Riverhed's Photobucket writing for the web album media

Loosening the lug nuts

Riverhed — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 14:43:53 MST

Riverhed posted a photo

Loosening the lug nuts - img041.jpg

First you need to remove the tire to get to the brake fluid bleeder valve. You need a tire iron (lug nut wrench) to take the nuts off, then you jack the car (taking the nuts off after jacking the car can cause the wheel to turn, making it more difficult, especially if the nuts are really tight). After the lug nuts are off, a hard kick to the top of the tire will loosen it so you can pull it off.

Jacking the car

Riverhed — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 14:43:49 MST

Riverhed posted a photo

Jacking the car - img043.jpg

Get those dirty thoughts out of your head... after loosening the lug nuts, jack the car just far enough off the ground to be able to spin the wheel, so you have room to remove the tire. The higher you jack it, the less stable the car is, especially on uneven ground, and the harder it is to put the tire back on (although you can always lower it again if you need to).

What the wheel looks like with no tire

Riverhed — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 14:43:47 MST

Riverhed posted a photo

What the wheel looks like with no tire - img044.jpg

This is what you'll see when the tire is off. The big metal part on the left side of the cylinder is the brake pad. You can look where the pad meets the cylinder to see how worn it is, to check if you need new pads. The outside is a little rusty, but the pads themselves are fairly new, so I don't need to change those.

Identifying the enemy

Riverhed — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 14:43:45 MST

Riverhed posted a photo

Identifying the enemy - img045.jpg

On the back of the brake pad is the bleeder valve for the brake fluid. Different cars have different size bleeder valves, though it's usually 9mm. On this car, the front ones were 11mm and the rear were 9mm, so it's a good thing I brought all my tools.

Lubricating the lug nuts

Riverhed — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 14:43:43 MST

Riverhed posted a photo

Lubricating the lug nuts - img047.jpg

Because the lug nuts were so difficult to loosen and were a little rusted, I put anti-seizing graphite lubricant on the threading before replacing them.

Tightening the lug nuts

Riverhed — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 14:43:41 MST

Riverhed posted a photo

Tightening the lug nuts - img050.jpg

Pretty self-explanatory. The tire has to be lined up a certain way (there will be a sixth, smaller hole that you need to line up with a little rod that extends from the wheel, at least on my car) when putting it back on. When tightening the lug nuts, alternate diagonally between nuts so it tightens evenly.

Putting the wheel up

Riverhed — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 14:43:40 MST

Riverhed posted a photo

Putting the wheel up - img051.jpg

When finished, lower the car.

Positioning the jack

Riverhed — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 14:43:36 MST

Riverhed posted a photo

Positioning the jack - img053.jpg

It should be obvious where the jack needs to go; usually there's an edge that the top of the jack fits around closely, if the jack is the original that came with the car, and you position the jack flatly on the ground with the top of the jack around the edge, then crank it up.

Unscrewing the bleed valve

Riverhed — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 14:43:32 MST

Riverhed posted a photo

Unscrewing the bleed valve - img056.jpg

Using a 9mm spanner wrench to carefully open the bleeder valve to check for air in the system. Have someone press the brakes all the way down three or four times, holding it the last time while you loosen the valve. Repeat this a couple times, watching for air bubbles. If you don't see any, put everything back together. If you do, repeat the process until there aren't any more, for each tire. Make sure not to release the brakes while the valve is open or it'll create a vacuum and suck air into the system.

The tools of the trade

Riverhed — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 14:43:31 MST

Riverhed posted a photo

The tools of the trade - img058.jpg

My Volvo 940 jacked up, wheel off and all ready to bleed the brake fluid.

The bear emerges from the woods

Riverhed — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 14:43:29 MST

Riverhed posted a photo

The bear emerges from the woods - img061.jpg

No, not that kind of bear... I think I've got enough dirt on my hands to prove I put in the hard work to get the job done.