Here we see the driver's side suspension of a 1995 Dodge Neon Highline sedan. You can see the stock rotor (bronze in color), the brake caliper (the semicircular device on the left outer edge of the rotor), and various other components of the Neon suspension. The rotor in this picture is burnt from hard, high-speed braking, and is scored in circular rings around the outer edge of the rotor where the rivets in the stock brake pads have gouged into the steel rotor surface. Brakes in this condition are unsafe and should be replaced at once.

Procedure

1. Remove the rotors from the packaging and wash them well in a strong soap & hot water bath, scrubbing every surface with a brillo pad or coarse sponge. The purpose of this is to remove the anti-corrosion chemical that the components are coated with to prevent rusting while in the packaging.

   

2. Jack up the vehicle, and remove the wheel. Place a sturdy jackstand or other support under the car to support the car off the ground. Do not use the stock Chrysler jack, as it is not safe, and could cause the car to drop in the occurence of a bump.
3. Turn the steering wheel of the car in the direction of the side of the car you are working on. This will swing the caliper far enough out from under the wheel well to allow the 2 bolts at the rear of the caliper to be removed.
4. Pry the caliper assembly away from the rotor for access to the brake pads.

   

5. Remove the inboard (closest to engine) and the outboard (closest to the wheel) pads.
   • The outboard pad should be removed first by pulling the pad down and out of the caliper.
   • The inboard pad is removed by pulling it out towards the mounting area of the outboard pad until the clips pop out of the piston.
6. Slide the rotor off of the hub.

   

7. If you do not have ABS:
   1. Open the top of the brake fluid reservoir atop the master cylinder.

      

   2. Open the small drain valve on the caliper, also known as the bleeder valve. Failure to do so will cause you to ruin your ABS pump in the next step!
8. Compress the caliper using a large C-clamp or a special brake caliper compressor (as seen in picture). Compress the caliper very slowly until the piston is completely within the bore of the piston.

   

9. Reassemble the brake assembly in the reverse order in which it was disassembled.
   • If the bleeder valve was opened for the ABS system then the breaks will have to be bled to eliminate any air in the lines.

   

10. Break in the brakes by driving with light braking for 500 miles or as much as necessary for the specific rotors and pads that were installed. Give yourself twice the brake distance when coming to a stop and try to avoid quick stops.