Brake Replacement (Front)
Right ho.
Loosen the wheel nutsand jack the car up. Remove wheel nuts and wheel. (If you have an alloy wheel that is stuck then kick the tyre on each side until it comes off!)
There is a spring clip on the outer part of the caliper, put a cloth over it and prise it off with a screwdriver. Dont do it any other way as you will run the risk of either loosing it or hurting yourself.
On the back of the caliper are 2 rubber covers with bungs in the end, one on the top of the caliper one on the bottom. Prise the caps off with your fingers.
Using a 7mm allen key (or bit in a socket drive, which is easier to work out which way to undo it!) unscrew the retaining bolts in each one. They unscrew the conventional anti clockwise direction. These bolts may require a smack to "crack" the bolt free. You don't need to emove the bolts completely just enough to pull them off the caliper.
Next, using a screwdriver start the push back of the piston enough to give a 4 - 8 mm gap. This is done by putting the flat blad between the outer pad and the caliper and levering it. The caliper will now easily pull away from the caliper housing.
The outer pad will fall out, the inner pad needs to be pulled out of the piston as it is held in by a retaining clip type thingy.
Give everything a brush off with an old paint brush (hold a rag over your nose & month as you do this.)If you want to be professional use a bit of copper ease on the bits where the pads comeinto contact with the housing.
Put the new inner pad into the piston ensuring the clip goes fully in. Now put the caliper back as if putting back on. Using either a hammer handle or the tool supplied by Fiat which is ideal (I am refering to the wheel brace!) and place it between the outer side of the caliper and the disc. Genty but firmly pull the outer caliper away from the disc to return the piston back into the housing. Now pull the caliper away again and put the outer pad in the housing. Push the caliper back on and over the newly installed outer pad.
Push the retaining bolts back into place and tighten them evenly (i.e. do bottom up 1/2 way then top up 1/2 way until fully tightened down)
To replace the spring, put the bottom half fully back into place put the first half of the top part into the hole then lever the spring bit back over the lip. Then whack it with a hammer or the palm of your hand so it sits back in snugly.
Replace the wheels and dont forget to tighten the nuts after returning the car to terra firma.
Like I said, dead easy, only 2 bolts and a clip. When you do it you will find that it is easier than is written here. Fiat's charge about £50 - £60 labour to do it! If you want further help email me.
Don't forget to run the pads in after fitting them for at least 100 miles before giving them hell.
Nigel
