🔧 Fusion - Front Brake Pad Replacement

You’ll remove the front caliper, swap in new pads (and hardware clips), then reassemble and torque everything correctly. This restores braking performance and helps prevent noise and uneven wear.

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

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• 🛑 Support the car with jack stands; never rely on a jack.
• 🛑 Brake dust is harmful—use brake cleaner, not compressed air.
• 🛑 Do not let the caliper hang by the brake hose; support it.
• 🛑 Keep grease off pad friction surfaces and the rotor.
• 🛑 If brake fluid is near “MAX,” it may overflow when compressing the piston—monitor the reservoir.

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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
• 21mm socket
• Ratchet
• Breaker bar
• Torque wrench (20-200 Nm range)
• 13mm socket
• 15mm wrench
• 7mm hex bit socket
• 18mm socket
• C-clamp or brake caliper piston compressor (specialty)
• Bungee cord or mechanics wire
• Flathead screwdriver
• Wire brush
• Brake cleaner spray
• 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 (abutment clips) - Qty: 1
• Brake lubricant (silicone brake grease) - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 1
• Brake fluid (DOT 4 LV) - Qty: 1 bottle

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📋 Before You Begin

• 🧱 Park on level ground, set the parking brake, and chock the rear wheels.
• 🔓 Crack the front lug nuts loose 1/2 turn using a 21mm socket and breaker bar before lifting.
• 🧴 Open the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir so you can watch the fluid level while compressing the caliper piston.
• 🧰 Set out your new pads and hardware so you can match their shape to the old parts.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and remove the front wheels

• Use a floor jack to lift the front of the car at the proper front lift point.
• Place jack stands under solid support points and lower onto the stands.
• Remove lug nuts with a 21mm socket and ratchet, then remove the wheel.

Step 2: Locate the caliper bolts (2 common styles)

• Look at the back side of the caliper for the two slide/guide pin bolts.
• Style A: bolts have an outside hex head—use a 13mm socket and hold the pin with a 15mm wrench if it tries to spin.
• Style B: bolts are internal hex—use a 7mm hex bit socket.
• Use whichever tool matches your bolt style.

Step 3: Remove the caliper and support it

• Remove the two caliper slide/guide pin bolts using either a 13mm socket (and 15mm wrench if needed) or a 7mm hex bit socket.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket. If it’s tight, gently pry with a flathead screwdriver.
• Hang the caliper from the strut spring with a bungee cord or mechanics wire.

Step 4: Remove old pads and hardware clips

• Slide the old pads out of the bracket by hand.
• Remove the stainless hardware/abutment clips from the bracket (they usually pop out) using a flathead screwdriver.

Step 5: Clean and prep the bracket

• Spray the bracket pad-contact areas with brake cleaner spray.
• Use a wire brush to clean rust from the clip “seats” (where the clips sit).
• Install the new hardware/abutment clips by hand, making sure they fully snap into place.

Step 6: Compress the caliper piston

• Remove the master cylinder cap (at the brake fluid reservoir) by hand so fluid can move more easily.
• Use a C-clamp or brake caliper piston compressor (specialty) to slowly press the piston straight back into the caliper. (This tool pushes the piston back so the thicker new pads will fit.)
• Watch the brake fluid level as you compress. If it gets too high, remove a little fluid (do not overfill later).

Step 7: Lubricate contact points (not the friction surfaces)

• Apply a thin film of brake lubricant (silicone brake grease) to the pad “ears” where they touch the hardware clips.
• If your pad set includes new caliper slide/guide pin boots or you removed pins for cleaning, apply a light coat of brake lubricant to the smooth pin surfaces only.
• Keep grease off pad/rotor faces.

Step 8: Install new pads and reinstall the caliper

• Install the new inner and outer pads into the bracket by hand.
• Lower the caliper over the new pads. If it won’t fit, re-check that the piston is fully compressed.
• Install the two caliper slide/guide pin bolts using either a 13mm socket (hold with 15mm wrench if needed) or a 7mm hex bit socket.
• Tighten caliper slide/guide pin bolts with a torque wrench: Torque to 35 Nm (26 ft-lbs).

Step 9: If you removed the caliper bracket (only if necessary)

• If you chose to remove the caliper bracket for cleaning, remove/install bracket bolts using an 18mm socket.
• Tighten bracket bolts with a torque wrench: Torque to 115 Nm (85 ft-lbs).

Step 10: Reinstall wheels and torque lug nuts

• Reinstall the wheel and hand-thread the lug nuts.
• Lower the car off the stands using the floor jack.
• Tighten lug nuts in a star pattern with a torque wrench: Torque to 135 Nm (100 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• 🦶 With the engine OFF, slowly pump the brake pedal until it feels firm (this seats the pads against the rotors).
• 🧴 Check brake fluid level and top off only if needed using DOT 4 LV.
• 👂 Start the engine and confirm the pedal stays firm and the car stops normally at low speed.
• 🛣️ Pad bedding (recommended): make 6-10 moderate stops from ~30 mph down to ~5 mph, allowing a little cooling between stops. Avoid hard stops for the first 200 miles.
• 🔎 Recheck lug nut torque after 25-50 miles using a torque wrench.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

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

DIY Cost: $60-$160 (parts only)

You Save: $190-$290 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.