🔧 Focus - Front Brake Pad Replacement

You’ll be removing the front wheels, swinging the front brake calipers out of the way, swapping the old pads for new ones, then reassembling everything with the correct torque. Brake pads wear out over time, and replacing them restores safe stopping power and prevents rotor damage.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 1.0-2.0 hours

Assumption: your Focus has the common single-piston front calipers.

---

⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• 🛑 Work on a flat surface and support the car with jack stands—never rely on a jack alone.
• 🧤 Wear nitrile gloves and safety glasses; brake dust and cleaner are irritating.
• 🔥 Brakes can be very hot after driving—let everything cool before touching.
• 🧷 Do not let the caliper hang by the brake hose; support it with a bungee cord.
• 🧴 Keep grease off pad friction material and rotor faces.

---

🔧 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
• 19mm socket
• Breaker bar (1/2" drive)
• Torque wrench (10-200 ft-lbs range)
• 7mm hex bit socket
• 15mm socket
• Ratchet (3/8" drive)
• C-clamp (6")
• Flathead screwdriver (medium)
• Bungee cord
• Wire brush (small)
• Catch pan
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves

---

🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Front brake pad set - Qty: 1
• Front brake pad hardware kit (clips/shims) - Qty: 1
• Brake parts cleaner - Qty: 1
• Silicone brake lubricant - Qty: 1

---

📋 Before You Begin

• 🅿️ Park on level ground, put the transmission in 1st gear, and set the parking brake.
• 🧱 Place wheel chocks behind the rear tires.
• 🔧 Crack the front lug nuts loose 1/4 turn using a 19mm socket and breaker bar before lifting.
• 🧴 Open the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir; if it’s very full, be ready for fluid rise when you compress the caliper piston.

---

🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the front end

• Use a floor jack to lift the front of your Focus at the proper front jack point.
• Set the car down onto jack stands and lightly shake the car to confirm it’s stable.

Step 2: Remove the front wheels

• Remove lug nuts using a 19mm socket and ratchet (or breaker bar if tight).
• Remove both front wheels and set them under the rocker panel as an extra safety backup.

Step 3: Locate the caliper and remove the slide pin bolts

• Turn the steering slightly for access if needed, then find the two caliper slide pin bolts on the back of the caliper.
• Remove the slide pin bolts using a 7mm hex bit socket and ratchet.
• Slide pins are the small bolts the caliper “glides” on.

Step 4: Swing the caliper up and support it

• Carefully lift/swing the caliper off the pads.
• Hang the caliper from the strut spring using a bungee cord so the hose isn’t stretched.

Step 5: Remove old pads and hardware

• Pull the inner and outer pads out by hand.
• Remove the old pad clips/hardware from the caliper bracket using a flathead screwdriver.
• Clean the bracket pad “tracks” (where the pad ears slide) using a wire brush.
• Spray the area with brake parts cleaner, catching runoff in a catch pan.

Step 6: Compress the caliper piston

• Place one old pad against the piston face.
• Use a C-clamp (6") to slowly press the piston back into the caliper until it bottoms.
• Watch the brake fluid reservoir while you compress; stop if it looks like it may overflow.
• Go slow to avoid damaging seals.

Step 7: Install new hardware and lubricate contact points

• Install the new clips from the hardware kit onto the bracket by hand.
• Apply a thin layer of silicone brake lubricant where pad ears contact the clips (metal-to-metal only).
• Do not get lubricant on the rotor face or pad friction material.

Step 8: Install the new pads

• Install the new inner and outer pads into the bracket by hand.
• If your inner pad has a wear indicator or spring, it typically goes on the inside (piston side).

Step 9: Reinstall the caliper and torque fasteners

• Swing the caliper back over the new pads.
• Install the caliper slide pin bolts using a 7mm hex bit socket and ratchet.
• Torque the front caliper slide pin bolts to 27 Nm (20 ft-lbs) using a torque wrench.

Step 10: Repeat on the other front wheel

• Repeat Steps 3–9 on the other front brake.
• Always replace pads on both sides of the axle (left and right) as a pair.

Step 11: Reinstall wheels and torque lug nuts

• Install the wheels and hand-thread the lug nuts.
• Lower the car off the jack stands using the floor jack.
• Torque the lug nuts to 135 Nm (100 ft-lbs) in a star pattern using a torque wrench and 19mm socket.

---

✅ After Repair

• 🦶 With the engine off, press the brake pedal 10–15 times until it feels firm (this seats the pistons against the new pads).
• 🧴 Check brake fluid level; top off only if needed (use the correct DOT brake fluid listed on the reservoir cap).
• 👂 On a slow test drive, listen for grinding, clunks, or pulling; stop and re-check your work if anything feels wrong.
• 🛣️ Brake pad break-in: make 6–10 moderate stops from ~35 mph to 5 mph, with cool-down time between stops. Avoid hard panic stops for the first 150–200 miles.

---

💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $250-$450 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $40-$120 (parts only)

You Save: $210-$330 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.0-1.5 hours.

---

🎯 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.