Brake pads are an important part of your Pontiac Grand Prix's braking system. They are the replaceable friction pads that pinch the brake disc or drum when the brakes are applied. You should replace the brake pads before they wear beyond a quarter inch or risk damaging your Grand Prix's brake discs. This procedure covers all Grand Prix models, including the RPO Z7Us.
Park your car on a level surface. If you have a stick shift car make sure the car is in gear. Place blocks in front of the front tires so the car does not move while you are working on it.
Open the hood of your car and locate the master cylinder. If necessary, remove brake fluid until the level in the container is less than half full. A turkey baster is a good tool for this. Put the brake fluid in the plastic container and dispose of it the way you dispose of motor oil.
Raise the rear end of your car with your car jack. Remove the rear tire or wheel assembly.
Remove the parking brake cable from the back of the caliper. Use the pliers to remove the cable clip (restraining clip). This step is done only for Grand Prix RPO Z7Us.
Hand-tighten two lug nuts to the studs to hold the disc rotor in place while you work on the caliper. Remove the bolt and washer holding the cable support bracket to the caliper. The cable support has the parking brake cable and brake hose attached to it. This step is not done for Grand Prix RPO Z7Us.
Use the socket wrench to remove the caliper guide pin bolts. Slide the caliper off of the disc rotor and hang it in the wheel well with a small bungee cord or wire hanger; Don't let the caliper hang from the brake hose.
Remove the brake pads and shims from the caliper. Throw away the shims.
Use the spanner tool to rotate the piston clockwise all the way into the caliper. Make sure the notches on the piston are at the 6 and 12 o'clock positions. There is a boot (rubber seal) around the piston bore. Lift the seal's inner edge and press out any trapped air. Insert the brake pad clips into the caliper support.
Apply a thin coat of lubricant to the parts of the inner pad that come in contact with the caliper piston and mounting areas. As you install the brake pads in the caliper support, make sure the wear sensors are downward and at the leading edge of the rotor when the tire rotates. Push the brake pads into the support, holding the metal shoe edge against the spring end of the pad clips. This slightly bends the spring ends and lets the notches engage with the support. This step does not apply for the Grand Prix RPO Z7U.
Swing the caliper back into place over the brake pads and replace the mounting bolt. Reconnect the cable support bracket and tighten the bolt to 32-ft.lb. (43 Nm). Remove the lug nuts holding the rotor in place. For the Grand Prix RPO Z7U, Slide the caliper back into place on the disc rotor. Reconnect the parking brake cable. Insert and tighten the caliper mounting bolts to 44 foot lb. (60 Nm).
Replace the tire wheel assembly. Lower the car to the ground.
Pump the brake pedal a few times to seat the brake pads. Do this before trying to move your car.
Add fluid to the master cylinder container to replace any you removed before you removed the old brake pads.
Season the brake pads by making only gentle stops when you are driving for the first week after you install the new brake pads. Try not to do any hard stopping when you are seasoning the brakes.
