How to Change the Rotors on a Mitsubishi Galant

by Jody L. Campbell

You don't have to pay outrageous labor charges if you have some tools and some mechanical skill. Changing the rotors on your Mitsubishi Galant should take about an hour of labor per rotor. Multiply that by two and add the price of the rotors and that's what you're going to spend for a mechanic. But if you grab some tools, you can do the job yourself in the comfort of your own driveway or garage.

How to Change the Rotors on a Mitsubishi Galant

Step 1

Apply the parking brake and release the hood latch with the Galant parked on a flat paved surface to work on. Lift the hood and suck out half of the brake fluid from the master cylinder reservoir using the turkey baster. Discard the fluid. Secure the master cylinder cover.

Step 2

Break the lug nuts loose on the two front tires using the breaking bar and a 21-millimeter socket.

Step 3

Place a wheel chock behind one of the rear tires and lift the front of the vehicle with the floor jack. Place the jack stand under the front frame rail. You can lift one side at a time if you want or both sides if you have two jack stands.

Step 4

Remove the lug nuts and wheel.

Step 5

Remove the two caliper slide bolts using the ratchet and a socket. Pry the caliper off of the pads and rotor using the flathead screwdriver and support to the frame or coil spring using the bungee cord. Compress the caliper piston using the C-clamp and tighten it slowly.

Step 6

Pry the pads from the caliper anchor but place them in a manner where you remember to replace them into the anchor the exact same way they were removed. If you're replacing the pads as well, then you don't have to worry about that step.

Step 7

Remove the two caliper bridge bolts using the ratchet and a socket. The bolts will be tight and it might help to break them loose using the breaking bar first and then switch to the ratchet to speed up the procedure.

Step 8

Spray the two bolt holes on the hub face of the rotor with a lubricant. Thread in the two 8x1.25 millimeter bolts by hand until they bottom out on the hub. Tighten each one a couple of turns with the ratchet and a socket and alternate between the two bolts until the rotor breaks free from the hub. In the event the threads or bolts strip, put on the safety glasses and strike the plated fin of the rotor with a ball peen hammer to break it free from the hub.

Step 9

Spray the new rotor with brake clean spray on the front and back sides. Be liberal and clean off all of the oily coating on it. This coating is a rust preventative and should be cleaned off thoroughly. Wipe the surface of the rotor dry with a shop rag.

Step 10

Place the rotor back onto the hub and thread on one lug nut to hold it flush to the hub. Replace the caliper anchor and bolts and tighten tightly. Replace the pads and caliper and tighten the caliper slide bolts. Replace the wheel and lug nuts. Tighten the lug nuts snug and re-tighten with the adjustable torque wrench set at 80-foot pounds when the Galant is lowered to the ground.

Step 11

Repeat steps four through 10 for the other side. Pump the foot pedal when through to restore pressure to the compressed caliper pistons. Recheck and add new DOT 3 brake fluid to the master cylinder and replace the cap securely. Remove the wheel chock, release the parking brake and test drive.

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