🔧 Maxima - Front Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

You’ll remove the front calipers, replace the brake pads, and swap the rotors on your Maxima. This restores braking performance and prevents vibration/pulsation caused by worn pads or warped rotors.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 2-3 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• 🛑 Support the car on jack stands—never rely on a floor jack.
• 🛑 Brakes may be hot; let everything cool before touching.
• 🛑 Do not press the brake pedal with a caliper removed.
• 🛑 Brake dust is harmful; use brake cleaner, not compressed air.
• 🛑 Watch brake fluid level—pushing pistons in can overflow 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
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Breaker bar (1/2")
• Torque wrench (1/2" drive, 20-150 ft-lbs range)
• Socket set (8mm-21mm)
• 14mm socket
• 19mm socket
• 21mm socket
• Ratchet (3/8")
• Long-handled ratchet (1/2")
• C-clamp (6")
• Brake caliper hanger hook
• Flat-blade screwdriver
• Bungee cord
• Wire brush
• Rubber mallet
• M8 x 1.25 bolts (pair, 25-40mm long)
• Small wire (or zip ties)

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Front brake pad set - Qty: 1
• Front brake rotors - Replace in pairs - Qty: 2
• Brake pad hardware kit (abutment clips) - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 2 cans
• High-temperature brake grease (silicone) - Qty: 1
• DOT 3 brake fluid - Qty: 1 quart

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📋 Before You Begin

• 🧰 Park on level ground and set the parking brake.
• 🧰 Place wheel chocks behind the rear wheels.
• 🧰 Pop the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir; loosen the cap (do not remove it fully).
• 🧰 Loosen the front wheel lug nuts 1/2 turn before lifting the car.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the front end

• Use a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) to lift at the front jacking point.
• Set the car onto jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) at the proper support points.
• Remove both front wheels using a 21mm socket and breaker bar (1/2").

Step 2: Remove the caliper (do not hang it by the hose)

• Turn the steering so you can access the caliper bolts more easily.
• Remove the two caliper slide bolts using a 14mm socket and ratchet (3/8").
• Lift the caliper off and support it with a brake caliper hanger hook or bungee cord.
• Never pull on the rubber brake hose.

Step 3: Remove old pads and hardware

• Slide the pads out of the bracket by hand; use a flat-blade screwdriver gently if stuck.
• Remove the pad abutment clips (hardware) from the bracket.
• Clean the bracket pad “tracks” with brake cleaner and a wire brush.

Step 4: Remove the caliper bracket

• Remove the two bracket-to-knuckle bolts using a 19mm socket and breaker bar (1/2").
• Set the bracket aside.
• During reassembly, install and tighten bracket bolts to Torque to 108 Nm (80 ft-lbs).

Step 5: Remove the rotor

• If the rotor is rust-stuck, spray the hub/rotor center area with brake cleaner and let it soak briefly.
• Thread the M8 x 1.25 bolts into the rotor “push-off” holes evenly (a few turns each) using a socket set (8mm-21mm) until the rotor pops loose.
• If needed, strike the rotor hat area with a rubber mallet (avoid the wheel studs).
• Remove the rotor.

Step 6: Prep the hub and install the new rotor

• Clean the hub face with a wire brush until it’s smooth (rust here can cause vibration).
• Clean the new rotor braking surfaces with brake cleaner to remove protective oil.
• Install the new rotor onto the hub and hold it in place with one lug nut hand-tight (use small wire (or zip ties) if needed to keep it from wobbling).

Step 7: Reinstall the bracket with new hardware

• Install the new abutment clips from the hardware kit onto the bracket by hand.
• Reinstall the bracket and start both bolts by hand.
• Tighten using a 19mm socket and then a torque wrench (1/2" drive, 20-150 ft-lbs range) to Torque to 108 Nm (80 ft-lbs).

Step 8: Compress the caliper piston

• A C-clamp (6") is a screw clamp used to press the piston back in.
• Place an old pad against the piston face, then use the C-clamp (6") to slowly push the piston fully into the caliper.
• Check the brake fluid reservoir under the hood—remove a little fluid if it’s getting too full (DOT 3 only).

Step 9: Install new pads and reinstall the caliper

• Apply a thin film of high-temperature brake grease (silicone) where pads touch the clips (not on pad friction material).
• Install the new inner and outer pads into the bracket by hand.
• Lower the caliper over the new pads.
• Install the caliper slide bolts using a 14mm socket.
• Tighten slide bolts with a torque wrench to Torque to 34 Nm (25 ft-lbs).

Step 10: Reinstall wheels and torque lug nuts

• Reinstall both front wheels and hand-start all lug nuts.
• Lower the car using the floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Torque lug nuts in a star pattern using a torque wrench to Torque to 113 Nm (83 ft-lbs).

Step 11: Restore pedal feel

• Before driving, pump the brake pedal 10-15 times until it feels firm.
• Top off the reservoir with DOT 3 brake fluid if needed, then tighten the cap by hand.

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✅ After Repair

• 🧪 With the engine running, hold the brake pedal for 15 seconds—pedal should stay firm.
• 🧪 Check for leaks around the calipers and hoses.
• 🧪 Bed-in (break-in) the pads/rotors: make 8-10 smooth stops from 35 mph to 5 mph, letting brakes cool 30-60 seconds between stops.
• 🧪 Avoid hard panic stops for the first 200 miles if possible.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $450-$750 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $160-$320 (parts only)

You Save: $290-$430 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 2-3 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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