Car Fix DIY Videos

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When you press the brake pedal, fluid is moved through the brake lines into the calipers. The fluid pressure in the calipers pushes pistons out that are holding the brake pads so that they are pressed against the rotors. Here’s how to replace the pads, calipers and rotors on your Silverado.

This moderately difficult job takes three to four hours and costs from $350 to $600. A professional will charge from $600 to $1,000.

This job requires wheel chocks, a floor jack and jack stands, a tire iron, brake bleeding equipment, a socket set, a C-clamp, Torx bits, a flathead screwdriver, brake cleaner, and White lithium grease.

Step One – Prepare the truck

With your truck parked on flat, level ground, set the parking brake and chock the rear wheels.

Open the hood and remove the brake fluid reservoir cap.

Loosen the lug nuts with the tire iron.

Raise the truck high enough for the wheel to be able to come off and position a jack stand under the lower control arm.

Remove the lug nuts and remove the wheel.

Then, lower the truck onto the jack stand.

Step Two – Remove the caliper

Place your drain bucket below the caliper.

It’s recommended to line old shop towels around the brake line fitting to catch any leaks, but this isn’t completely necessary.
Using the proper sized socket, disconnect the brake line.
You can now either position the brake line so any fluid coming out will drip into the drain bucket or you can orient it upwards to retain the fluid inside.

Remove the two caliper slide bolts located at the top and the bottom.
Gently wiggle the caliper free.

Be prepared for the remaining fluid to come out of the detached brake line.

Step Three – Remove the brake pads

To remove the brake pads, simply pry them off the rotor with a flat head screwdriver. If you aren’t replacing the rotors, take care not to gouge them with the screwdriver.

Step Four – Remove the Caliper Mounting Bracket

To remove the caliper mounting bracket, remove the two bolts. With the bolts out, you’ll be able to easily pull off the bracket.

Step Five – Remove the rotor

Remove the Torx bolt on the face of the rotor guard.

Using the appropriately sized bolts (normally included with new rotors) thread them in by hand into the two holes on the rotor guard.

Evenly tighten the two bolts you just threaded in to push the rotor off of the hub assembly. Once it’s loose, you should be able to slide it off the studs easily.

Step Six – Install the new rotor

Using brake cleaner, clean off the new rotor before install. This helps remove any potential contaminants that could hinder braking performance.

Slide the new rotor onto the hub assembly, taking care to line up the Torx bolt hole.

Tighten the Torx bolt until snug. You may need to hold onto a stud while tightening to keep the rotor from spinning.

Step Seven – Install the caliper mounting bracket

Re-install the caliper mounting bracket using the two bolts you removed previously in Step 4.

Step Eight – Install the brake pads

Using a flathead screwdriver, pry out the old brake pad slides located at the top and the bottom of the caliper mounting bracket.

Install the new brake pad slides onto the caliper; they’ll pop into place with a little pressure.

Although not necessary, some people recommend putting grease on the back of the brake pad to help prevent squealing sounds.

To install the new pads, make sure you have them oriented correctly and then slide them onto the brake pad slides so they’re snug against the rotor. They should be oriented so the brake pad side (the rough side like sandpaper) is facing the rotor and so the curve along the bottom of the brake pad follows the curve of the rotor.

Step Nine – Install the calipers

Using the c-clamp or something similar, compress the pistons on the calipers to allow them to slide on easily. Be prepared for fluid to come out. Place an old brake pad against the pistons to allow you to compress easily.

With the pistons compressed, you should be able to slide the caliper back into place.

Once the caliper is re-installed, re-install the two caliper slide bolts you removed in Step 2.

Re-install the brake line as well.

Step Ten – Finishing Up

If you removed the brake lines, you’ll need to bleed the brakes in the following order: passenger rear, driver rear, passenger front, driver front.

Reinstall wheels, fasten lug nuts, and lower the truck.

Take a test drive, ensuring that the brake pedal is firm and stopping power is present.
It is not uncommon for brand new pads and rotors to not stop very well for the first few miles, so drive carefully.