Front brake pads provide up to 71% of a vehicles stopping power. In general, front brake pads wear out twice as fast as rear brake pads, roughly a 2 to 1 ratio on a standard disc/drum brake combination, this will be slightly different on a disc/disc arrangement due to the efficiency of a rear disc brake versus drums. Disc brakes have a definite braking power advantage over drum style brakes and performance is not compromised as much when wet or hot. Some disc brakes utilize cooling fins in-between the braking surfaces of the rotor to maximize cooling efficiency. Replacing brake rotors can vary depending on the make and model of car or truck, two or four wheel drive, front or rear wheel drive. Always replace brake rotors with top quality or OEM (original equipment manufacturer) brake rotors or performance brakes and rotors, some less expensive brake rotors can squeak and may not dissipate heat or perform as well because of their inferior metal quality. The same applies to the brake pads; they should be high quality (OEM) or performance brake pads to ensure proper performance.
- Jack, preferably the hydraulic floor-jack stylethmotorsports.com/brakes/brake_pads/c-10044.aspx
- 2 Jack stands
- Lug wrench or tire iron
- Socket set
- Wrenches
- Brake pad tool
- Two wheel chocks
- 2 pieces of wire hanger, about 10 inches in length
- New Brake Pads & Rotors!
Front Wheel Drive Brake Assembly Most front disc brake components include: brake rotor, brake pads, brake caliper, caliper mount and brake flex hose. Brake service usual occurs between 20,000 and 40,000 miles depending on driver habits, road conditions and brake pad/ rotor materials used.
Removing Brake Caliper Mounting Bolts Locate primary caliper mounting bolts; apply wrench pressure counter-clockwise (When looking at the head of the bolt) to remove the bolts, upper and lower. Make sure the bolt threads are in good shape and replace if necessary.
After removing the primary caliper mounting bolts lift the brake caliper off of the rotor and then tie or secure to the side, being careful not to bend or kink the brake caliper flex hose. Thoroughly inspect brake caliper and brake hoses for leakage, cracks or chaffing and replace as needed. Next remove the brake pads (If not mounted in the caliper) and secondary caliper mounting bolts. Notice how great protective gloves work, most technicians use them on the job today. 
Once the brake pads have been removed, make sure if there is anti rattle hardware to transfer to the new brake pads. Some brake pad manufacturers will include the proper lube (Caliper slides) and anti-rattle hardware to ensure proper performance of their product.
Finish removing secondary caliper mount bolts and remove caliper mount. Note: clean and lube caliper slides and pad friction surfaces of all foreign material or build-up.
Remove Brake Rotor With the caliper mount out of the way you can now remove the brake rotor. Sometimes it can get stuck so you may need to tap it with a hammer or use penetrating oil to free it up. Some manufacturers use small screws to hold the rotor on as well. Clean and inspect wheel studs, replace if any are damaged. Also clean bearing hub rotor mount surface to ensure the proper mounting of the new brake rotor. Inspect the ABS sensor wheel for cracks or damage and replace as needed.
Resetting Brake Caliper To install the new brake pads you must retract the brake caliper piston. Remove the master cylinder lid or open the brake caliper bleeder screw to allow excess brake fluid to be released if necessary. Install C clamp tool and gently tighten clamp until caliper piston is fully depressed. Note: use old brake pad to protect the caliper piston. Close the bleeders once the piston is retracted completely.
Install Brake Rotor Install new brake rotor, the new rotor is manufactured with a protective film over the rotor to keep it from rusting, remove protective film with brake cleaner before installing; also after the brake job is complete you may experience a small amount of smoke from the rotor when first used. This is normal and will go away after the first couple of uses.
Installing New Brake Pads Reinstall the front brake caliper mount, and then install front brake pads. Make sure the pads are seated properly in the caliper mount; it must be a close fit to work properly..
Re-Install front Bake Caliper Reinstall front brake caliper and reinstall caliper-mounting bolts, recheck all mounts and mounting bolts. Check the caliper slides to be sure there is no bind and that the caliper moves freely back and forth on the caliper slides. Bleed brake system per manufacturer's specifications to relieve any air trapped in the system. Before driving the vehicle, push the brake pedal down and let it up slowly, repeat until normal brake pedal operation resumes, this operation is forcing the brake pads to travel to the brake rotors. DO NOT DRIVE VEHICLE UNTIL PROPER BRAKE PEDAL OPERATION IS PRESENT. When test driving the vehicle listen for any unusual noises during the operation of the brakes, Note: Brake pad operation may be slightly impaired until the surfaces mate together (About 30 miles)