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How to Install a Brake Caliper Kit
Upgrade Your Brakes

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Preparation: Tools, Parts & Safety

01

New brake kit components:

rotors, calipers, pads, hard‑ware (pins, clips) and braided stainless lines if included

02

Essential tools:

floor jack, jack stands (rated for your vehicle), wheel chocks, lug‑nut socket, torque wrench, caliper‑piston compressor or large C‑clamp, and brake‑lube

03

Brake fluid:

matching OEM spec (DOT 4 or DOT 5.1), plus a turkey‑baster or bleach‑bulb syringe for topping off the master cylinder

04

Safety gear:

gloves, eye protection, and a clean workspace on a flat, hard surface

Phase 1: Removing the Stock Brake Assembly

1. Lower & Secure the Vehicle

1. Chock the rear (or front) wheels.
2. Loosen lug nuts slightly while vehicle is on the ground.
3. Jack up the car at the manufacturer’s jacking points.
4. Support with jack stands—never rely on the jack alone

2. Wheel & Caliper Removal

1. Remove the wheel and lug nuts.
2. Inspect hoses and hardware for existing wear or leaks.
3. Unbolt the two guide‑pin bolts and hang the caliper with wire or a hanger—do not let it dangle by the hose
4. Remove the caliper bracket bolts, then the bracket and pads

3. Rotor Extraction

1. If present, remove any rotor‑retaining screws.
2. Tap the rotor with a soft‑face hammer—alternate across top/bottom and sides—to break free from corrosion

Phase 2: Installing Your Big‑Brake Components

4. Pre‑Install Cleanup

  • Hub surface: Wire‑brush and apply a light coat of anti‑seize to prevent future rust‑bonding

  • Rotor faces: Wash new rotors with mild soap and water, then dry with a lint‑free cloth

5. Mounting the Rotor & Hat (for 2‑piece rotors)

1. Bolt the aluminum hat to the rotor with the provided hardware—start one bolt by hand to prevent cross‑threading, then torque sequentially
2. Safety‑wire or apply thread‑locker per kit instructions if required.

6. Installing Bracket, Caliper & Pads

1. Position and torque the caliper bracket to factory specs.
2. Apply brake‑lube to pad backing plates and bracket contact points—avoid any lube on the friction surfaces

3. Compress the caliper pistons slowly using a compressor tool or C‑clamp over an old pad, monitoring the fluid reservoir to prevent overflow

4. Slide the new pads into place; install the caliper over the rotor/bracket assembly and torque guide‑pin bolts to spec

7. Brake‑Line Hookup (if braided lines included)

  • Replace rubber hoses with stainless‑braided lines, tightening banjo‑fittings and installing new crush washers

  • Route lines to avoid sharp edges, suspension travel, and wheel‑well interference

Phase 3: Bleeding, Wheel Mounting & Bedding In

8. System Bleed

1. Tighten all components.

2. Bleed each corner—start furthest from the master cylinder—until only clear fluid issues from each bleed nipple

3. Top off and secure the reservoir cap.

9. Final Assembly

1. Reinstall wheel and torque lug nuts in the proper star pattern.
2. Lower the vehicle and perform a final torque pass on the wheel.

10. Break‑In (“Bedding”)

  • Drilled/Slotted Rotors: Perform five moderate to firm stops from ~40→10 mph, without full stops; then five stops from 35→5 mph.

  • Coated Rotors: Thirty controlled stops from 30→5 mph with 30 s cooling intervals between each.

  • Never douse hot rotors with water—use moderate driving to cool