How to Install Brake Pads in a Mustang

The Mustang, a sporty car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company, first appeared in dealer showrooms in 1964. As of 2010, the Mustang continues to soldier on, keeping the original formula of front engine, rear-wheel drive and the availability of many options so that each owner can tailor the car to his wants and needs, as well as his pocketbook. Disc brakes, which have been standard on Mustangs for many years, need periodic replacement.

Instructions

1

Using a lug wrench, loosen the lug nuts on the front wheels. Do not remove the nuts at this time. Raise the front of your Mustang with a floor jack until the wheels are off the ground and place jack stands under the front suspension lower control arms. Lower the floor jack. Remove the lug nuts and the front wheels and put them aside.

2

Open the hood and remove the master cylinder filler cap that is mounted on the driver's side firewall.

3

Use a large flathead screwdriver or a small pry bar to push the piston into the brake caliper (which is mounted over the disc brake rotor) far enough that the caliper can easily be slid off of the rotor. Remove the lower mounting bolt from the caliper with a torx wrench, turning it in a counterclockwise direction.

4

Rotate the caliper up and away from the disc brake rotor. Use a piece of wire to tie the caliper to the front coil spring in the wheel housing, so that it will stay up. Pull both disc brake pads from the caliper and discard them. Insert new pads into the same slots, in the same orientation as the old pads.

5

Remove the wire from the caliper and rotate it back down over the rotor. Insert the lower mounting bolt and tighten it with a torx wrench.

6

Repeat Steps 3 through 5 for the other front wheel. Check the level of the brake fluid in the master cylinder. If it is over the full mark, remove the excess fluid with a syringe. Replace the filler cap and close the hood. Replace the front wheels and tighten the lug nuts with a lug wrench.

7

Raise the front of the car with a floor jack. Slide the jack stands out from under the car. Lower the floor jack. Tighten the lug nuts in a crisscross pattern with the lug wrench. Pump the brake pedal a few times before driving the car to seat the pads.