🔧 Palisade - Front Brake Pad Replacement

Your Palisade’s front brake pads sit inside the front brake calipers and clamp the rotor (disc) to slow the SUV. Replacing worn pads restores braking performance and prevents metal-to-metal rotor damage.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 1.5-2.5 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on level ground and chock the rear wheels before lifting the front.
• ⚠️ Never get under a vehicle supported only by a jack; use jack stands.
• ⚠️ Brake dust is irritating—avoid blowing dust; use brake cleaner and a drip pan.
• ⚠️ Do not press the brake pedal with a caliper removed.
• ⚠️ Brake fluid can damage paint; wipe spills immediately.

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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 (20-200 ft-lbs range)
• 14mm socket
• 17mm socket
• Ratchet (3/8" or 1/2" drive)
• Caliper piston compressor tool (specialty)
• Flat-blade screwdriver
• Bungee cord
• Wire brush
• Brake cleaner spray
• Shop towels
• 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 - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper grease (silicone) - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on a flat surface, shift to Park, and set the parking brake.
• Chock both rear wheels using wheel chocks.
• Loosen the front wheel lug nuts slightly while the wheels are still on the ground.
• Open the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir; keep the cap loosely set on top (do not remove it completely yet). Helps fluid move when compressing pistons.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift the front and remove the wheels

• Use a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) to lift the front at the proper jacking point.
• Place jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) under the proper support points and lower onto the stands.
• Remove the lug nuts using a 21mm socket and breaker bar, then remove both front wheels.

Step 2: Access the front brake caliper

• Turn the steering wheel to give yourself more room (turn left to work on the right side, and right to work on the left side).
• Look at the caliper: the caliper is the clamp that holds the pads; it slides on “guide pins” (the smooth pins the caliper moves on).

Step 3: Remove the caliper guide pin bolts

• Use a 14mm socket and ratchet to remove the two caliper guide pin bolts.
• Carefully lift the caliper off the bracket.
• Support the caliper with a bungee cord so it’s not hanging by the brake hose.
• When reinstalling later: Torque to 35-44 Nm (26-32 ft-lbs).

Step 4: Remove the old pads and hardware

• Pull the inner and outer pads out of the bracket by hand.
• Remove the stainless pad clips (hardware) from the bracket using a flat-blade screwdriver.
• Use brake cleaner spray and shop towels to clean the bracket contact areas.

Step 5: Compress the caliper piston

• Place an old pad against the piston face, then use a caliper piston compressor tool (specialty) to slowly push the piston back into the caliper.
• A “piston” is the round hydraulic plunger that pushes the inner pad.
• Watch the brake fluid reservoir as you compress; if it rises near the top, remove a little fluid with a towel (do not overflow).
• Go slow to protect seals.

Step 6: Install new pad hardware and grease the contact points

• Install the new pad clips from the brake pad hardware kit into the bracket (snap them in by hand).
• Apply a thin film of brake caliper grease (silicone) to the pad “ears” where they slide in the clips.
• Do not get grease on the pad friction material or rotor.

Step 7: Install the new pads

• Install the new inner and outer pads into the bracket by hand.
• If your pad set includes a wear indicator, install it on the same side as the original (typically the inner pad).

Step 8: Reinstall the caliper over the new pads

• Swing the caliper back over the pads and align it with the guide pin holes.
• Start the guide pin bolts by hand to avoid cross-threading.
• Tighten using a 14mm socket and torque wrench: Torque to 35-44 Nm (26-32 ft-lbs).

Step 9: Reinstall wheels and torque lug nuts

• Reinstall the wheels and hand-thread all lug nuts.
• Lower the vehicle off the jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) using the floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Torque lug nuts in a star pattern using a 21mm socket and torque wrench: Torque to 115-135 Nm (85-100 ft-lbs).

Step 10: Restore brake pedal and check fluid level

• With the engine OFF, press the brake pedal slowly 8–12 times until it feels firm. This seats pads against rotors.
• Check the brake fluid level at the reservoir and top off only if needed (use the correct DOT fluid listed on the reservoir cap).
• Clean any spilled fluid with shop towels.

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✅ After Repair

• Start the engine and confirm the brake pedal stays firm (it may drop slightly with booster assist).
• Do a slow test in a safe area: 5–10 gentle stops from 30 km/h (20 mph).
• Avoid hard braking for the first 200 km (125 miles) unless needed. Helps pads bed-in evenly.
• Listen for abnormal grinding or pull; recheck your work if anything feels off.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: ₹9,000-₹18,000 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: ₹3,500-₹9,000 (parts only)

You Save: ₹5,500-₹9,000 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run ₹1,500-₹3,000/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.5-2.0 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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