How to Change the Brake Pads on a Ram 1500

You know how important it is to replace worn out brake pads on your Ram 1500 pickup truck, but may not feel confident doing a good job yourself, instead possibly ending up with a serious brake system problem. With some simple strategies and a few common tools, though, you can keep yourself from tearing the brake hose, damaging some other brake component and, most importantly, breathing dangerous lining dust.

Instructions

Removing the Brake Pads

1

Park your Ram pickup on a level surface.

2

Remove about half of the brake fluid from the master cylinder using a hand siphon pump.

3

Shift the transmission to Neutral.

4

Unfasten the front wheel lug nuts using a lug wrench but do not remove them yet.

5

Lift the front of the vehicle using a floor jack and support it on jack stands.

6

Chock the rear wheels.

7

Finish removing the front wheels.

8

Work on one brake assembly at a time and detach the brake caliper from its mounting bracket by unfastening the two mounting pins using a 3/8-inch hex wrench or socket and ratchet.

9

Pull the caliper upward and off the bracket and brake rotor.

10

Lift one end of the outboard pad retaining spring with a screwdriver, just enough to rotate the pad to remove it from the caliper.

11

Seat the piston back into its caliper bore using a large C-clamp. Let the screw on the C-clamp push against the inboard pad to seat the piston. Then remove the clamp.

12

Pry the inboard pad off the caliper piston using the screwdriver. Be careful not to damage the piston and seal. Then remove the inboard pad from the caliper.

13

Tie the brake caliper to the coil spring or some other suitable suspension component with wire to prevent the caliper weight from damaging the brake hose attached to the caliper.

Installing the Brake Pads

14

Spray the brake assemblies with brake parts cleaner and wipe the surface with a clean, lint-free cloth to get rid of brake dust. Clean the caliper and steering knuckle sliding surfaces with a wire brush if necessary. James E. Duffy warns against blowing brake dust off the brake assembly. The dust may end up in your lungs. (See References 2)

15

Clean the caliper mounting pins of rust or corrosion with a piece of crocus cloth or replace the pins if necessary.

16

Set the new inboard pad in place and push the pad spring clip into the caliper piston until the pad is flush with the piston.

17

Install the outboard pad and be sure the retaining spring locks on the caliper-mounting surface.

18

Position the caliper on its mounting bracket and rotor.

19

Lubricate the sleeves of the caliper mounting pins with GE 661 silicone grease or equivalent and start the pins by hand to avoid stripping the threads.

20

Tighten the caliper pins with the 3/8-inch hex wrench or socket.

21

Replace the brake pads on the opposite brake assembly following Steps 8 from the first section through Step 7 of this section.

22

Mount the wheels on the hub assemblies and start the wheel lug nuts by hand. Then fasten the lug nuts with the lug wrench.

23

Lower the vehicle and finish tightening the lug nuts.

24

Pump the brake pedal several times to help the new pads seat on the brake rotor.

25

Check the master cylinder and add new brake fluid if necessary.