🔧 Fit - Front Brake Pad Replacement

Replacing the front brake pads on your Fit restores safe stopping power and prevents rotor damage when pads get thin. You’ll remove the front caliper, swap pads, compress the caliper piston, then reassemble and torque everything correctly.

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

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on level ground and support the car with jack stands (never the jack alone).
• ⚠️ Brake dust is harmful—wear a mask and avoid blowing dust with compressed air.
• ⚠️ Don’t let the brake caliper hang by the brake hose—support it with a hook or bungee.
• ⚠️ Keep grease and brake fluid off pad/rotor friction surfaces.
• 🔋 Battery disconnect is not required for this repair.

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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)
• Wheel chocks
• 19mm socket
• Breaker bar (1/2")
• Torque wrench (20-150 ft-lbs)
• Ratchet (3/8")
• 12mm socket
• 17mm socket
• C-clamp (6")
• Brake caliper hanger hook (specialty)
• Flat trim tool
• 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
• Brake pad hardware kit (clips/shims) - Qty: 1
• Silicone brake grease - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 1
• Front brake rotors - Qty: 2 (optional, replace in pairs)

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, put the transmission in 1st gear, and set the parking brake.
• Chock the rear wheels with wheel chocks.
• Crack the front lug nuts loose before lifting the car using a 19mm socket and breaker bar.
• Pop the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir. Do not remove fluid unless it’s near the MAX line (fluid rises when pistons are pushed back).

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift the front and remove the wheel

• Lift the front with a floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum) at the front center jacking point, then support with jack stands (rated 2-ton minimum).
• Remove lug nuts using a 19mm socket and take the wheel off.

Step 2: Locate the caliper and remove the caliper slide bolts

• Turn the steering wheel to give yourself room (left side: wheel turned right; right side: wheel turned left).
• Remove the two caliper slide bolts using a 12mm socket and ratchet (3/8").
• Lift the caliper off the bracket. Support it with a brake caliper hanger hook (specialty).
• A hanger prevents hose damage.

Step 3: Remove old pads and hardware

• Slide the old pads out of the bracket by hand. If stuck, gently pry with a flat trim tool.
• Remove the pad clips/hardware from the bracket (if your new pads include new clips, replace them).
• Clean the bracket contact areas with brake cleaner spray and a wire brush.

Step 4: Compress the caliper piston

• Place an old pad against the piston, then compress the piston slowly using a C-clamp (6").
• A C-clamp is a screw clamp that pushes the piston back evenly.
• Watch the brake fluid level while compressing. If it gets too high, stop and remove a small amount (don’t spill on paint).

Step 5: Service the slide pins and install new hardware

• Pull the caliper slide pins out (they slide out by hand once the caliper is off).
• Wipe old grease off, then apply a thin coat of silicone brake grease to each pin and reinstall them.
• Install the new pad clips/hardware into the bracket (same positions as removed).

Step 6: Install the new pads

• Install the new inner and outer pads into the bracket by hand.
• Apply a very thin film of silicone brake grease only where the pad backing contacts the clips (not on the pad friction material).

Step 7: Reinstall the caliper and torque fasteners

• Lower the caliper over the new pads and align the slide bolt holes.
• Install the caliper slide bolts using a 12mm socket, then tighten with a torque wrench (20-150 ft-lbs): Torque to 34 Nm (25 ft-lbs).
• If you removed the caliper bracket (only if needed for rotor replacement), tighten bracket bolts with a 17mm socket: Torque to 108 Nm (80 ft-lbs).

Step 8: Reinstall the wheel and torque lug nuts

• Reinstall the wheel and hand-thread the lug nuts.
• Lower the car and torque lug nuts in a star pattern using a torque wrench (20-150 ft-lbs) and 19mm socket: Torque to 108 Nm (80 ft-lbs).

Step 9: Repeat on the other front wheel

• Repeat Steps 1–8 on the other side. Always replace front pads as a pair.

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✅ After Repair

• With the engine OFF, pump the brake pedal slowly 10–15 times until it feels firm.
• Check brake fluid level and top off only if needed.
• Start the engine and confirm the pedal feels normal (it will drop slightly with brake booster assist).
• Test drive at low speed first. Do a gentle bed-in: 6–10 moderate stops from 30 mph to 5 mph, with cool-down driving between stops.
• Recheck lug nut torque after a short drive using a torque wrench (20-150 ft-lbs).

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

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

DIY Cost: $45-$140 (parts only)

You Save: $110-$405 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.