When it comes to car maintenance, so far I know how to:
1) Check tire pressure and add air to tires
2) Change windshield wiper blades
3) Change headlight bulbs
4) Change taillight bulbs
5) Change the oil in my car
6) Change out a tire for a spare (always handy in the event of a run-flat or blowout!)
7) Install an aftermarket radio
8) Replace a full radiator assembly
This list is in ascending order of difficulty, IMHO. (I'm probably still overlooking a few everyday things.)
In addition, as of this past weekend, I learned how to change the rear brakes on my Acura! (I feel this task could be inserted between #6 and #7, above.)
Step 1: Allow your hunky boyfriend to jack up the car on the side of the vehicle you plan to work on:
Step 2: Remove the wheel:
Step 3: Shudder at how rusty and worn that rotor looks! Do you see the shiny smooth band circling around the outside of the rotor? That is supposed to be a wider band...with NO stripes or 'pickling' appearance along the outer edge of the rotor. Uneven wear...no good! Tsk-tsk-tsk to the previous owner of this vehicle.
Step 4: (Also exhibited in photo for Step 3) Remove the (horribly dusty) caliper:
Step 5: Use a pliers to tug and remove a rubber grommet seated in a hole in the rotor. This rubber grommet seals the hole; on Honda products, the hole's only purpose is to act as a peeping window for the person doing the repair, to peer inside the rotor. A flathead screwdriver will need to be inserted through this hole to manually twist open the spring for the emergency brake, and relieve it's tension on that hub. (Otherwise, you'll need Gladiator strength to pull the rotor off of the hub!)
Step 6: Use a Philips-head screwdriver to remove the two screws twisted into this rotor. These screws in no way contribute to the final functionality and braking of the vehicle. They are only there for ease of installation at the factory during initial assembly. (They help hold the rotor onto the driveshaft assembly as it travels down the hoist line at the factory.) Oftentimes in the after market, these screws are more of a royal pain the ass. (As one was for Zach and I...it was completely stripped!) Lesson learned for me here: don't even bother re-installing these.
Step 7: Pull that rotor off, Buckshot!
Step 8: After pulling out both brake pads from inside the caliper that was removed in Step 4, insert a fresh pair (you'll know which pad goes on which side, based on one pad having its wear indicator bar protruding from it). See the comparison here? Top pads are old (again, see the stripes, evidencing the uneven wear? Abysmal!). The bottom pads are new, and so fresh and so clean, clean. :-)
Step 9: Slide the new rotor back onto the hub. If you wish to re-install those pesky screws mentioned in Step 6, be sure to slip on the rotor such that its machined holes properly align with the threaded holes on the hub.
So shiny and new, huh? I love it!
Retrace your steps to re-assemble your wheel. Consult your owner's manual to confirm the torque that the wheel's lug nuts should be at, if you have a torque wrench with a read-out. Remove the jack stands and jack from underneath the vehicle, move on over to the other side, and start back again at Step 1! After completing that side, start up your car, keeping it in Park, and push your brake pedal all the way to the floor to re-pressurize your brake lines.
She should ride like a dream from now on!
Money spent: $156.35 for parts
Quoted price if all this was done by a 'professional' at a Honda dealership: $600 - $700
Potential money saved: $443 to $543!
No comments:
Post a Comment