How and where do the brake pad clips go back on a 1999 Dodge Intrepid?

Answer 1

There is much more here than you asked for but I have been there having done about 3 brake changes on my car. Clips are part of the pad itself. You might be asking about orientation of the pads as well as getting them back on. First, orientation-- best way to explain this it is to match the curve of the pad so that it follows the curve of the rotor and of course, the pad can only go to the inside so it clamps against the rotor. Assuming a brake pad replacement is in the works, another common problem is getting the new pads back on the rotor. This is easy to solve. You probably have removed the (2) bolts behind the rotor that hold the caliper in place and taken your caliper assembly off your rotor and supported your caliper assembly with its attached brake line with a strong wire attached to something just above your brakes, you can now get at your pads. At this point you will need to open the gap between the thicker pads that are going to replace the old thinner "worn" pads. (Even if you had done this at the start there is an easy and hard way). I have done it both and here is the easy way: Use a suction bulb or something like it to remove a little brake fluid (maybe an ounce but don't go to far because you don't want to introduce air in your brakeline). The fluid is taken from the master cylinder (where you replace brake fluid) which is under your hood. Throw this away, you will refill some brake fluid to bring up the fluid to the right level. If you don't feel like you want to do this, just open the master cylinder cap and read on. Next, get dirty by placing a "C" clamp so that it is on the inside pad and back side of the caliper. As you close the "C" clamp, it presses against the inside pad and moves it backward by pressing against a piston in the caliper. The brake fluid is moving back up in the master cylinder and that little bit of brake fluid you removed has made room for this fluid to be push back up without overflowing. If chose not to remove any fluid and your brake fluid was a little low to start with, you might get lucky and not have it overflow. This opens the gap between the inside and outside pads. If you open the gap with the old pads first then just clip on the new pads (use a flat head screwdriver to help the clip snap into place or a bit of finger strength if you really want to work out). Remember that the curve of the pad follows the curve of the rotor. Also, there is an inside and outside pad. By looking at each, you will know which is which. When reassembling the new pads and the caliper on the rotor again, aligning the back part of the caliper can be a bit difficult. First, be sure the gap between the pads is as wide as it can be. Next, shimmy the caliper assembly back on by looking behind the rotor and aligning the back part of the rotor so that the bolts that hold the caliper will fit through. There are accordin type rubber boots that compress and have to fit in behind the attachment points for the 2 bolts. This has to be done at the same time the pads are being shimmed on the rotor. Be sure to tighten the bolts on the caliper and refill your brake fluid. Always test the brakes in a safe area before going out. What you don't want to happen is to find out you have air in your brakeline or have not replaced fluid and you don't have brakes or have mushy brakes or that something wasn't reassembled incorrectly when you need it. GOOD LUCK.