So I got bored one night, and while changing my brakes, I figured I would take some pictures and do a write up about them. This is my first attempt at a writeup about anything on this car, so humor me

First, jack your car up at the jacking point in the. Be sure to use a jack stand for safety reasons once the car is off the ground.

Once the car is jacked up, you can go ahead and remove the lug nuts off of your tire.



Remove the tire, and this is what you will have:



What I did, was first remove the brake caliper (the red thing)

I started with the top bolt first, then worked my way to the bottom bolt. ( 9/16" Wrench)




Once the bolts are removed, you can remove the caliper and set hang it off to the side. People recommend using a clothes hanger, or some type of wire to hang the caliper by as to not damage the brake line, but I just set it to the side, and didn't have any problems

Next you need to remove the caliper bracket, in the same fashion that you removed the caliper. I went top to bottom. ( 1/2" Wrench)



The caliper bracket can then be removed. You will be left with this:



Next I removed the brake disk. You need to remove these little buggers first to get them off. I used a screwdriver and a hammer to remove them.



Getting the old disk off may be a struggle.. I used a big hammer This is what you are left with:



Slide on the new disk:



Place the new shoes inside of the brake caliper bracket, and place the bracket back onto the disk the same way you removed it.




Get yourself one of these nifty little tools for your caliper piston ($10 at Advance Auto)



Choose whatever side of that tool that works best for you, and screw your piston in all the way (It will keep turning, but no longer go any deeper)



Squeeze your new shoes tight to your new rotor, and place the caliper back onto the bracket, over your new shoes.



Tighten from top to bottom.

Place tire back onto the car, and tighten up the tire, and you should be set!

If anyone has any information that I may have missed in this, please feel free to add, and I will put in into the body. I also do not have torque specs for the brakes on this car, as I just tighten them to where I am sure they are not coming loose (NOT recommended)

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Nice to show pictures. I'm a little surprised that 9/16ths was bolt head instead of a metric size.

specs 2004 GP
Rear caliper bolts 25 lb ft
Rear calper bracket bolts 89 lb ft

Note the GM service manual is available here!! Look near the top right.

Other stuff mentioned in manual: thread lock on bracket bolts; silcone lube on caliper pin bolts

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'08 Grand Prix GXP | auto dimming mirror; turn lights DRL; flash with turn front side marker; heated seats w. autostart

Don't let the caliper hang, it will trash the barke line and you will have to replace it, take the extra 30 seconds and hang it, or place it on something, as long as the line isn't stressed.

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2000 Pontiac Grand Prix GT

The rear caliper is only a pound or two. That is not enough to damage the line in any way plus there is a big cable for the E-brake that supports most of its weight.

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I would rather support it, even if it is a pound or so. Even the people that do brake jobs for a living would never dangle a caliper, less chance of screwing something up.

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2000 Pontiac Grand Prix GT

^^ You've never worked at a shop around here...

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I am in school for it right now and I've done plenty of disk brakes. It takes 2 seconds to place a caliper somewhere instead of just letting it dangle.

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2000 Pontiac Grand Prix GT

I do accully do that for a living and ive seen calipers fall from the support and the brake line be just fine. i dont ever seen anyone hang calipers any more. The lines now a days are alot stonger than they were 10 + years ago.

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I know the torque specs aren't quite this, but I use 300 ft/lbs to tighten lug nuts. Impact FTW!!! Sucks if I get a flat...

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2012 Ford Focus SE Sport
2012 MINI Cooper Clubman

I have ADHD and drive a Focus. Ironically.
Although gold dust is precious, when it gets in your eyes, it obstructs your vision.

I tried this, but I failed. The freaking bolts on my calipers are impossible to get off. I don't even know what to do now lmao. I spent half a day working at it, even with a small freakin breaker bar. I still couldn't get it off.. help...

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2004 Grand Prix GT [K&N Intake; 180* Thermostat; ZZP PCM; Top Swap]

^^ PB Blaster.

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ALL GO, LITTLE SHOW

• 2004 Comp G - Modded Like A Mofo And Hibernating

• 1988 VW Jetta - Slammed Slow And Reliable

• 1994 Cadillac Eldorado ETC - Sold

That of Schaefer's Penetroil. Whichever one you have access to. Spray it on and let it soak in for a few hours.

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You forgot to add pump the brakes 4 or 5 times.

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2012 Ford Focus SE Sport
2012 MINI Cooper Clubman

I have ADHD and drive a Focus. Ironically.
Although gold dust is precious, when it gets in your eyes, it obstructs your vision.

Where to? At the end once everything is back together?

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No at the beginning when you take it all apart

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^ Dick.

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hanging calipers by the brake lines causes premature wear of the lines. like mentioned before, take an extra second to hang them with a bungee cord or something.

Also might add to clean threads with a wire brush for good measure and try to knock off any rust on the hub. That way you get a good smooth surface when you tighten everything back down to the hub area. Just something my grandpa had me do when he taught me how to change brakes. He claims that if you don't have a flat surface you could get the angle of the rotor off just enuff that it will cause it to warp.

I'm not sure how much that matters but i always do it regardless.

Can't hurt to give rusty surfaces a shot of rust-ole-um and paint them as well.

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Ryan Cashier
1999 Black GTP

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http://www.fquick.com/rynoman03
http://www.cardomain.com/id/rynoman03

ugh u use the rubex cube they f*c*i*g suck!!!! esp when the pads were non existant

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Behold the majestic beast as it strides

huh? lol

That cube thing did suck, I actually got my first caliper in with a vice grip.. :/

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lol none of the rotors on my car has the thing on the studs holding on the rotor. are they "suppose" to be there? ive never had them on any of my past vehicles

I've never seen them on a car before either... and I didn't put new ones on and everything is good.. so I'm not concerned about it.. lol

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