The average insurance price for a used 2002 Jeep Liberty is about $90 per month. So, you can get car insurance under 100 dollars a month, depending on many factors, such as your credit score, the place where you live, or your driving record. However, to keep a clean driving record, you should avoid car accidents by doing periodic vehicle maintenance like checking and replacing brakes.
The 2002 model year marked the debut of the Cherokee’s replacement, the Jeep Liberty. The Liberty was slightly more compact than its predecessor and bore a striking similarity to the legendary Wrangler. The Liberty came standard with a 150-horsepower, 2.4-liter engine and had a 210-horsepower, 3.7-liter engine available. Being a rugged Jeep vehicle, the 2002 Liberty had optional four-wheel drive available. Replacing the front brakes on the 2002 Jeep Liberty with a four-wheel drive is a simple process that most do-it-yourself mechanics can complete.
For these purposes, you need only bear three things in mind:
- Doing your own brake jobs is a quick way to save a minimum of $50 to $80.
- This is a perfect opportunity to bleed and replace your brake fluid, which is something you should do every 30,000 to 40,000 miles.
- Your car may be different than the one described here. The differences may be subtle, but they will be important. This is only to give you a general idea of what is involved. So, unless you happen to drive a 2002 Liberty, find a reference for your specific vehicle.
Pad Removal
Let’s get ready first: Loosen the lug nuts on the Liberty’s front wheels with a breaker bar and socket and lift the vehicle’s front with a floor jack. Position jack stands under the vehicle’s frame rails and lowers the Liberty onto the jack stands. Remove the lug nuts and pull the front wheels off.
*Work on one side of the car at a time, so you will always have a complete brake assembly to use as a visual reference.
Now let’s go there:
- Remove the two bolts securing the caliper to the caliper bracket, using a ratchet and socket. Lift the caliper and brake pads from the caliper bracket as one assembly. Hang the caliper from the front suspension spring with a bungee strap or wire. Do not let it hang by the brake hose.
- Pry one side of the outer brake pad inward with a flat-head screwdriver to extract the brake pad’s locator tab from the hole in the caliper, then slide that side of the brake pad upward. Repeat this step on the other side of the pad to disengage the pad and remove it from the caliper completely.
- Set a drain pan directly under the caliper and position an 8-inch C-clamp around the caliper so its screw side contacts the inner brake pad, and its fixed side contacts the rear of the caliper. This protects the caliper piston from damage. *Alternately, you could remove the brake pad and insert a piece of wood between the clamp and caliper cylinder.
- Place a six-point box-end wrench on the bleeder valve on the rear of the caliper. Open the bleeder valve by turning a quarter-turn counterclockwise, then tighten the C-clamp until it stops moving.
- Close the bleeder valve immediately after the C-clamp stops moving and remove the C-clamp.
- Grab the outer edges of the inner brake pad and pull it away from the caliper. Notice that metal fingers on the rear of the pad insert into the caliper piston’s cavity to hold it in place.
- Remove the pad from the caliper.
Rotor Removal, Inspection, and Installation
You only need to do four steps for this:
- Remove the caliper bracket bolts, using a breaker bar and socket. Pull the caliper bracket off the front spindle assembly.
- Pull the rotor from the hub by hand. If the rotor does not pull off easily, lightly strike the rear of it with a rubber mallet to free it.
- Check the rotor’s front and rear for any defects, including deep grooves, mirror-like shine, or evidence of grinding or cracks. If any defects exist, discard both rotors, replace them with new ones, or be machined.
- Align the holes in the rotor with the wheel studs and press the rotor onto the front hub. Reinstall the caliper bracket and tighten its bolts to 100 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket.
Pad Installation
- Line up the metal fingers on the new inner brake pad with the cavity in the caliper piston. Press the pad toward the caliper piston until it seats flush on the caliper body.
- Align the outermost posts on the caliper body with the metal clip on the rear of the new outer brake pad. Pry one side of the metal clip upward with a flat-head screwdriver and slide that side of the pad onto the caliper body. Later, pry the other side of the clip upward and slide that side of the pad onto the caliper’s body.
- Press the brake pad farther onto the caliper body until the locating tabs on the rear of the pad slide into the locating holes in the caliper’s body.
- Remove the caliper from the bungee strap and lower it onto the caliper bracket.
- Apply a thin coat of multipurpose automotive grease to the smooth section of the caliper bolts.
- Hand-tighten the caliper bolts, then torque them to 11 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket.
Repeat the procedure on the other side
Reinstall the front wheels and hand-tighten the lug nuts. Raise the SUV off of the jack stands and remove the jack stands. Lower the Jeep to the ground, then tighten the lug nuts, in a star pattern, to between 85 and 115 foot-pounds, using a torque wrench and socket.
Press and release the brake pedal until it feels firm, then check the brake fluid level. If needed, refill the brake master cylinder to the “Max” line with fresh DOT 3 fluid.
Keep your brakes working well to stay away from traffic accidents. Contact Rodney D Young Insurance, Good2Go Auto Insurance, or any other auto insurance company for your 2002 Jeep Liberty 4X4.
