The Mazda6 may be a small car, but the importance of the brakes is huge. Any wear or cracks on a brake caliper means it must be replaced. Get help or advice from your mechanic or another expert before you dare take on such an important task yourself.
Disconnect the cable from the negative battery terminal. Do this before any auto maintenance. The cable should snap right off the terminal.
Remove the tire and wheel assembly once the car is securely raised.
Use the "five-star" pattern to remove the lug nuts, removing the nut across from the one previously removed.
Detach the parking brake cable clip from the caliper assembly if you are working on a rear caliper.
Unhook the brake hose from the caliper. Throw away the washers on the bolt; you need to use new ones when re-installing. Plug the hose with a piece of rubber so you won't lose or contaminate the brake fluid.
Take the caps off the caliper mounting bolts and remove the bolts. Pivot the caliper up so it clears the rotor and slide it inboard off the pin sleeve.
Install the new caliper on the rotor/bracket. Torque the caliper mounting bolts appropriately and install the bolt caps.
Connect the brake hose to the caliper. Using new washers with it, tighten the bolt to 16 foot pounds to 21 foot pounds. Make sure the brake hose isn't twisted.
Reattach the parking brake cable clip onto the rear caliper.
Fill the master cylinder with clean brake fluid to the maximum level and bleed the hydraulic system.
Reconnect the wheel and lower the car. Pump the brake pedal several times until firm to seat the pads.
