Need help with getting over automotive fears

So I want to get into wrenching and decided to try changing the brake pads on my daily drive honda civic but pussied out at the last second.

Help me Veeky Forums

kill yourself

This is the only real option you have left op

Fuck, I knew it.

OP it's like legos, except rusty and shittier. Do you have a G-clamp to press the caliper open once you've put new pads in, and brake quiet gel?

No brake quiet gel, whatever that is. No g-clamp either. I bought a brake compression tool if that's what you're talking about.

Yeah that'll work perfect. Honest to God op brakes are easy as shit. I was intimidated my first time doing brakes but it's literally a couple bolts and the pads are out

Buy that. It comes in a little packet about condom sized. You smear it on the back of the pads so they stick to the pistons.

Just worried about what could happen if I fuck it up.

First of all, the only way you can fuck up is by putting in the pads backwards, and even then your brakes would still work. Second of all, what you do is you take it on a quick test drive around the neighborhood. As long as it's doing fine there (which it will) it'll do fine anywhere

Give yourself a weekend to do it. Start on Friday, and if you somehow manage to fuck up you have all of Saturday and Sunday to fix it.

It's pretty easy lad, just look up youtube videos. If you're that nervous spend a few hours watching videos on it and by that point you'll be able to do it in your sleep

Go to youtube. Look up "honda civic brake"

Don't watch one, watch at least three. You learn tons from dumb people doing this.

You'll be 100x more comfortable because you can see everything performed on the exact same thing you own. Follow the very clear, very relatable steps.

I've never read a book on cars.

Any recommendations?

Use the copper based stuff

I just took my tire and went right to town without googling or youtubing anything my first time. It's straightforward as fuck, especially disc brakes.

They only come apart one way, and only go back together properly one way. Drum brakes are a little tricky though, I won't touch them for now, personally.

anti-seize lubricant is also what it will be known as.

They sell it at any auto parts store. Many brake pads come with it as well.

Don't ever so much as take a drum off. They're a fucking nightmare and a half. Never touching drum brakes again

>I just took my tire and went right to town

"I just took my tires off and went right to town"
Can't fucking make a coherent sentence ffs and even I know how to change my shoes. That should tell you right there anyone with no brain can do it.

My drums wouldn't come off, so I gave up. Realized later that the ebrake was on. O well.

And by "work" he means it'll make terrible noises and eat up your rotors. I've seen people not tighten bolts enough and have the calipers or the whole mounting bracket come off and lock up the wheel when it wedges against the inside of the wheel. If you want to be safe, get a mediocre torque wrench and tighten the smaller bolts (on a civic) to 25- 30 ft lbs. The larger bolts for the bracket should probably be about 70-75 ft lbs. A little blue thread locker never hurts anything, either. Do one side at a time so you can look at the other if you need to, but front disc brakes are pretty simple.

Legitimate question, how the do I figure out what torque I need? And also, what is thread locker actually called so I can buy it?

It's actually called thread locker. And those torque specs I posted are pretty close, if not exact, to what Honda specifies. Source- I actually torque brake bolts to spec multiple times a week.

Forgot to specify for front brakes, at least. I think that info would be in something like a Haynes or Chilton manual for your specific car, if you can find one and are inclined to pay for it.

w-what do condom packets look like?