Today's Cadillacs offer disc brakes as standard equipment. These brakes offer superior stopping power over drum brakes. Replacing disc brake pads is just one of many aspects of keeping your Cadillac in top condition. The pads are made out of a special material that is hard enough to provide friction for braking yet soft enough to grip the rotor's surface, especially in cold temperatures. When the pad material is only 1/8-inch thick or less, it is time to change them.
Loosen the lug nuts with a lug wrench, but do not remove the lug nuts until the vehicle has been raised and supported.
Raise the car with the jack. Place the jack stands underneath the Cadillac's pinch welds or jack points along the frame. Remove the lug nuts with the lug wrench and slide the tire off of the axle.
Remove the caliper mounting bolts with a ratchet and socket. Slide the caliper off of the brake rotor and suspend the caliper from a suspension component with mechanic's wire to avoid damaging the brake line.
Remove the brake pads from the caliper. The pads will have a retaining clip that should be reused, in most cases. Push the caliper piston down with a C-clamp. Attach the retaining clips to the new brake pads, if equipped. Insert the pads into the caliper.
Slide the caliper on the brake rotor and reattach the mounting bolts with a ratchet and socket. Mount the tire on the axle and reattach the lug nuts using your fingers. Do not tighten the lug nuts until the vehicle is on the ground.
Remove the jack stands from underneath the Cadillac and lower the vehicle to the ground. Tighten the lug nuts with a lug wrench.
