brush with denatured alcohol. Clean the surface of the brackets where the metal clips sit. Wipe the clips and the bracket dry with a shop rag.

6

Apply a light layer of anti-seize compound to the caliper bracket were the metal clips sit. Place the metal clips back onto the bracket and then apply another light layer of anti-seize on top of the clips. Place the replacement pads onto the caliper bracket. Remove the hanger and pivot the caliper down over the pads and rotor. Lubricate the caliper bolt with anti-seize and replace the bolt into the caliper. Tighten the bolt.

7

Remove the two caliper bracket bolts on the back of the knuckle. Use the impact gun with a socket if possible to make it easier, but access room may be an issue, especially if the LeSabre is on jack stands. Otherwise, hand wrenches will work (but the bolts are very tight).

8

Support the caliper assembly to the rear chassis reusing the metal coat hanger.

9

Remove the rotor. Clean the surface of the hub using an angled die grinder with a reconditioning disc thoroughly. Spray the new rotor with brake clean solution and wipe it dry with a shop rag. Place the new rotor on to the hub. While holding the rotor flush against the hub, replace the caliper assembly over the rotor. Save the metal coat hanger for the other side. Tighten the caliper bracket bolts tightly. Replace the parking brake retaining bolt to the lower control arm. Replace the wheel and wheel nuts and tighten to 100 foot-pounds with a torque stick or torque wrench.

10

Replace the wheel and wheel nuts and tighten to 100 foot-pounds with a torque stick or wrench.

11

Repeat Steps 2 through 10 for the other side.

12

Lower the Buick LeSabre to the ground. Slowly depress the brake pedal and then release it. Wait 15 seconds and depress it again. Continue this until you feel resistance in the brake pedal. This will seat the new pads to the new rotors by way of restoring the compressed caliper pistons. Check the level of the brake fluid in the master cylinder and adjust (if necessary) using new brake fluid. Test drive the LeSabre.