Changing the rotors on your Dodge Neon can be done in the comfort of your own front yard. With the mechanical skills and a few automotive repair tools, you can save quite a bit of money on labor charges that local repair stations or dealerships would charge. Hone your skills and put your tools to work for you.
Park the Neon on a level paved surface. Release the hood latch and apply the parking brake.
Place a wheel chock behind one of the rear tires. Open the hood and suck out half of the brake fluid from the master cylinder using the turkey baster and discard. Replace the master cylinder cap.
Loosen the lug nuts to the front wheel(s) with the breaking bar and a socket.
Raise the front end of the Neon with a floor jack and place the jack stands below the front frame rails to support the vehicle.
Remove the lug nuts and wheels.
Insert the large flathead screwdriver into the caliper porthole in the front of the caliper and compress the piston inward by prying the outboard pad against the rotor. Compress the piston in as far as it will go.
Locate and remove the caliper anchor bolts on the back of the knuckle. You can remove the caliper, pads, and caliper anchor as an assembled unit and save time if you're not replacing the pads. Support the caliper assembly to the coil spring with a bungee cord.
Remove the rotor. If there is a retaining ring located on a lug stud, cut if off with a pair of dikes discard. You do not need to replace it. If the rotor is stubbornly stuck to the hub, strike it with a hammer on the fins.
Clean the new rotor with brake clean spray. Be liberal with the spray and clean both sides to wash off the rust-preventative coating on them. Wipe dry with a shop rag and install onto the hub.
Place the caliper assembly over the rotor and replace and tighten the caliper anchor bolts.
Replace the wheel and tighten the lug nuts snugly. Repeat the procedure for the other side. Lower the Neon and torque the lug nuts to 100 foot pounds using the torque wrench and a socket.
Pump the foot brake pedal until it feels normal. This will restore pressure back to the compressed caliper pistons. Once pressure is restored to the caliper pistons, check and add DOT 3 brake fluid to the master cylinder and replace the cap. Close the hood, remove, remove the wheel chock, release the parking brake and test drive.
