🔧 CR-V - Rear Brake Pads & Rotors Replacement

You’ll be replacing the rear brake pads and rotors on your CR‑V and re-greasing the hardware so the brakes work smoothly and quietly. This guide is written for a first-time DIYer, with clear steps and safety tips.

Difficulty Level: Beginner/Intermediate | Estimated Time: 2–3 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Support the vehicle with jack stands, never rely only on a jack.
• ⚠️ Your CR‑V has an electric parking brake. Keep the parking brake switch OFF, and do not apply it while calipers are removed.
• ⚠️ Work on a cool brake system. Hot brakes and rotors can burn skin.
• ⚠️ Wear safety glasses and gloves. Rust, dust, and tools can injure eyes and hands.
• ⚠️ Brake dust can be harmful. Use brake cleaner, never blow dust with compressed air.
• ⚠️ After reassembly, pump the brake pedal before driving so pads seat against the rotors.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• 🛠️ Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• 🛠️ Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• 🛠️ Wheel chocks
• 🛠️ 19mm socket
• 🛠️ 1/2" drive breaker bar
• 🛠️ 1/2" drive torque wrench (10–150 ft-lbs range)
• 🛠️ 12mm socket
• 🛠️ 17mm socket
• 🛠️ 3/8" drive ratchet
• 🛠️ Short extension (3"–6")
• 🛠️ Flathead screwdriver (medium)
• 🛠️ Phillips #3 screwdriver
• 🛠️ Hand impact driver with #3 bit (specialty)
• 🛠️ C-clamp (6" or larger) or disc brake spreader tool
• 🛠️ Needle-nose pliers
• 🛠️ Small wire brush
• 🛠️ Bungee cord or wire hanger
• 🛠️ Shop rags
• 🛠️ Safety glasses
• 🛠️ Nitrile or mechanic’s gloves

An impact driver is a tool you strike with a hammer to loosen stuck screws.

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• 🔩 Rear brake pad set - Qty: 1 set (serves both rear wheels)
• 🔩 Rear brake rotors - Qty: 2 (replace in pairs)
• 🔩 Rear brake hardware kit (pad clips/shims) - Qty: 1 set
• 🔩 New rear rotor retaining screws - Qty: 2 (optional but recommended)
• 🔩 High-temperature brake grease - Qty: 1 tube
• 🔩 Anti-seize compound - Qty: 1 small tube
• 🔩 Brake cleaner spray - Qty: 2 cans
• 🔩 Shop towels or paper towels - Qty: 1 pack

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park the CR‑V on a level surface, shift to PARK, and turn the engine off.
• Make sure Auto Brake Hold is OFF and parking brake is released.
• Place wheel chocks in front of and behind one front wheel.
• Loosen the rear wheel lug nuts with the 19mm socket and breaker bar while the vehicle is still on the ground, but do not remove them yet.
• Identify the rear jacking point (center rear underbody) and rear side support points from your owner’s manual, then plan where to place jack stands.
• You do not need to disconnect the battery, just avoid operating the parking brake switch.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and support the rear of the CR‑V

• Use the floor jack at the approved rear jacking point to lift the rear of the vehicle until both rear wheels are off the ground.
• Place jack stands under the left and right rear support points and lower the vehicle gently onto the stands with the floor jack.
• Give the vehicle a gentle push to confirm it is stable on the stands.
• Remove the rear wheel lug nuts using the 19mm socket and take off both rear wheels.

Step 2: Inspect and understand the rear brake layout

• Look at the rear brake: you’ll see the caliper (the part that squeezes the pads) and the caliper bracket which holds the pads, around the rotor (the disc).
• Note the small Phillips screw near the rotor center that holds the rotor to the hub.
• Take a quick photo so you remember pad orientation.

Step 3: Remove the rear caliper

• On the back of the caliper, locate the two slide pin bolts (upper and lower) with 12mm heads.
• Use the 12mm socket and ratchet to loosen and remove both caliper slide pin bolts.
• Carefully slide the caliper off the pads and rotor. If it is stuck, gently pry with a flathead screwdriver between the pad and rotor.
• Hang the caliper from the suspension spring using a bungee cord or wire hanger so it does not hang by the brake hose.

Step 4: Remove the old brake pads and hardware

• Slide the old pads out of the caliper bracket by hand.
• Remove the metal pad clips (hardware) from the caliper bracket using your flathead screwdriver if needed.
• Use a small wire brush to clean the surfaces of the bracket where the clips sit and any rust on the pad contact areas.
• Clean metal surfaces only, avoid rubber boots.

Step 5: Remove the caliper bracket and old rotor

• Locate the two caliper bracket bolts on the back side with 17mm heads.
• Use the 17mm socket and breaker bar to remove both bracket bolts, then remove the caliper bracket.
• Remove the rotor retaining screw: use the hand impact driver with #3 bit. Hold it in the screw, strike it firmly with a hammer, and then turn to loosen.
• If the rotor is stuck to the hub from rust, tap around the rotor hat (center area) with a hammer until it loosens, then pull it off.

Step 6: Prepare the hub and new rotor

• Use the wire brush to clean the hub face (where the rotor sits) until bare metal is visible. This helps the new rotor sit flat.
• Wipe the hub with a shop rag and a bit of brake cleaner.
• Spray both sides of the new rotor with brake cleaner to remove the protective oil, then dry with a clean rag.
• Apply a very light film of anti-seize compound to the hub face to reduce future rust, avoiding the wheel studs.

Step 7: Install the new rotor

• Place the new rotor onto the hub, aligning the hole for the retaining screw.
• Install the new (or cleaned) rotor retaining screw by hand, then tighten it with the Phillips #3 screwdriver or hand impact driver snugly. No official torque spec needed, just firmly snug.
• Ensure rotor sits flat and does not wobble.

Step 8: Reinstall caliper bracket with new hardware

• Reinstall the caliper bracket over the rotor and hand-thread the two 17mm bracket bolts.
• Tighten the bracket bolts with the 17mm socket and torque wrench to 108 Nm (80 ft-lbs).
• Install the new pad clips (hardware) into the bracket by pressing them into place with your fingers or a flathead screwdriver until fully seated.
• Apply a thin layer of brake grease on the areas of the clips where the pads will slide.

Step 9: Prepare and install new brake pads

• Identify the inner and outer pads. The inner pad usually has a wear indicator tab or specific shape.
• Apply a thin film of brake grease to the back of each pad where it contacts the caliper and to the ears where they sit in the clips. Do not get grease on the pad friction surface.
• Slide the new pads into the caliper bracket, inner and outer, making sure they move smoothly.

Step 10: Compress the caliper piston

• Place an old brake pad against the caliper piston face.
• Use the C-clamp or disc brake spreader tool between the pad and the back of the caliper to slowly push the piston back into the caliper until it is almost flush.
• Compress slowly and steadily to avoid damaging internal seals.
• Do not operate the parking brake while piston is pushed back.

Step 11: Reinstall the caliper

• Check the caliper slide pins: pull them out gently with your fingers, wipe old grease off with a rag, then apply fresh brake grease and slide them back in until they move freely.
• Position the caliper over the new pads and onto the bracket.
• Install the two 12mm slide pin bolts by hand to avoid cross-threading.
• Use the 12mm socket and torque wrench to tighten the slide pin bolts to 35 Nm (26 ft-lbs).

Step 12: Repeat on the other side

• Repeat Steps 3–11 for the other rear wheel: remove caliper, pads, bracket, rotor, then install new rotor, pads, and reassemble.
• Always replace pads and rotors on both sides together.

Step 13: Reinstall wheels and lower the CR‑V

• Install the rear wheels and hand-thread the lug nuts.
• Use the 19mm socket to snug the lug nuts in a crisscross pattern while the vehicle is still on jack stands.
• Lift the vehicle slightly with the floor jack, remove the jack stands, then lower the CR‑V fully to the ground.
• Use the torque wrench and 19mm socket to torque the lug nuts in a crisscross pattern to 108 Nm (80 ft-lbs).

Step 14: Restore brake pressure and check operation

• Sit in the driver’s seat and, with the engine OFF, slowly press the brake pedal several times until it feels firm. This seats the pads against the rotors.
• Turn the ignition ON, verify there are no brake warning lights on the dash.
• Now apply and release the parking brake switch a couple of times so the system adjusts to the new pads.

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✅ After Repair

• Do a slow test drive around your area: check that the CR‑V brakes smoothly, with no grinding, pulling, or strange noises.
• Expect some light brake smell and maybe light noise for the first few stops as the pads bed into the new rotors.
• For the first 300–500 km, avoid very hard stops when possible to allow proper brake pad break-in.
• After your test drive, check around each rear wheel area for any signs of leaks or loose parts.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $450–$650 (parts + labor) for rear pads and rotors on a CR‑V.

DIY Cost: $180–$260 (parts only), depending on brands and hardware.

You Save: $270–$390 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100–$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.5–2.0 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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