How to Replace Audi A8 Brake Pads

1. Park the Audi A8, leaving room sufficient for working on both sides of the vehicle. The transmission should be in 'Park' with the parking brake engaged. Place tire blocks behind the rear tires to prevent the vehicle from rolling backward.
2. Remove the lug nuts on the Audi with a tire iron.
3. Lift the A8 with a jack placed under the frame of the vehicle, not the fender. Once the Audi is lifted so that the tires are at least 2 inches clear of the road surface, place jack stands under the frame. Lower the A8 onto the jack stands, leaving the tires at least 1 inch clear of the road.
4. Remove the wheels by pulling them free from the lug nut bolts.
5. Remove the brake calipers. The calipers house the brake pads and fit around the Audi vented disc rotors. Remove the two caliper bolts at the top and bottom inside (closest to the frame of the vehicle) with a 13 mm socket and ratchet. Pull the caliper away from the rotor.
6. Remove the brake pads from the caliper. The pads are connected via metal clips that you can slide by hand from the calipers. In the event that the brakes are rusted, use a flat screwdriver to pry the metal clips from the caliper before sliding.
7. Open the caliper piston. The piston is a ring that protrudes from the inner wall of the caliper. To receive the new brake pad (which will be thicker because of an unworn pad surface) the piston must be reset to its fully open position. Squeeze the piston open using vise-grip pliers.
8. Install the new brake pads. Slide the pads' metal clips around the caliper. The pads will end up facing each other when properly installed, with the curved edges mirroring the curvature of the caliper.
9. Replace the caliper around the rotor. Replace the caliper bolts, using the 13 mm socket and ratchet.
10. Replace the Audi wheels onto the lug nut bolts. Lift the vehicle to remove the jack stands, then lower the Audi to the ground. Finish tightening the lug nuts when the tires are on the ground with the full weight of the vehicle assisting.
11. Apply the brake three times to reset the caliper piston resting position.