🔧 Pilot - Front Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

You’ll remove the front wheels, unbolt the caliper and bracket, replace the pads and rotors, then torque everything back to spec. New rotors are recommended with new pads to prevent pulsation, noise, and uneven braking.

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

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• 🛑 Support your Pilot with jack stands; never rely on a jack.
• Hot brakes burn—let the brakes cool before starting.
• Do not press the brake pedal with a caliper removed.
• Do not let the caliper hang by the rubber hose; support it with a hook/strap.
• Brake dust is harmful—use brake cleaner, not compressed air.
• 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
• 19mm socket
• Breaker bar 1/2"
• Torque wrench 3/8" (10-100 ft-lbs range)
• Torque wrench 1/2" (50-150 ft-lbs range)
• Ratchet 3/8"
• Ratchet 1/2"
• 12mm socket
• 17mm socket
• C-clamp (6-inch minimum)
• Phillips #3 screwdriver
• Impact driver (hand-held) (specialty)
• Rubber mallet
• Wire brush
• Bungee cord or caliper hook
• Brake parts cleaner
• 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 (abutment clips) - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper grease (silicone brake lubricant) - Qty: 1
• Brake fluid (DOT 3) - Qty: 1 quart
• Medium strength threadlocker (blue) - Qty: 1
• Anti-seize compound - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, shift to Park, and set the parking brake.
• Place wheel chocks behind both rear tires.
• Pop the hood and check the brake fluid level; if it’s near MAX, remove a little with a towel so it doesn’t overflow when compressing pistons.
• Take a photo of each side before disassembly.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Loosen lug nuts and raise the front

• Use a 19mm socket with a breaker bar 1/2" to loosen (do not remove) the front lug nuts.
• Lift the front with the floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) at the front center jack point.
• Set the vehicle onto jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) and confirm it’s stable.
• Remove the wheels using the 19mm socket.

Step 2: Remove the caliper (pads stay in for now)

• Turn the steering wheel to give yourself more space (left for right side, right for left side).
• Locate the two caliper slide pin bolts on the back of the caliper.
• Use a 12mm socket with a ratchet 3/8" to remove the two slide pin bolts.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket and support it using a bungee cord or caliper hook.
• Never let the caliper hang by the hose.

Step 3: Remove old pads and the caliper bracket

• Slide the brake pads out of the bracket by hand.
• Remove the caliper bracket bolts (these are tight).
• Use a 17mm socket with a breaker bar 1/2" to remove the two bracket bolts.

Step 4: Remove the rotor

• If your rotor has retaining screws, remove them using a Phillips #3 screwdriver.
• If the screws are stuck, use an impact driver (hand-held) (specialty) to break them loose.
• Pull the rotor straight off. If it’s stuck, tap around the rotor hat using a rubber mallet until it loosens.

Step 5: Prep the hub and install the new rotor

• Clean the hub face (where the rotor sits) using a wire brush and brake parts cleaner.
• Apply a very thin film of anti-seize compound to the hub face (avoid wheel studs and rotor friction surfaces).
• Install the new rotor. If you’re reusing retaining screws, install them with a Phillips #3 screwdriver snug (do not over-tighten).
• Spray both sides of the new rotor with brake parts cleaner and wipe with shop towels to remove packing oil.

Step 6: Reinstall the caliper bracket and hardware

• Install new abutment clips from the front brake hardware kit into the bracket (they “snap” into place).
• Reinstall the caliper bracket over the rotor.
• Apply a small amount of medium strength threadlocker (blue) to the bracket bolt threads.
• Install and tighten the two bracket bolts using a 17mm socket and ratchet 1/2".
• Torque to 108 Nm (80 ft-lbs) using the torque wrench 1/2".

Step 7: Install new pads (with correct lubrication)

• Apply a thin layer of brake caliper grease (silicone brake lubricant) to pad “ears” where they touch the abutment clips (do not get grease on pad friction material).
• Install the new inner and outer pads into the bracket by hand.

Step 8: Compress the caliper piston and reinstall the caliper

• Place an old brake pad against the caliper piston face.
• Use a C-clamp (6-inch minimum) to slowly push the piston fully back into the caliper.
• Go slow to avoid fluid overflow.
• Set the caliper over the new pads.
• Install the two slide pin bolts using a 12mm socket and ratchet 3/8".
• Torque to 34 Nm (25 ft-lbs) using the torque wrench 3/8".

Step 9: Reinstall wheels and torque lug nuts

• Reinstall the wheels and hand-thread lug nuts.
• Lower the Pilot off the jack stands using the floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Torque lug nuts in a star pattern using the torque wrench 1/2" and 19mm socket.
• Torque to 127 Nm (94 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• With the engine OFF, press the brake pedal 10-15 times until it feels firm.
• Check brake fluid level and top off with DOT 3 if needed.
• Start the engine and confirm the pedal feels normal (it will drop slightly with vacuum assist).
• Test at low speed first. Make sure there are no grinding noises or pulling.
• Bed-in (break-in) pads: make 6-10 moderate stops from ~40 mph down to ~10 mph, allowing a little driving between stops to cool.
• Recheck lug nut torque after 25-50 miles using the torque wrench 1/2".

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $600-$950 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $220-$420 (parts only)

You Save: $380-$530 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.