🔧 Altima - Front Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

You’ll remove the front wheels, unbolt the brake calipers, replace the pads and rotors, then reassemble and torque everything correctly. This restores safe stopping power and prevents vibration or grinding from worn pads/warped rotors.

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.
• ⚠️ Brakes create dust—wear a mask and avoid blowing dust with compressed air.
• ⚠️ Do not let the caliper hang by the brake hose; support it with a hook/bungee.
• ⚠️ Brake fluid damages paint—wipe spills immediately.
• ⚠️ Battery disconnect is not required for this repair.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• Lug wrench or 21mm socket
• 3/8" drive ratchet
• 1/2" drive breaker bar
• 14mm socket
• 19mm socket
• Torque wrench (10–200 Nm range)
• Large C-clamp or disc brake piston tool (specialty)
• Flathead screwdriver
• Needle-nose pliers
• Wire brush
• Rubber mallet
• Bungee cord or mechanics hook
• Brake cleaner spray
• Shop towels
• Nitrile gloves
• Safety glasses
• Dust mask

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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 kit (clips/shims) - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper grease (silicone) - Qty: 1
• Brake fluid (DOT 3) - Qty: 1 bottle

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, shift to Park, and set the parking brake.
• Place wheel chocks behind the rear wheels.
• Loosen the front lug nuts 1/2 turn before lifting (do not remove yet).
• Open the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir; make sure it’s not overfilled (fluid level can rise when compressing pistons).

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and remove the front wheels

• Use wheel chocks on the rear wheels.
• Use a floor jack to lift the front of your Altima and set it securely on jack stands.
• Remove lug nuts using a 21mm socket or lug wrench, then remove both front wheels.

Step 2: Remove the brake caliper

• Turn the steering wheel to give yourself more room (left for right side, right for left side).
• Use a 14mm socket and ratchet to remove the 2 caliper slide bolts.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket and support it with a bungee cord or mechanics hook.
• Don’t twist or stretch the brake hose.

Step 3: Remove the old pads and hardware

• Pull the pads out of the bracket by hand; use a flathead screwdriver gently if stuck.
• Remove the pad clips/hardware using needle-nose pliers.
• Clean the bracket pad “tracks” (where clips sit) using a wire brush and brake cleaner spray.

Step 4: Remove the caliper bracket

• The bracket is the heavy mount the caliper bolts to.
• Use a 19mm socket with a breaker bar to remove the 2 bracket bolts.
• Set the bracket aside on a clean surface.
• Torque to 98 Nm (72 ft-lbs) when reinstalling.

Step 5: Remove the rotor

• Remove the rotor from the hub. If it’s rust-stuck, tap the rotor “hat” area with a rubber mallet to free it.
• Clean the hub face using a wire brush and brake cleaner spray so the new rotor sits flat.
• A clean hub helps prevent brake vibration.

Step 6: Install the new rotor

• Spray the new rotor surfaces with brake cleaner spray and wipe with shop towels (removes protective oil).
• Place the new rotor on the hub.

Step 7: Reinstall the caliper bracket and hardware

• Reinstall the bracket and start both bolts by hand.
• Tighten using a 19mm socket and then a torque wrench: Torque to 98 Nm (72 ft-lbs).
• Install new pad clips from the hardware kit.
• Apply a very thin film of brake caliper grease (silicone) where the pad ears contact the clips (do not grease rotor or pad friction material).

Step 8: Compress the caliper piston

• Remove the brake reservoir cap under the hood (leave it sitting on top to reduce splashes).
• Use a large C-clamp or disc brake piston tool (specialty) to slowly push the caliper piston back in.
• A piston tool is a clamp that presses the piston straight back into the caliper.
• Watch the reservoir fluid level so it doesn’t overflow; remove some fluid if needed using shop towels.

Step 9: Install the new pads and reinstall the caliper

• Install the new pads into the bracket.
• Lower the caliper over the new pads.
• Install the slide bolts using a 14mm socket.
• Tighten using a torque wrench: Torque to 25 Nm (18 ft-lbs).

Step 10: Reinstall wheels and torque lug nuts

• Reinstall both wheels and hand-tighten lug nuts.
• Lower the car off jack stands using the floor jack.
• Torque lug nuts in a star pattern using a torque wrench: Torque to 113 Nm (83 ft-lbs).

Step 11: Pump the brake pedal and check fluid

• Before driving, press the brake pedal slowly 10–15 times until it feels firm.
• Check brake fluid level and top off with DOT 3 if needed.
• Inspect around both calipers for leaks and make sure hoses aren’t twisted.

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✅ After Repair

• Do a slow test in a safe area: confirm normal pedal feel and straight braking.
• Bed-in (break-in) the pads: make 8–10 moderate stops from ~50 km/h to ~15 km/h, with short cool-down driving between stops; avoid hard panic stops for the first 200 km.
• Recheck lug nut torque after 50–100 km.
• If you hear grinding, feel pulsing, or the pedal stays soft, stop and recheck your work.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: ₹12,000–₹25,000 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: ₹6,000–₹16,000 (parts only)

You Save: ₹6,000–₹9,000 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run ₹1,000–₹2,000/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.5–2.5 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

HowToo makes it easy: same-day/2-day shipping on every part, plus all the tools and specialty tools you need! Check out the parts and tools sections below to add everything to your cart.