How to Change the Brake Pads in a '99 Honda CRV

The Honda CR-V, a mid-sized compact, is a family car and as such, safety is one of its top priorities. It's equipped with disc brakes, which are not only safer than drum brakes, but are significantly easier to change for the at-home mechanic. A full four tire brake job can take as little as two hours on average. On top of that, the brakes last from 3 to 5 years, so changing is a rare chore in and of itself.

Difficulty: Moderately EasyInstructionsThings You'll Need:

Tire iron
Wood blocks
Floor jack
Jack stands
Bungee cord
C-clamp

Step 1
Loosen all of the lug nuts one rotation counterclockwise with the tire iron. Set the wood blocks behind the tires you will not be removing. Only ever jack up the front or the rear of the vehicle at one time. This is for your safety.
Step 2
Situate the floor jack underneath the support strut that runs along the outer edge of the undercarriage. Raise the vehicle up until there is a minimum of two inches of clearance between the ground and the tire. Set the jack stands under the axle to provide stability. Remove the tire completely.
Step 3
Loosen the bottom bolt on the brake caliper mounting bracket with the socket wrench. The caliper mounting bracket is the metal crescent shaped object attached to the rotor. Hang the lower half of the mounting bracket in the wheel well with the bungee cord.
Step 4
Remove the brake pads from the mounting bracket by pulling them free by hand.
Step 5
Compress the brake caliper cylinder, the cylinder in the center of the mounting bracket, with the c-clamp. Clamp the c-clamp onto the mounting bracket, with the movable end against the cylinder and the stationary end against the back of the mounting bracket. Compress the cylinder until the cylinder is flush with the back of the mounting bracket.
Step 6
Slide the new brake pads in to the spots where the old ones were.
Step 7
Bolt the caliper mounting bracket back onto the rotor with the socket wrench. Set the tire back on the rotor and bolt it down with the lug nuts. Lower the vehicle and tighten all of the lugs nuts with the tire iron.