🔧 Challenger - Front Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

This job replaces the front brake pads and rotors so your A4—sorry, your Challenger—can stop smoothly without vibration, noise, or long pedal travel. On your Challenger, the front brakes are high-performance and the calipers are heavy, so take your time and support everything properly.

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

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on level ground and support the car with jack stands—never rely on a floor jack.
• ⚠️ Brake dust is harmful—wear a dust mask and avoid blowing dust with compressed air.
• ⚠️ Do not press the brake pedal with the caliper removed, or pistons can pop out.
• ⚠️ Support the caliper with a hanger—do not let it hang by the brake hose.
• ⚠️ Brake fluid can damage paint—wipe spills immediately.

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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
• 21mm lug socket
• 1/2" drive breaker bar
• 1/2" drive torque wrench (20-200 ft-lbs range)
• Ratchet (3/8" drive)
• Socket set (metric)
• Hex bit socket set (metric)
• Torque bit set
• Dead-blow hammer
• Punch set
• Brake caliper hanger hook
• Brake piston spreader tool (specialty)
• Wire brush
• Plastic trim tool
• Shop rags
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Dust mask

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Front brake pad set (Brembo-style for SRT front calipers) - Qty: 1
• Front brake rotors - Qty: 2
• Brake caliper hardware kit - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 2 cans
• High-temperature brake lubricant - Qty: 1
• Medium-strength threadlocker - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, put the transmission in 1st gear, and set the parking brake.
• Chock the rear wheels using wheel chocks.
• Open the hood and check the brake fluid level. If it’s near “MAX,” remove a little with a clean rag so it won’t overflow when pistons are pushed back.
• Take a photo of each side before disassembly.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Loosen the front wheels

• Use a 21mm lug socket with a 1/2" drive breaker bar to loosen the lug nuts about 1/2 turn while the car is on the ground.

Step 2: Lift and support the front end

• Lift the front using a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) at the proper front jacking point.
• Set the car onto jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) and give the car a gentle shake to confirm it’s stable.
• Remove the wheels using the 21mm lug socket.

Step 3: Remove the old pads (Brembo pin-style caliper)

• Locate the pad retaining pins and anti-rattle spring on the front of the caliper.
• Use a punch set and dead-blow hammer to tap the pins out carefully.
• Remove the anti-rattle spring, then slide the pads out.
• Keep note of pad orientation and any shims.

Step 4: Retract the caliper pistons

• Install an old pad across the face of the pistons (to spread pressure evenly).
• Use a brake piston spreader tool (specialty) to slowly push the pistons back into the caliper.
• Check the brake fluid reservoir as you compress—stop if it’s about to overflow.
• Slow pressure prevents seal damage.

Step 5: Remove the caliper to access the rotor

• From the back side, remove the caliper mounting bolts using the correct socket set (metric) or hex bit socket set (metric) (bolt head style varies by caliper hardware).
• Carefully lift the caliper off the rotor and hang it using a brake caliper hanger hook.
• Torque to 184 Nm (136 ft-lbs) when reinstalling the caliper mounting bolts.

Step 6: Remove the rotor

• If equipped with a rotor retaining screw, remove it using the correct torque bit from your torque bit set.
• Pull the rotor off the hub. If it’s stuck, hit the rotor “hat” area (not the braking surface) with a dead-blow hammer to break it loose.

Step 7: Clean the hub and prepare the new rotor

• Use brake cleaner and shop rags to clean the hub face.
• Use a wire brush to remove rust from the hub face so the rotor sits flat (prevents brake vibration).
• Clean the new rotor friction surfaces with brake cleaner and shop rags to remove shipping oil.

Step 8: Install the new rotor

• Place the new rotor onto the hub.
• If your rotor uses a retaining screw, install it using the correct torque bit and ratchet (3/8" drive).
• Torque to 5 Nm (44 in-lbs) for the rotor retaining screw (if equipped).

Step 9: Reinstall the caliper

• Position the caliper over the new rotor.
• Apply medium-strength threadlocker to the caliper mounting bolt threads.
• Install and tighten using the correct tool from your socket set (metric) or hex bit socket set (metric).
• Torque to 184 Nm (136 ft-lbs) for the caliper mounting bolts.

Step 10: Install the new pads and hardware

• Apply a thin film of high-temperature brake lubricant to pad backing plates and pad contact points (never on the friction material).
• Slide the new pads into the caliper.
• Reinstall the anti-rattle spring, then tap the retaining pins back in using the punch set and dead-blow hammer.

Step 11: Reinstall wheels

• Reinstall the wheels and hand-thread all lug nuts.
• Lower the car to the ground using the floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Torque lug nuts in a star pattern using a 1/2" drive torque wrench.
• Torque to 176 Nm (130 ft-lbs) for the lug nuts.

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✅ After Repair

• Before moving the car, pump the brake pedal slowly 10-15 times until the pedal feels firm.
• Check brake fluid level and top off only if needed.
• Do a short test drive at low speed. Verify no pulling, grinding, or warning lights.
• Bed-in the pads: make 8-10 medium stops from 60 mph down to 10 mph, allowing a little driving between stops to cool. Avoid coming to a complete stop with hot brakes.
• Re-torque lug nuts after 25-50 miles.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $900-$1,600 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $350-$900 (parts only)

You Save: $550-$700 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?

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.