🔧 Accord - Front Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

You’ll remove the front wheels, swap the brake pads, and replace the brake rotors. Worn pads/rotors can cause grinding, vibration, longer stopping distance, and uneven braking.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 2-4 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• 🛑 Support the car with jack stands; never rely on a floor jack alone.
• 🛑 Do brakes one side at a time so you can use the other side as a reference.
• 🛑 Don’t let the brake caliper hang by the hose; support it with a hook/strap.
• 🛑 Brake dust is harmful; use brake cleaner, not compressed air.
• 🛑 Keep grease off pad/rotor friction surfaces; clean with brake cleaner if contaminated.
• 🛑 Watch the brake fluid level when compressing pistons; it can overflow.

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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 (20-150 ft-lbs)
• Ratchet (3/8" drive)
• 12mm socket
• 17mm socket
• 17mm wrench
• Flathead screwdriver
• C-clamp (6")
• Impact screwdriver (specialty)
• Hammer (16 oz)
• Wire brush
• Bungee cord
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Front brake pad set - Qty: 1
• Front brake rotors - Qty: 2
• Front pad hardware/clip kit - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper slide pin grease (silicone) - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner spray - Qty: 2

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📋 Before You Begin

• 🧱 Park on level ground, put the transmission in 1st gear, and set the parking brake.
• 🧱 Place wheel chocks behind the rear wheels.
• 🧱 Crack the front lug nuts loose with a 19mm socket and breaker bar before lifting.
• 🧱 Pop the hood and loosen the brake fluid reservoir cap (don’t remove it completely).
• 🧱 If you have an impact screwdriver (a hand tool you strike with a hammer to loosen stuck screws), set it up with a Phillips bit for rotor screws (if equipped).

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and remove the front wheels

• Use a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) to lift the front of the car at the front center jacking point.
• Set the car down onto jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) at the pinch welds or front side support points.
• Remove the lug nuts with a 19mm socket and ratchet, then remove both front wheels.

Step 2: Remove the brake caliper (pad carrier)

• Turn the steering wheel to give yourself more room at the side you’re working on.
• Remove the two caliper slide pin bolts using a 12mm socket and ratchet.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket and support it with a bungee cord so the hose isn’t stressed.

Step 3: Remove the old pads and hardware

• Pull the brake pads out of the bracket by hand; use a flathead screwdriver gently if they’re stuck.
• Remove the stainless hardware clips from the bracket using a flathead screwdriver.
• Clean the bracket pad “tracks” with a wire brush and spray with brake cleaner.

Step 4: Remove the caliper bracket

• Remove the two caliper bracket bolts using a 17mm socket and breaker bar.
• Set the bracket aside.
• Reassembly spec: Torque to 108 Nm (80 ft-lbs).

Step 5: Remove the old rotor

• If your rotor has retaining screws, loosen them with an impact screwdriver (specialty) and a hammer (16 oz).
• Pull the rotor off the hub.
• If the rotor is stuck, tap around the rotor “hat” area with the hammer (16 oz) to break rust loose. Hit the hat, not the braking surface.
• Clean the hub face with a wire brush, then spray with brake cleaner.

Step 6: Install the new rotor

• Spray both sides of the new rotor with brake cleaner to remove shipping oil.
• Install the new rotor onto the hub.
• If you have retaining screws, reinstall and snug them using the impact screwdriver (specialty) (they’re just to hold the rotor during assembly).

Step 7: Service the slide pins (important)

• Pull the caliper slide pins out of the bracket by hand.
• Wipe them clean and apply a thin coat of brake caliper slide pin grease (high-temp silicone grease made for brake pins).
• Reinsert the pins and make sure they move smoothly.

Step 8: Reinstall the caliper bracket and new hardware

• Reinstall the bracket and start the bolts by hand.
• Tighten with a 17mm socket and torque wrench: Torque to 108 Nm (80 ft-lbs).
• Install the new hardware clips into the bracket by hand (use a flathead screwdriver gently if needed).

Step 9: Install the new pads

• Place the new pads into the bracket/hardware clips by hand.
• Apply a very thin film of brake caliper slide pin grease only where the pad “ears” touch the hardware (do not get any on the pad/rotor faces).

Step 10: Compress the caliper piston and reinstall the caliper

• Use a C-clamp (6") to slowly press the caliper piston back into the caliper.
• Watch the reservoir as you compress; remove excess fluid if it’s near overflowing.
• Slide the caliper over the new pads/rotor and line up the bolt holes.
• Install the two slide pin bolts with a 12mm socket and torque wrench: Torque to 34 Nm (25 ft-lbs).
• If the slide pin wants to spin, hold it with a 17mm wrench while tightening the 12mm socket.

Step 11: Reinstall wheels

• Reinstall the wheels and hand-thread lug nuts.
• Lower the car with the floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Tighten lug nuts in a star pattern using a 19mm socket and torque wrench: Torque to 108 Nm (80 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• ✅ With the engine off, press the brake pedal slowly 10-15 times until it feels firm. This seats the pads.
• ✅ Check brake fluid level and reinstall the reservoir cap.
• ✅ Start the engine and hold the brake pedal; it should feel solid and not sink.
• ✅ Test drive at low speed first; confirm no pulling, grinding, or warning lights.
• ✅ Bed-in (break-in) new pads/rotors: do 8-10 moderate stops from ~40 to ~10 mph, allowing 30-60 seconds between stops for cooling; avoid hard stops for the first 200 miles.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $450-$850 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $160-$350 (parts only)

You Save: $290-$500 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 2-3 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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