🔧 Impreza - Front Brake Pad Replacement

You’ll remove the front wheels, swing the front brake calipers up, swap the old pads for new ones, then compress the caliper piston so everything fits back together. This restores safe stopping power and prevents metal-to-metal grinding that can ruin the rotors.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 1.5-3.0 hours

Assumption: your Impreza has the standard front sliding caliper setup.

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on level ground, and support the car with jack stands before going under/working at the wheel.
• ⚠️ Do not press the brake pedal while a caliper is off the rotor.
• ⚠️ Brake dust is unhealthy—use brake cleaner, not compressed air.
• ⚠️ Keep grease and brake fluid off pad friction material and rotor faces.
• ⚠️ Check brake fluid level before and after compressing pistons; it can overflow.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (pair, rated 2-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks (pair)
• 19mm socket
• Breaker bar (1/2" drive)
• Torque wrench (10-200 Nm range)
• 14mm socket
• 17mm socket
• Ratchet (3/8" drive)
• Flathead screwdriver
• Brake caliper piston compressor (specialty)
• Bungee cord
• Wire brush
• Micrometer or brake rotor gauge (specialty)
• 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 pad hardware kit (clips/shims) - Qty: 1
• Brake parts cleaner - Qty: 1 can
• Silicone brake grease - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, put the transmission in 1st gear, and set the parking brake.
• Place wheel chocks behind the rear wheels.
• Loosen the front wheel lug nuts about 1/2 turn using a 19mm socket and breaker bar.
• Open the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir. If it’s near “MAX,” remove a little fluid first to prevent overflow when you compress the pistons.
• A torque wrench tightens bolts accurately.
• A piston compressor pushes the caliper piston back in safely.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the front of the car

• Use a floor jack to lift the front at the approved front jacking point.
• Set the car onto jack stands and gently shake the car to confirm it’s stable.
• Remove the wheels using a 19mm socket and ratchet.

Step 2: Inspect the caliper and pads

• Turn the steering wheel to give yourself more room at the caliper.
• Look for torn rubber boots on the slide pins and any brake fluid leaks.
• Spray loose dust with brake parts cleaner (let it drip dry).

Step 3: Remove the caliper (do not let it hang)

• Remove the two caliper slide-pin bolts using a 14mm socket and ratchet.
• Lift the caliper up and off the rotor.
• Support the caliper from the strut spring with a bungee cord.
• Torque spec (reinstall): Torque to 27 Nm (20 ft-lbs)

Step 4: Remove old pads and hardware

• Pull the inner and outer pads out of the bracket by hand. Use a flathead screwdriver gently if they’re stuck.
• Remove the stainless pad clips/hardware from the bracket.
• Clean the bracket pad “lands” (where clips sit) using a wire brush.

Step 5: Check rotor condition

• Inspect both sides of the rotor for deep grooves, cracks, or blue/purple heat spots.
• Measure rotor thickness using a micrometer or brake rotor gauge (specialty).
• If rotors are below spec, cracked, or heavily grooved, replace the rotors (pads alone won’t fix that).

Step 6: Install new hardware and pads

• Install the new pad clips into the bracket by hand.
• Apply a thin film of silicone brake grease to the clip contact points (where the pad ears slide). Do not get grease on the pad friction surface.
• Install the new pads into the bracket. They should slide freely with light hand pressure.
• If pads feel tight, re-clean the lands.

Step 7: Compress the caliper piston

• Place the old inner pad against the piston face.
• Use a brake caliper piston compressor (specialty) to slowly push the piston fully back into the caliper.
• Watch the brake fluid reservoir while compressing; stop if it’s close to overflowing.

Step 8: Reinstall the caliper

• Lower the caliper over the new pads.
• Install the caliper slide-pin bolts by hand first (to avoid cross-threading), then tighten using a 14mm socket and torque wrench.
• Torque to 27 Nm (20 ft-lbs)

Step 9: Reinstall wheels

• Put the wheels back on and hand-thread the lug nuts.
• Lower the car to the ground using the floor jack.
• Tighten lug nuts in a star pattern using a 19mm socket and torque wrench.
• Torque to 120 Nm (89 ft-lbs)

Step 10: Restore pedal feel before driving

• With the engine OFF, press the brake pedal 10-15 times until it feels firm.
• Check brake fluid level and top off only if needed.
• Do a final visual check around both calipers for anything loose.

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✅ After Repair

• Start the engine and confirm the brake pedal feels normal (it will drop slightly with vacuum assist, but should stay firm).
• Test at low speed first (5-10 mph) in a safe area to confirm normal stopping.
• Bed-in (break-in) the pads: do 6-10 moderate stops from ~35 mph to ~5 mph, with light driving between stops to cool. Avoid hard stops for the first 200 miles.
• Recheck lug nut torque with a torque wrench after 50-100 miles.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

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

DIY Cost: $50-$140 (parts only)

You Save: $200-$310 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.

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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.