How do you replace rear brake pads on a 2010 Chrysler town and country?

Answer 1

1. Jack up vehicle & remove tire

2. Remove the two caliper bolts/pins that are holding caliper to caliper bracket (13mm sockets, I believe).

3. Pull caliper off of rotor.

4. Remove old pads.

5. Douse everything with brake cleaner. Be sure to get the back side of the rotor (and be careful not to spray yourself in the face).

6. While waiting for the brake cleaner to dry, inspect your rotors for grooves, warping, or other damage (If you need to replace the rotors, there are 2 bolts holding the caliper bracket onto the wheel hub. The rotor should then just slide off the lug nuts towards you).

7. Lubricate and install new pads (the pad with the wear sensor goes on the back side of the rotor.

8. Compress the piston by screwing it back into the housing. DO NOT use a C-clamp on the rear calipers (you'll just bend your C-clamp). If you look at the caliper piston, you'll see notches along the edge. These are to accommodate a special tool that attaches to a ratchet. If you don't have the special tool, I've found that a pair of pliers/needlenose work just fine: just open the pliers, stick the tips into the notches, and turn clockwise to compress. It's rather tedious, and you'll have the pliers slip & fall on the floor a dozen times per caliper, but it works.

9. Once the calipers are compressed, reinstall the caliper assembly over the rotor & new pads.

10. Line up the holes and install the caliper pins (some say use Loc-tite, but I've never had a problem with not using it). Tighten the pins snugly. You may need an open-end wrench to hold the "tube" between the caliper and bracket the pin goes through (sorry - I don't know what that part's called).

11. Reinstall tire, lower vehicle back to the ground, then torque the lugnuts.

12. Start the van. While still in park, pump the brakes several times until all the "sponginess" is out of them. It may take up to a dozen strokes to compress the caliper piston back against the new pads.

13. Test the new brakes fully - plenty of stops, especially in reverse. Also, apply the parking brake & see if they hold the vehicle immoble while revving gently just over idle speed.

14. After you've driven the vehicle a while (20 miles or so), double-check the torque on the lugnuts.