Replacing front brakes - home job or garage...?

[Sponge bob]

Hi people - just wondering, how easy is it to change the front brakes on my Ford Orion - is this a DIY job.

Think i need to do pads and discs which is why I ask!

Cheers

[nighthawk]

It's quite a simple job really that should take an inexperienced person around 2 hours MAX.

How olds the orion?

i'll try and give you some tips and a list of what tools you'll need.

[thong]

Apply handbrake and chock rear wheels if you think the handbrakes not up to the job,open bonnet and remove master cylinder top,suck out a little brake fluid or watch it when you push back caliper pistons,jack it up and slide under your axle stands,now remove wheels,now turn the hub assembly so the caliper is facing you to full lock,remove two dust covers(plastic)then you will see 7mm allen key remove this and clean up and apply copper slip to it,early pad carriers were 17mm spanner fitting later were 13mm remove this and clean pad contact area with wire brush and make sure you clean in the corners,copper slip pad contact area,some do some dont have a screw holding the disc,remove it and the disc should come off,use emery paper on hub flange and clean,push back caliper piston with g-clamp with old pad or pipe grip or special tool if you have one watching fluid level dont go over the top of resivior,
now just stick it back together in reverse order,
now if you managed that you can do it on any car simple init,always torque wheel nuts or you'll buckle the disc,


Dale.

[nighthawk]

Nice how too, except you forgot the evil spring

and if it turns out to be a later version of orion based on the 95 shape escort the whole process is different as it used a locating pin with an R clip through it.

[GreenV8S]

You shouldn't have any problem with the brake fluid overflowing the reservoir unless sopmebody has helpfully topped it up as the pads wore down. Just remember to pump the brakes to seat each pad before you move on to the next. And pump the brakes again before you head off for the test drive otherwise it will all get a bit the first time you try to stop.

>> Edited by GreenV8S on Tuesday 26th April 22:06

[Sponge Bob]

Took off front wheels & inspected pads and discs, the pads were fine, discs were fine, and there's minimal play on the bearings...

I thought it was the brakes bcos when I applied them, I occasionally got a metallic rubbing/scraping sound. So what else could this have been because there's no body work or anything like that scraping....



By the way, thanks for all that info people - i'm pretty confident I could manage the job myself now.

[GreenV8S]

Could be something trapped between the disc and the pads, or between the disc and the backplate (if you have one).

[thong]

nighthawk said:

Nice how too, except you forgot the evil spring and if it turns out to be a later version of orion based on the 95 shape escort the whole process is different as it used a locating pin with an R clip through it.

Oh yea,cheers nighthawk,stupid spring forgot that doh!

>> Edited by thong on Wednesday 27th April 21:43