I replaced the brake pads on my 2008 Subaru Outback and decided to make a how to video of it. I'm not a mechanic but I play one on this video. This is how I did it. How you do it is completely up to you. Enjoy the video!
one more thing to note if you have added brake fluid as the brakes wore down when pushing the cylinder back it could overflow your brake reservoir. keep an eye on it and dip some out or use a turkey baster to suction some out. good video thanks for sharing
Thanks Mark! I just remembered seeing this video a long time back and it so happens that I need to work on my wife's Outback brakes this weekend. Now I know what to expect when I pull the wheel off.
From the camera view it appears you left the caliper hanging with the brake line supporting its weight, if so, just an FYI for future repairs you should bungee tie it to the strut that way you don't run into a possible broken brake line.
36ELGALAN Great minds think alike. That was literally the first thing I was going to comment on. Looking into getting an outback myself. More than likely a 2008. My corolla's timing chain broke and rupture the oil line and tearing up parts of the engine. Basically my 14 year old Corolla with 156k miles bled out to death. May she RIP. I properly maintained her, I'm a stickler when it comes to oil and transmission changings. I also do that on time and when needed. Jiffy lube customer, long standing for 10+ years. I'm actually looking up very simple diy fixes and comparing costs between my corolla and an outback, '08. Things like headlamps, cabin/air filters, brake pads, and the worst case scenario battery replacement. I heard outbacks are not meant for diy maintenance fixes.
Channel locks are ok, but take an old pad and lay it on top of the two pistons, then use your channel lock. Those pistons are never operated independently, so if you can help it don't. Also that clip isn't a handle it's a brake wear sensor, it goes closest to the motor. Anytime you watch a HOW-TO video and the guy is saying things like, I don't know if this is right, or this is the way "I" do it, or wore this works for me - check multiple video's.
Thanks Mark, this will be my 1st brake pad change on my 2011 Subaru. Wanted to make sure it was as straight forward as the other cars I have done. I hateit when i have left over parts as welll LMAO ; )
Mark - the "little clip" as you call it is a brake pad wear indicator. The wear indicator is attached to the brake pad that was suppose to be mounted to the side of the brake caliper closest to the engine. If you look closely at your video, where you removed the original pads, you will notice that. You have installed the new pads with the wear indicator on the wrong side of the caliper. Seems to be working though?
Late to the thread: because of the rotation direct when the clip eventually touches the rotor, you wont hear it when the pad wears down unless your reversing I made that mistake ). Otherwise the brakes work as they are intended to. Thanks for the video!
I am very puzzled about the funny clip that came with my brake pads. You talked about it in passing. On other videos it was indicated that only the pad on the piston side needs this funny clip. On my kit all the pads had the clip like yours. Do you know anything about this. Also my pads came with the clip like yours but also a extra tab or arm coming off the clip. Very confusing to me. Well done video. Good camera angles.
Mark Eaton also this is going to sound stupid, but considering it’s a all wheel drive, I just have to put it in park right ? No movement on the wheels? So can basically do it alone without holding breaks
Steve Jbomb if you’re using a standard jack then always use the Emergency Brake so that the rear wheels are locked. I have jack stands that I use for more extensive projects, but for brake jobs I’ve been fine with this setup. Not the safest, but “fine”.
You really gotta be careful when using something to squeeze the Pistons back into the caliper, I also would normally just grab the closest thing I could to get the job done,and ended up breaking the actual Pistons on a couple of brakes before , making it necessary to replace the whole calipers
Man bad video on how to do brakes properly , from the jack situation , hanging the caliper , pads put on wrong , not torquing anything , not cleaning or using lubricant lol .
