🔧 Cadenza - Front Brake Pad Replacement

You’ll remove the front wheels, swing the brake calipers up, swap the old pads for new ones, then reassemble and torque everything correctly. This restores safe braking and prevents rotor damage when pads are worn.

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

Assumption: Factory front single-piston sliding calipers.

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• 🧯 Work on a level surface and support the car with jack stands before removing any brake parts.
• 🛑 Do not press the brake pedal with the caliper removed or you can pop the piston out.
• 🧤 Brake dust is harmful; avoid blowing it out and use brake cleaner instead.
• 🔥 Brakes can be hot after driving; let them cool completely.
• 🔋 Battery disconnect is not required for this job.

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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
• 1/2" drive breaker bar
• 1/2" drive torque wrench (20-150 ft-lbs range)
• 14mm socket
• 17mm socket
• 3/8" drive ratchet
• 3/8" drive torque wrench (10-80 ft-lbs range)
• Flathead screwdriver
• C-clamp (6")
• Wire hook or bungee cord
• Brake parts 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 (clips/shims) - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper grease (silicone) - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - 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 the rear wheels.
• 🛞 Break the front lug nuts loose 1/4 turn using a 21mm socket and breaker bar before lifting.
• 🧴 Open the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir; leave the cap on but be ready for fluid level to rise when you compress the pistons.
• 🪝 Set out a wire hook or bungee cord; you’ll hang the caliper so the brake hose isn’t strained (the hose is the rubber line feeding the caliper).

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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 (rated 3-ton minimum) to lift at the front center jacking point.
• Place jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) under the front pinch welds or specified support points and lower the car onto them.
• Give the car a gentle shake to confirm it’s stable.

Step 2: Remove the front wheels

• Remove lug nuts with a 21mm socket and 1/2" drive breaker bar.
• Remove the wheel and slide it under the rocker panel as a backup safety measure.

Step 3: Access the caliper and pads

• Turn the steering knuckle for access (turn the steering wheel left for the right side, right for the left side).
• Use a flathead screwdriver to gently pry the caliper outward a tiny amount to create room (do not gouge the rotor).

Step 4: Remove the caliper slide bolts

• Remove the two caliper slide (guide) bolts using a 14mm socket and 3/8" drive ratchet.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket and hang it using a wire hook or bungee cord.
• Never let the caliper hang by the hose.

Step 5: Remove the old brake pads and hardware

• Pull the pads out of the bracket by hand.
• Remove the pad clips/hardware from the bracket using a flathead screwdriver.
• Spray the bracket pad “lands” (where clips sit) using brake parts cleaner spray and wipe clean.

Step 6: Compress the caliper piston

• Place an old pad against the piston face.
• Use a C-clamp (6") to slowly push the piston straight back into the caliper until it bottoms.
• Check the brake fluid reservoir level as you compress; remove a little fluid if it gets too high.
• Go slow to avoid damaging the master cylinder.

Step 7: Service the slide pins (recommended)

• Pull the slide pins out of the bracket by hand.
• Clean and lightly grease them with brake caliper grease (silicone), then reinstall.
• A slide pin is the smooth bolt/pin the caliper moves on; it must glide freely.

Step 8: Install new pad hardware and pads

• Install new pad clips from the hardware kit into the bracket by hand.
• Apply a thin film of brake caliper grease (silicone) where the pad ears touch the clips (do not get grease on pad friction material or rotor).
• Install the new inner and outer pads into the bracket.

Step 9: Reinstall the caliper

• Lower the caliper over the new pads.
• Install the slide bolts by hand first to avoid cross-threading.
• Tighten slide bolts with a 14mm socket and 3/8" drive torque wrench.
• Torque to 28 Nm (21 ft-lbs)

Step 10: If you removed the caliper bracket (only if needed)

• If you had to remove the bracket for any reason, reinstall bracket bolts using a 17mm socket and 1/2" drive torque wrench.
• Torque to 88 Nm (65 ft-lbs)

Step 11: Reinstall wheels and torque lug nuts

• Reinstall the wheel and hand-thread lug nuts.
• Snug lug nuts in a star pattern using a 21mm socket and breaker bar.
• Lower the car using the floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Torque lug nuts in a star pattern with a 1/2" drive torque wrench (20-150 ft-lbs range).
• Torque to 113 Nm (83 ft-lbs)

Step 12: Repeat on the other front wheel

• Repeat the same procedure for the other side.
• Do one side at a time for reference.

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✅ After Repair

• 🦶 With the car on the ground, pump the brake pedal 10-15 times until it feels firm (this seats the pads against the rotors).
• 🧪 Check brake fluid level and top off if needed with the correct DOT brake fluid listed on the reservoir cap.
• 🔍 Look around each caliper for leaks, twisted hoses, or anything left loose.
• 🚗 Bed-in (break-in) the pads: make 6-10 moderate stops from ~30-35 mph down to ~5 mph, allowing 30-60 seconds between stops for cooling.
• 🎧 On the first drive, listen for abnormal grinding or pulling; stop and re-check if anything feels wrong.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

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

DIY Cost: $60-$180 (parts only)

You Save: $190-$270 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?

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