🔧 Altima - Front Brake Pad Replacement

You’ll remove the front wheels, swing the front brake calipers out of the way, and replace the old pads with new ones. Then you’ll compress the caliper piston so everything fits back together and torque the hardware correctly to keep braking safe and quiet.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 1.5-3 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Support your Altima with jack stands before working; never rely on a floor jack alone.
• ⚠️ Keep hands/tools away from orange high-voltage cables (hybrid system). You do not need to touch anything high-voltage for this job.
• ⚠️ Do not press the brake pedal while a caliper is off the rotor.
• ⚠️ Brake dust is harmful; use brake cleaner and avoid blowing dust with compressed air.
• ⚠️ Brake fluid can damage paint; wipe spills immediately.
• Battery disconnect is not required for front pads on your Altima.

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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, pair)
• Wheel chocks
• 21mm socket
• 14mm socket
• 19mm socket
• Ratchet (3/8" drive)
• Breaker bar (1/2" drive)
• Torque wrench (10–200 Nm range)
• C-clamp (6" or larger)
• Flat-blade screwdriver
• Bungee cord
• Wire brush
• Turkey baster
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves

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🔩 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
• High-temp silicone brake grease - Qty: 1
• Front brake rotors - Replace in pairs if needed - Qty: 2

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, shift to P, and set the parking brake.
• Place wheel chocks behind the rear wheels.
• Open the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir (driver side). If it’s near MAX, use a turkey baster to remove a little fluid so it won’t overflow when you push the piston back.
• Loosen the front wheel lug nuts about 1/2 turn with a 21mm socket and breaker bar before lifting.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the front end

• Lift the front of your Altima with a floor jack at the front jacking point.
• Set the vehicle onto jack stands under the proper support points.
• Remove the front wheels using a 21mm socket.

Step 2: Remove the caliper bolts

• Turn the steering wheel to give yourself space (left for right side, right for left side).
• On the back of the caliper, remove the two slide-pin bolts using a 14mm socket and ratchet.
• Carefully lift the caliper off the rotor.
• Hang the caliper from the strut spring with a bungee cord so it doesn’t hang by the brake hose. Never let the caliper dangle.

Step 3: Remove the old pads and hardware

• Slide the old pads out by hand. If they’re stuck, gently pry with a flat-blade screwdriver.
• Remove the old pad clips/shims from the caliper bracket using a flat-blade screwdriver.
• “Caliper bracket” = the fixed metal frame the pads sit in.

Step 4: Clean and prep the bracket

• Spray the bracket pad-landing areas with brake parts cleaner.
• Lightly scrub rust buildup where the clips sit using a wire brush.
• Install the new hardware clips/shims by hand (they should snap/seat flat).

Step 5: Compress the caliper piston

• Place one old brake pad against the piston face.
• Use a C-clamp (6" or larger) to slowly push the piston all the way back into the caliper.
• Go slowly and watch the brake fluid reservoir level under the hood.

Step 6: Install the new brake pads

• Apply a thin film of high-temp silicone brake grease to the pad ears/ends where they contact the clips (do not get grease on pad friction material).
• Install the new pads into the bracket by hand (they should slide freely).
• If your pad set includes a wear indicator (“squealer”), install it on the same side/position as the original.

Step 7: Reinstall the caliper and torque fasteners

• Lower the caliper over the new pads by hand.
• Install and tighten the slide-pin bolts using a 14mm socket and ratchet.
• Torque to 34 Nm (25 ft-lbs).
• If you removed the caliper bracket (only needed for rotor replacement), reinstall bracket bolts with a 19mm socket and torque wrench and Torque to 108 Nm (80 ft-lbs).

Step 8: Reinstall wheels and torque lug nuts

• Reinstall the wheels and hand-tighten lug nuts.
• Lower your Altima off the jack stands using the floor jack.
• Use a torque wrench with a 21mm socket to tighten lug nuts in a star pattern.
• Torque to 113 Nm (83 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• With the vehicle on the ground, pump the brake pedal slowly 10–15 times until it feels firm (this seats the pads).
• Check brake fluid level and top off to MAX only if needed.
• Start your Altima and do a low-speed test brake in a safe area.
• Pad break-in: do 6–10 smooth stops from ~50 km/h to 15 km/h, allowing short cool-down between stops. Avoid hard panic stops for the first 200 km.
• Listen for grinding or pulling; if present, stop and recheck pad seating and hardware clips.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: ₹6,000-₹14,000 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: ₹2,500-₹7,500 (parts only)

You Save: ₹3,500-₹6,500 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run ₹800-₹2,000/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.0-1.5 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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