How to Install Brake Pads on a King Quad
by Chris GillilandYour Suzuki King Quad is exposed to ever-changing riding conditions while operating in an off-road environment, requiring constant use of the brakes to maintain control at all times. The very nature of this type of riding can drastically reduce the life of the front brake pads, wearing away the pad material until nothing is left. If left to wear away completely, the pads' metal backing plates can wreak havoc on your King Quad's brake rotors, rendering your brake system useless. Some work is involved to replace the brake pads, but the task is straightforward enough to complete on your own.
Step 1
Park the ATV on a level work area and engage the parking brake. Loosen the front wheels' lug nuts with a 17 mm socket attached to a breaker bar.
Step 2
Lift the ATV's front wheels off the ground with a floor jack.
Step 3
Unscrew the front wheel lug nuts completely with a 17 mm socket and a socket wrench. Pull the front wheels off of the front axle hubs.
Step 4
Unscrew the front brake caliper mounting bolts with a 12 mm socket attached to a socket wrench. Lift the brake calipers off of the front brake rotors.
Step 5
Insert a wide, flat head screwdriver into the calipers' openings and between the brake pads. Push the brake pads against the inside of the calipers to depress the caliper pistons.
Step 6
Unscrew the pair of brake pad pins from the rear of the calipers with a 5 mm Allen wrench. Pull the brake pads and their spring clips out of the calipers' opening.
Step 7
Pull the spring clips and metal shims off of the brake pads and place them over a set of new brake pads.
Step 8
Insert the new brake pads into the front brake calipers' opening. Screw the brake pad pins into the calipers to secure the brake pads with the 5 mm Allen wrench.
Step 9
Slide the calipers over the brake rotors and onto their mounting brackets. Screw the caliper mounting bolts into place with the 12 mm socket attached to a socket wrench.
Step 10
Mount the wheels onto the front axle hubs with the 17 mm socket attached to a socket wrench to tighten the lug nuts.
Step 11
Lower the ATV to the ground and remove the floor jack. Pump the front brake lever until it feels firm when pulled, signifying that the brake pads have closed around the brake rotors.
References
- "The Professional Motorcycle Repair Program"; Professional Career Development Institute; 1995
- "Suzuki LT-A700X King Quad Service Manual"; Suzuki Motor Corp.; 2006
Tips
- Loosen the lug nuts, before lifting your King Quad with a floor jack, to provide additional leverage and to reduce the chances of it falling off of the jack.
Things You'll Need
- 12 and 17 mm sockets
- Breaker bar
- Floor jack
- Socket wrench
- Flat head screwdriver
- 5 mm Allen wrench
- Brake pads
Writer Bio
An avid motorcyclist, Chris Gilliland has immersed himself into the two-wheeled world while balancing work life and raising three daughters. When he is not managing the parts department of a local, multi-line motorcycle dealership, Gilliland can often be found riding, writing or working on his motorcycle blog, Wingman's Garage.
