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Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

26

Time Required

                          1 hour

Sections

2

  • Front Wheel
  • 5 steps
  • Front Brake Pads
  • 21 steps

Flags

1

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  • Back2005-2007 Ford Focus

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Introduction

Whenever working on your car’s brakes and suspension, work on one side at a time. Keep the other side completely assembled so that you can reference it at any time.

Never drive a car if the brakes on one side only are changed, because the car will “pull” to one side.

What you need

Step 1

              Front Wheel
  • Put the car in park (automatic) or neutral (manual).
  • Apply the parking brake.
  • Place chocks behind the rear wheels.

Put the car in park (automatic) or neutral (manual).

Apply the parking brake.

Place chocks behind the rear wheels.

1024

Step 2

  • Use a 19 mm lug wrench to loosen each lug nut a half turn.

Use a 19 mm lug wrench to loosen each lug nut a half turn.

Step 3

  • Use a hydraulic jack on the car’s frame to jack the car.
  • A small notch shows where to place the jack.
  • It is only necessary to jack the car until the wheel no longer touches the ground.

Use a hydraulic jack on the car’s frame to jack the car.

A small notch shows where to place the jack.

It is only necessary to jack the car until the wheel no longer touches the ground.

Step 4

  • Place a jack stand on the frame and remove the jack.
  • Never work on or underneath a car that is only supported by a jack. The car may fall, causing serious injury, or even death.

Place a jack stand on the frame and remove the jack.

Never work on or underneath a car that is only supported by a jack. The car may fall, causing serious injury, or even death.

Step 5

  • Use a lug wrench to completely remove the four lug nuts.
  • Remove the wheel.

Use a lug wrench to completely remove the four lug nuts.

Remove the wheel.

Step 6

              Front Brake Pads
  • The brake fluid reservoir is located towards the back of the engine compartment.
  • Unscrew the cap and remove it.
  • Be careful when handling brake fluid. Wash hands immediately if they come in contact with it. Do not let the fluid touch any painted parts; it will strip the paint.

The brake fluid reservoir is located towards the back of the engine compartment.

Unscrew the cap and remove it.

Be careful when handling brake fluid. Wash hands immediately if they come in contact with it. Do not let the fluid touch any painted parts; it will strip the paint.

Step 7

  • Use a turkey baster to remove 2-3 ounces of brake fluid from the reservoir.
  • Never let the fluid level drop below the minimum mark. This will let air into your lines, which will require bleeding to remove.
  • Properly dispose of old brake fluid. Do not reuse it.

Use a turkey baster to remove 2-3 ounces of brake fluid from the reservoir.

Never let the fluid level drop below the minimum mark. This will let air into your lines, which will require bleeding to remove.

Properly dispose of old brake fluid. Do not reuse it.

Step 8

  • Use a flat head screwdriver or brake spoon to remove the outer pad retaining clip.
  • The clip has a lot of spring energy. Hold onto it with a pair of pliers when removing it to keep it from flying off and injuring someone.

Use a flat head screwdriver or brake spoon to remove the outer pad retaining clip.

The clip has a lot of spring energy. Hold onto it with a pair of pliers when removing it to keep it from flying off and injuring someone.

Step 9

  • Use a flat head screwdriver to remove the black plastic guide bolt dust caps.

Use a flat head screwdriver to remove the black plastic guide bolt dust caps.

Step 10

  • Use a 7 mm Allen wrench to remove the two caliper guide bolts.
  • On the driver’s side, turn towards the rear of the car. On the passenger side, turn towards the front

Use a 7 mm Allen wrench to remove the two caliper guide bolts.

On the driver’s side, turn towards the rear of the car. On the passenger side, turn towards the front

Step 11

  • Remove the clip that holds the brake line to the strut with a pair of vise grips.
  • Pull the brake line towards you and out of the bracket.

Remove the clip that holds the brake line to the strut with a pair of vise grips.

Pull the brake line towards you and out of the bracket.

Step 12

  • Pull the caliper off of the rotor.
  • Place the caliper on top of a box or bucket so the brake line doesn’t stretch or kink.

Pull the caliper off of the rotor.

Place the caliper on top of a box or bucket so the brake line doesn’t stretch or kink.

Step 13

  • Pull the outer brake pad from the mounting bracket.

Pull the outer brake pad from the mounting bracket.

Step 14

  • Remove the inner brake pad from the caliper.
  • The pad is held in place by three metal clips. It may take some force and wiggling to free the pad.

Remove the inner brake pad from the caliper.

The pad is held in place by three metal clips. It may take some force and wiggling to free the pad.

Step 15

  • This step is only necessary if you are replacing the guide bolt bushings.
  • Use a flat head screwdriver to push the bushing through its hole in the caliper.
  • Remove the bushing from the caliper.

This step is only necessary if you are replacing the guide bolt bushings.

Use a flat head screwdriver to push the bushing through its hole in the caliper.

Remove the bushing from the caliper.

Step 16

  • Clean the rotor, caliper, and all other hardware with an aerosol brake cleaner.
  • Never use compressed air to clean brake components. Brakes contain asbestos, and blowing the particles into the air could cause serious respiratory problems if inhaled.

Clean the rotor, caliper, and all other hardware with an aerosol brake cleaner.

Never use compressed air to clean brake components. Brakes contain asbestos, and blowing the particles into the air could cause serious respiratory problems if inhaled.

Step 17

  • Coat the steel backing plates of the new brake pads with an anti-squeal coating.

Coat the steel backing plates of the new brake pads with an anti-squeal coating.

Step 18

  • Place the new outer pad on the mounting bracket.
  • Small particles are a common cause of brake noise. Make sure pad and rotor surfaces are clean of all dirt and debris before installing.

Place the new outer pad on the mounting bracket.

Small particles are a common cause of brake noise. Make sure pad and rotor surfaces are clean of all dirt and debris before installing.

Step 19

  • This step is only necessary if the guide bolt bushings were removed.
  • Insert the new bushing from the inside of the caliper.
  • Use a flat head screwdriver to help feed the bushing through its hole.

This step is only necessary if the guide bolt bushings were removed.

Insert the new bushing from the inside of the caliper.

Use a flat head screwdriver to help feed the bushing through its hole.

Step 20

  • Compress the caliper piston with a C-clamp.
  • Continually check the fluid level in the brake fluid reservoir to make sure it doesn’t exceed the maximum level.
  • Install the new inner pad by pressing it into the caliper and making sure the clips are secure.

Compress the caliper piston with a C-clamp.

Continually check the fluid level in the brake fluid reservoir to make sure it doesn’t exceed the maximum level.

Install the new inner pad by pressing it into the caliper and making sure the clips are secure.

Step 21

  • Place the caliper back on the rotor.

Place the caliper back on the rotor.

Step 22

  • Grease the two guide bolts and reinstall them.
  • Guide bolts should be torqued to 21 foot-pounds.
  • Reinstall the guide bolt dust caps.

Grease the two guide bolts and reinstall them.

Guide bolts should be torqued to 21 foot-pounds.

Reinstall the guide bolt dust caps.

Step 23

  • Place the brake line back in the bracket on the strut.
  • Secure the brake line with the retaining clip. Use the blunt end of a wrench to knock it completely into place.

Place the brake line back in the bracket on the strut.

Secure the brake line with the retaining clip. Use the blunt end of a wrench to knock it completely into place.

Step 24

  • Reinstall the retainer clip by first inserting the ends into the two holes in the caliper, then use pliers to stretch the ends onto the mounting bracket.
  • It is always a good idea to use white lithium grease wherever you have metal-on-metal contact.

Reinstall the retainer clip by first inserting the ends into the two holes in the caliper, then use pliers to stretch the ends onto the mounting bracket.

It is always a good idea to use white lithium grease wherever you have metal-on-metal contact.

Step 25

  • Put the wheels back on the car and hand tighten the lug nuts.
  • Lower the car and completely tighten the lug nuts
  • Lug nuts should torqued to 94 foot-pounds.

Put the wheels back on the car and hand tighten the lug nuts.

Lower the car and completely tighten the lug nuts

Lug nuts should torqued to 94 foot-pounds.

Step 26

  • Place the cap back on the brake fluid reservoir.
  • Turn the key to the “on” position. Press the brake pedal a few times. It should go to the floor once, and then become firm.
  • Fill the brake fluid reservoir with new fluid, if needed.
  • Replace the brake fluid reservoir cap, close the hood, and lower the car.

Place the cap back on the brake fluid reservoir.

Turn the key to the “on” position. Press the brake pedal a few times. It should go to the floor once, and then become firm.

Fill the brake fluid reservoir with new fluid, if needed.

Replace the brake fluid reservoir cap, close the hood, and lower the car.

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Author

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                    David Hodson

Member since: 04/13/2010

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Sally - Nov 22, 2014

Reply

Thank you, I found your instructions very helpful indeed but I am still not sure if I should bleed the brakes afterwards and if so which wheel do I start at?

khalz - Mar 12, 2016

Reply

When removing the guide pins they seem very hard to remove with an Allen/Hex key .. any tips?

GEB - Nov 30, 2016

Reply

Excellent guide — many thanks ! Also applicable with virtually no modifications to my 2012 Ford Ikon, except that on my car the guide pins needed a size 45 Torx bit to unscrew. I had to replace the rotors as well, and discovered Ford had used threadlocking compound on the mounting bolts for the bracket, making them the devil to remove without pneumatic wrench. Threadlocking compound should be outlawed !!

GEB

Miguel Martinez - Mar 13, 2017

Reply

Awesome guide. Very helpful. No trouble at all.

rehan abdul-halim - Oct 12, 2017

Reply

Top effort… just saved myself £25!