How do you change the front brake pads on your 99 mercury mystique?

Answer 1

I am not a professional mechanic but have done numerous jobs that are still working to this day! first things first. Make sure your vehicle is in park and e-brakes are set. Using the cars own jack, jack up your vahicle. This is for the front pads only. Remove your front tire, doing one side at a time. Once your tire is off the braking system is exposed around the rotor. There should be a plastic or rubber cap over the caliper bolts on the top and the bottom, ( look behind the brake system). Using an Allen wrench or torx type wrench begin to losen the top, the whole caliper bolt will not come out but will not be screwed into the housing anymore. Do the same for the bottom. Once the caliper bolts are fully unscrewd, with a screw driver remove the little piece of what looks like a hanger shaped type object in front of the brake system. Be sure to hold onto it as it may spring out. Now all of thats done using your screw driver pry the brake system out of the housing, being careful not to scratch the rotor or puncture any thing. Once that has been pulled out use a zip tie (not to tight) to affix the system up making sure that you dont break the fluid line. remove the old pads. This is where you would use your C clamp and a skinny piece of wood about 3inches long maybe 1/2 inch thick, to push the round piston (just behind one of the pads) in slowly. Once fully pushed in you can now put in the new pads. Make sure you remember which pad came from which side, it pretty much will be obvious. Now your pads are on simply put the caliper back on making sure that it is a bit snug, there may be a little play on it as the piston hasnt been pushed back out yet. That will come in a few. Begin tightening your caliper bolts back in (lefty loosey righty tighty) but reversed. Replace the hanger shaped object again. Put your tire back on and tighten your lugs good. Repeat the same for the other side. Now check your brake fluid, add if needed. Turn your vehicle on and pump your brakes, the brake will go all the way to the floor, but keep doing it. This is to get the piston back into action and to get the (blood) fluid flowing again. Once you feel it working drive slowly while holding the brake down just so slightly to burn in the new pads. To know that they are burned in good you will begin to smell the brakes. Make sure your windows are down while doing this. Now your all done! Happy motoring