🔧 Impreza - Front Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

You’ll remove the front wheels, unbolt the brake caliper and bracket, replace the pads and rotors, then reassemble and torque everything correctly. New rotors and pads restore safe stopping power and prevent vibration, noise, and uneven braking.

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

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• 🛑 Work on level ground and chock the rear wheels.
• 🛑 Support the car with jack stands; never rely on a floor jack alone.
• 🛑 Brake dust is harmful; avoid blowing it with air—use brake cleaner.
• 🛑 Do not let the caliper hang by the brake hose; support it with a hanger.
• 🛑 Keep brake fluid off paint; wipe spills immediately.
• 🛑 Battery disconnect is not required for this job.

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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
• 21mm socket
• 3/8" drive ratchet
• 1/2" drive breaker bar
• 14mm socket
• 17mm socket
• Torque wrench (20–150 ft-lbs range)
• Flathead screwdriver
• C-clamp (6" minimum)
• Wire brush
• Bungee cord
• Dead-blow hammer
• Brake cleaner spray
• Shop towels
• Nitrile gloves
• Safety glasses

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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 brake hardware kit (pad clips/abutments) - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper grease (silicone or synthetic) - Qty: 1
• Brake parts cleaner - Qty: 1
• Brake fluid (DOT 3 or DOT 4) - Qty: 1 bottle

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📋 Before You Begin

• 🅿️ Park on flat ground, leave the car in gear, and set the parking brake.
• 🧱 Place wheel chocks behind both rear tires.
• 🧴 Open the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir; keep the cap loosely set on top.
• 🧼 If the reservoir is very full, remove a small amount with a clean towel to prevent overflow when compressing the caliper piston.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Loosen lug nuts and raise the front

• Use a 21mm socket and breaker bar to loosen the front lug nuts about 1/2 turn while the wheels are on the ground.
• Lift the front with a floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum) at the front center jack point, then support with jack stands (rated 2-ton minimum).
• Remove the lug nuts using the 21mm socket and take both front wheels off.

Step 2: Remove the brake caliper (do not disconnect the hose)

• Turn the steering wheel to give more access to the caliper you’re working on.
• Use a 14mm socket and 3/8" drive ratchet to remove the two caliper slide-pin bolts.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket and hang it from the strut spring using a bungee cord.
• A slide pin is the caliper’s guide bolt.

Step 3: Remove old pads and inspect

• Remove the brake pads from the bracket by hand; use a flathead screwdriver gently if they’re stuck.
• Inspect the rubber slide-pin boots for tears and check for uneven pad wear.

Step 4: Remove the caliper bracket

• Use a 17mm socket and breaker bar to remove the two caliper bracket bolts.
• Set the bracket aside.
• On reassembly: Torque to 80 N·m (59 ft-lbs)

Step 5: Remove the rotor

• If the rotor is stuck from rust, spray around the hub with brake cleaner spray and tap the rotor hat with a dead-blow hammer until it frees up.
• Remove the rotor.

Step 6: Clean the hub and prep the new rotor

• Use a wire brush to clean the wheel hub face (where the rotor sits) until it’s smooth.
• Clean the new rotor with brake cleaner spray and shop towels to remove shipping oil.
• Install the new rotor onto the hub.
• A clean hub helps prevent brake vibration.

Step 7: Service the bracket hardware

• Remove the old pad clips from the bracket using a flathead screwdriver.
• Clean the clip “lands” on the bracket with a wire brush.
• Install the new clips from the front brake hardware kit.
• Apply a thin film of brake caliper grease where the pad ears slide on the clips (do not get grease on rotor/pad friction surfaces).

Step 8: Reinstall the caliper bracket

• Position the bracket over the rotor and start both bolts by hand.
• Tighten with a 17mm socket and torque wrench.
• Torque to 80 N·m (59 ft-lbs)

Step 9: Compress the caliper piston

• Place an old brake pad against the caliper piston face.
• Use a C-clamp (6" minimum) to slowly compress the piston until it’s fully seated.
• Watch the brake fluid reservoir level while compressing; stop if it’s close to overflowing.
• Go slow to avoid damaging seals.

Step 10: Install new pads and refit the caliper

• Install the new inner and outer pads into the bracket.
• Lower the caliper over the new pads and align the slide pin holes.
• Install the slide-pin bolts using a 14mm socket and torque wrench.
• Torque to 27.5 N·m (20 ft-lbs)

Step 11: Repeat on the other front side

• Repeat Steps 2–10 on the other front wheel.
• Do one side at a time to stay organized.

Step 12: Reinstall wheels and torque lug nuts

• Reinstall the wheels and hand-thread lug nuts.
• Lower the car to the ground using the floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum).
• Tighten lug nuts in a star pattern using a 21mm socket and torque wrench.
• Torque to 120 N·m (88.5 ft-lbs)

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✅ After Repair

• 🦶 Pump the brake pedal firmly 10–15 times before driving until the pedal feels normal (this seats the pads against the rotors).
• 🧴 Check the brake fluid level and top off with DOT 3 or DOT 4 if needed.
• 🔍 Look around each caliper for leaks and make sure no tools are left in the engine bay.
• 🧪 Bedding-in (recommended): make 6–10 medium stops from ~40 mph to ~10 mph, with light driving between stops to cool. Avoid hard stops for the first 200 miles.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $450-$750 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $140-$320 (parts only)

You Save: $310-$430 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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