replacing brake pads

[silent1]

I did this yesterday, what a pain it was. I got a 12 point socket set with a 1/2 drive, so getting the caliper mounting bolts off was pretty easy. But then I realized that the fender wouldn't allow the caliper to come off.

So I had to take the wheel off. Ugh.

First time having to do this. I get the bike on my cheapo Craftsman lift, get the wheel off, and immediately the bike wants to fall backward since there's no weight on the front anymore.

I have Yoshi hold the bike from flopping over while I bungee the calipers, then put the wheel back on to restore balance. After getting the pads out, I lubricated the back of the new ones, popped them on, and then had Yoshi steady the bike as I slipped the calipers back on the rotor as I got the wheel back in position.

There's gotta be an easier way to do that. I know I need a better lift. What did I do wrong?