When you use your brakes on a car, what slows it down or makes it stop is the disk brake rotor. These are connected to the wheel or the axle of the car and are an important part of the overall braking mechanism. When you apply the brakes a hydraulic, pneumatic or electromagnetic system, depending on the vehicle, will bring pieces of high friction material known as brake pads into contact with the disk brake rotors. The friction will cause the rotors to stop or slow down their rotation and due to their attachment to the wheel, the wheels will slow down as well. Due to the very nature of the disks, rotors need to be made from very durable materials, especially when modern vehicles are making more and more performance demands from the machinery. New technologies have allowed disk brake rotors to be made from not only the traditional cast iron, but also carbon fiber composites and even ceramic matrix materials.

While the front brake rotor is the one that carries the most stress, the rear brake rotor is also vitally important since it carries the emergency braking system. So replacing them at the right times is a very good idea. It is always best to have a trained technician have a look at your brakes but you can have a general idea on how such a procedure is carried out.

The first step is to identify all the components. Generally the rear brake assembly will include the rear brake disc, brake pads, brake caliper mount and the caliper mounting screw. The rotor mounting screw may or may not be present. The next step to replacing the rear brake rotor is to remove the rear brake caliper. Use a socket wrench and loosen the bolts and remove them. Third step is to gently take the brake caliper out of the brake mount and then remove the brake pads. Step four is removing the caliper mount bolts. Take a socket wrench, loosen and remove the bolts and then lift and remove the caliper mount from the vehicle. You also need to remove the retaining screw. Gently tap the rear brake rotor so you can remove any rust that has accumulated. Use both hands to lift the rear brake rotor from the wheel hub. Do not drop the rear brake rotor. Then take out the retaining screw from the disk mounting hole, gently remove any gathered rust with a gentle tapping. Lift the rear brake rotor and remove using both hands. Now you need to install the new rear brake rotor. Put the new rear brake rotor and the old rear brake rotor to see if they are the same size. Clean the surface on the hub where the rear brake rotor will make contact. Install the rear brake rotor and then the rotor retaining screw. Now you need to reset the rear brake caliper by a reset tool. It will wind the piston back into position so that the new pads will fit. You will need the right tool. It will not work with regular clamps. After you reset the caliper, match the old brake pads to the new ones and make sure they are a proper fit. Finally you need to reinstall the brae caliper, align the hardware and reinstall the mounting bolts. Recheck, retighten and bleed the brake system. Finally make a proper testing before you start driving.