Owners of other Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep or RAM vehicles such as the Avenger, 300, Town & Country, Challenger, Charger, Dart, Durango, Journey, Grand Caravan, Patriot, Wrangler, Grand Cherokee, Compass, 1500, 2500, 3500, C/V Tradesman and ProMaster may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

The tools needed to complete this procedure include a lug nut wrench, a floor jack, two jack stands, a 14mm socket with a 3/8" ratcheting wrench, a "C" or "F" clamp, a packet of brake parts lubricant grease and a set of new front brake pads.

A few compatible replacement sets of new front brake pads with their part numbers are as follows: Wagner QC866, Bendix D866, Akebono ACT866, ACDelco 17D1285CH, Bendix D866CT, Monroe CX866, Dura International # BP866 C, Bosch BP866 and Bosch BE866.

Slightly loosen the 5 lug nuts on the front wheels in the counterclockwise direction with the tire iron.

Raise the front of the vehicle with the floor jack and securely support it with the two jack stands.

(I prefer to work on one side of the car at a time and keep three wheels on the ground for extra safety.)

Spin off the 5 lug nuts and set them aside in a safe place. Pull off the plastic wheel cover or "hub cap".

The front brake caliper is held in place to the bracket by two bolts located on the rear face of the caliper facing towards the engine bay.

Then loosen the lower 14mm caliper bolt in the clockwise direction.

Carefully lift the caliper out of the bracket and either rest it on the suspension or suspend it from the spring with a bungee cord.

On this 2013 Chrysler 200, the wear indicator bar was located at the top of the inner brake pad.

I'd recommend buying the Wagner ThermoQuiet QC866 brake pads since they have great reviews on Amazon. I also like how they don't require any backing plates, shims or disc brake quiet gel due to the built in insulator.

In order for the caliper to fit over the thicker new brake pads, the caliper piston needs to be compressed backwards.

Attach the "C" or "F" clamp to the caliper using the back of an old brake pad to evenly distribute the pressure across the piston.

Move to the right rear area of the engine bay and twist off the yellow plastic cap on the brake fluid reservoir in the counter clockwise direction.

Clean up any spilled brake fluid immediately since brake fluid can easily cause damage to painted surfaces.

Continue compressing the piston back until it is flush with the rubber dust boot surrounding it. Try to avoid pinching or otherwise damaging the rubber dust boot.

Replace the brake fluid reservoir cap as soon as possible since brake fluid is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture).

Thoroughly clean off the brake rotor, caliper bracket, brake caliper assembly and the lug nut studs with brake parts cleaner spray. Do not use compressed air or blow with your mouth to clean off the brake parts since breathing in brake dust can be harmful to your health. Brake dust can be carcinogenic (cancer causing) if inhaled.

If your 200 previously exhibited shuddering, pulsating, or vibrations in the front end during braking, you may need to have your rotors "turned" (resurfaced) or just replace them with new rotors. If this is the car's first front brake job and the rotors appear to be in good condition, you should be able to just change the pads with great results.

To remove the existing rotors and install new ones, remove the two bolts on the rear of the caliper bracket that attach it to the steering knuckle. Then loosen the old rotor with a rubber mallet, pull it off, and slide the new one in its place.

Apply a thin layer of brake caliper grease to any area where there is metal to metal contact such as the outer lip of the caliper piston. Do not apply brake parts lubricant to the friction surface of the new pads or to the face of the rotor.

If the new pads weren't equipped with wear indicator bars, pull the old ones off the old brake pads and install them on to the new brake pads.

Push the two pads together until they are flush against the rotor.

Lower the brake caliper down over the new pads and in to the bracket. If the caliper won't fit over the new pads, you may have to compress the caliper piston back a bit further.

In order for the caliper to operate smoothly, the smooth part of the caliper bolt / slider pins need to be well lubricated.

Apply a thin layer of brake parts lubricant grease to the smooth parts of each combination caliper bolt and slider pin.

Re-insert the two caliper bolts/pins in to their bolt holes.

Spin the bolts in a few turns by hand in the counter clockwise direction (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

Make sure that the two caliper bolts are tight before moving on to the next steps.

If your brake pedal previously felt soft or spongy, the brake fluid may be contaminated with water or the brake lines may contain some air bubbles.

It would be best to bleed the brake lines at this time in order to flush out the old fluid and replace it with fresh DOT3 brake fluid. For more on this topic, check out my Brake Line Fluid Bleeding With An Assistant DIY Guide or alternatively the Brake Line Fluid Bleeding With A Power Bleeder Guide.

The brake fluid bleeder valve is located below a rubber cap on the back side of the caliper just below the upper bolt.

Spin on the 5 lug nuts a few turns by hand in the clockwise direction to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

Lower the vehicle from the two jack stands using the floor jack.

Continue progressively tightening the five lug nuts in a "criss cross" or "star" pattern to about 1/4-1/3 turn past hand tight or about 100 ft-lbs of torque. It would be best to use a torque wrench or an impact wrench with a torque stick to properly tighten the lug nuts.

Sit in the driver's seat and firmly press the brake pedal a few times to restore the brake line pressure. Check the brake fluid in the reservoir and verify that it is at the proper level. If it is low, pour in some fresh DOT 3 fluid.

To break in your new brake pads, drive normally for the first few hundred miles while trying to avoid any hard or "panic" stops which may glaze over the new pads and cause them to be noisy and/or not perform as well.

It's also a good idea to regularly check your driveway for drops of brake fluid which may indicate a leak, check the brake fluid level in the reservoir, and verify that the lug nuts are still tight after your next trip.

For more, check out my other Chrysler 200 DIY Maintenance & Repair Guides.