🔧 Altima - Front Brake Pad Replacement

Replacing the front brake pads on your Altima involves removing the front wheels, swinging the front calipers up, swapping pads and hardware, and then reassembling everything with the correct Nissan torque specs.

Because Nissan uses different front brake hardware/torque specs depending on the front brake package (commonly tied to wheel/brake option), I need one quick detail to keep this trim-accurate.

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.
• 🛑 Support the car with jack stands; never rely on a floor jack alone.
• 🛑 Do not press the brake pedal with a caliper removed.
• 🛑 Don’t let the caliper hang by the brake hose; support it with a hook.
• 🛑 Brake dust is harmful—wear a mask and use brake cleaner, not compressed air.

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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
• Lug nut socket (size to match your lug nuts)
• Breaker bar (1/2")
• Torque wrench (20-200 ft-lbs range)
• Ratchet (3/8")
• Socket set (metric)
• Wrench set (metric)
• C-clamp or brake caliper piston compressor (specialty)
• Brake cleaner spray
• Wire brush
• Small flathead screwdriver
• Bungee cord or caliper hook (specialty)
• Nitrile gloves
• Safety glasses
• Dust mask

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Front brake pad set - Qty: 1
• Front pad hardware/clip kit - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper slide pin grease (silicone-based) - Qty: 1
• Brake parts 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 both rear tires.
• Open the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir; you’ll monitor the level as you compress the caliper piston.
• If the reservoir is very full, remove a little fluid with a suction tool so it won’t overflow when pistons are pushed back.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Confirm your front brake package (needed for exact torque specs)

• Tell me whether your Altima has 19-inch factory wheels or 17/18-inch factory wheels.
• Also tell me if you’re seeing a single-piston floating caliper (one piston on the inboard side) or something different.

Step 2: Loosen lug nuts and lift the front

• Use the lug nut socket and breaker bar to loosen the front lug nuts about 1/2 turn while the tire is on the ground.
• Lift the front with the floor jack and support with jack stands at the proper front lift/support points.
• Remove the lug nuts with the ratchet and take the wheels off.

Step 3: Remove the caliper from the bracket

• Turn the steering wheel to give yourself room to work on the side you’re doing.
• Locate the two caliper slide pin bolts on the back of the caliper.
• Use the correct metric socket or metric wrench to remove the two slide pin bolts.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket and support it using a bungee cord or caliper hook (specialty).
• Do not stretch or twist the brake hose.

Step 4: Remove old pads and hardware

• Slide the old inner and outer pads out of the bracket by hand.
• Use a small flathead screwdriver to carefully pry off the stainless pad clips (hardware) from the bracket.
• Spray the bracket pad ledges with brake cleaner spray and scrub with a wire brush until clean and smooth.

Step 5: Service caliper slide pins

• Pull the slide pins out one at a time.
• Wipe them clean and apply a thin, even coat of brake caliper slide pin grease.
• Reinsert the pins and make sure they move smoothly.

Step 6: Install new hardware and pads

• Install the new stainless hardware/clips onto the bracket (they snap into place by hand).
• Install the new pads into the bracket, matching inside vs outside pad if they differ.
• If your pad set includes a wear indicator, make sure it matches the original location.

Step 7: Compress the caliper piston

• Place one old brake pad against the caliper piston face.
• Use a C-clamp or brake caliper piston compressor (specialty) to slowly push the piston fully back into the caliper.
• Check the brake fluid reservoir level as you compress; stop if it gets close to overflowing.

Step 8: Reinstall caliper and tighten fasteners

• Set the caliper back over the new pads.
• Reinstall the caliper slide pin bolts using the correct metric socket and ratchet.
• Use the torque wrench to tighten fasteners to Nissan spec for your brake package: Torque to XX Nm (YY ft-lbs).

Step 9: Reinstall wheels

• Reinstall the wheels and hand-thread the lug nuts.
• Lower the car to the ground using the floor jack.
• Tighten lug nuts in a star pattern with a torque wrench: Torque to XX Nm (YY ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• With the engine off, pump the brake pedal 10-15 times until it feels firm.
• Check brake fluid level and top off only if needed.
• Start the engine and confirm the pedal still feels firm.
• Test at low speed first; confirm no pulling, grinding, or warning lights.
• Follow the pad manufacturer’s bedding/break-in procedure if included.

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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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