Maintaining and Changing Rear Disc Brake Rotor

Posted by Partsavatar on July 4th, 2016

Brake rotors are the metal discs that are a vital part of the braking mechanism of a car. They are attached to the axle of the vehicle and responsible for effective braking. As the vehicle is driven more and more, the rotors tend to wear out. So, they need to be resurfaced and cleaned. But after a certain amount of time, the rotors must be changed. That limit is often expressed as mileage, but also depends on the driving conditions, climate, terrain, road salt, etc.

Here, a few steps that can help you in easily changing rear disc brake rotors are described briefly.

•    First and foremost, put on a pair of sturdy work gloves. Vehicle maintenance is a messy job and gloves will protect your hands from dirt and injury. In case of an accident, the gloves will protect your hands from cuts and worse.

•    You should loosen the lug nuts before raising the vehicle with a jack or on a ramp. Block all the other wheels with wheel chocks or bricks to prevent the car from rolling when lifted. You may have to release the parking brakes while servicing. You can use a hand tool and hand operated jack if you do not have a hydraulic jack. Professional grade gear should only be used if you are familiar with them. While using a jack, take care that you anchor it to a part of the chassis. You should be aware of that it will only support the metal part of the body and using it on fiberglass will punch a hole through.

•    The rotors and all the brake components are mounted on the wheel. So, to replace the rotor, you have to remove the wheel first. While removing the wheel, do not lose the nuts. Brake calipers are attached to the rotor with two sets of bolts and springs. After removing those you can remove the calipers but do not put pressure on the brake hose. You can hang the calipers with a makeshift wire hook that you should prepare beforehand. After that, you can simply loosen the bolts and remove the brake rotor.

•    To install the rotor again, check its condition first. If it is too worn off, then you have to replace it. If not, you can simply clean the old one and reuse it. Use a special brake cleaner for old and new brake rotors. This will wipe out all the oil, dirt and solvents.

•    Next, place the rotor and tighten the nuts firmly. After that, you should install the brake calipers and brake pads. Never use the dirty or worn out brake pads.

Now replace the caliper mounting brackets and align the brakes. You may need a clamp to compress some caliper pistons. You have to use lube on the caliper sides to place it properly. Tighten all the nuts and the brake caliper is installed. After that, place the rotor in its proper place. Align the bolt holes and tighten all the bolts firmly.

•    Now you can reinstall the wheel and hubcap. Once that is done, lower the jack slowly. Refill the brake fuel and press the brake pad slowly so that the brake fluid settles down. You may have to repeat this process a few times so that the fluid is distributed evenly. Do not forget to check the brake function and rotor before going out on the road.

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PartsAvatar.ca was conceived and founded by Dr. S. Singh in 2012. Parts Avatar Inc. has been a successful online supplier of auto parts across Canada since 2015. Parts Avatar currently has warehouses spread all across Canada and excel at providing high quality components at highly competitive prices and superfast shipping. The company aims to become the largest retail supplier of automotive parts and accessories in Canada by 2020.  Besides supplying parts, the company is also keen on creating innovative niche markets within auto parts, supply chain and repairs industries.