🔧 Altima - Front Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

You’ll be removing the front wheels, taking off the front brake calipers and brackets, replacing the rotors and pads, then torquing everything back to spec. This is done when pads are worn, rotors are grooved/warped, or you feel pulsation while braking.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 2-4 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Support your Altima with jack stands—never rely on a jack alone.
• ⚠️ Brakes can be hot; let everything cool before touching calipers/rotors.
• ⚠️ Do not press the brake pedal while a caliper is off the rotor.
• ⚠️ Keep brake fluid off paint; it can damage paint quickly.
• ⚠️ Use a bungee cord to hang the caliper—don’t let it dangle by the brake hose.
• ⚠️ Battery disconnect is not required for this front brake service.

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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
• Ratchet (3/8")
• Breaker bar (1/2")
• 14mm socket
• 19mm socket
• Torque wrench (10-200 ft-lbs range)
• Flathead screwdriver
• C-clamp (6")
• Wire brush
• Rubber mallet
• Bungee cord
• Brake cleaner spray
• Shop towels
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves

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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 - Qty: 2
• Front brake hardware kit (pad clips/abutments) - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper grease (silicone) - Qty: 1
• Brake fluid (DOT 3) - Qty: 1 bottle

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, turn the engine off, and set the parking brake.
• Chock both rear wheels using wheel chocks.
• Open the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir. Leave the cap on, but check the level so it doesn’t overflow when you compress the pistons.
• “Caliper bracket” is the metal mount the caliper bolts to.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Loosen lug nuts and lift the front

• Use a 21mm socket with a breaker bar (1/2") to loosen the front lug nuts 1/2 turn while the wheels are still on the ground.
• Lift the front using a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) at the correct front jacking point, then support with jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Remove the lug nuts using a 21mm socket and ratchet (3/8"), then remove the wheels.

Step 2: Remove the caliper (do not stretch the hose)

• Turn the steering wheel to give yourself more room (left side: turn wheel right; right side: turn wheel left).
• Use a 14mm socket and ratchet (3/8") to remove the two caliper slide bolts.
• Carefully lift the caliper off the pads/rotor. If it’s tight, use a flathead screwdriver to gently pry the pads back a little.
• Hang the caliper from the strut spring using a bungee cord.

Step 3: Remove the pads and caliper bracket

• Pull the old pads out of the bracket by hand.
• Use a 19mm socket with a breaker bar (1/2") to remove the two caliper bracket bolts.
• Remove the caliper bracket and set it aside on a towel.

Step 4: Remove the rotor

• Spray the rotor hat/hub area with brake cleaner spray and wipe with shop towels.
• Pull the rotor straight off. If it’s stuck from rust, tap the rotor hat using a rubber mallet until it breaks free.
• Use a wire brush to clean the hub face until it’s smooth (this helps prevent brake pulsation).

Step 5: Install the new rotor

• Clean the new rotor faces using brake cleaner spray and shop towels (this removes shipping oil).
• Place the new rotor onto the hub.
• Tip: Hand-thread one lug nut to hold rotor.

Step 6: Service the bracket hardware and reinstall the bracket

• Remove the old pad clips from the bracket (usually they slide out). Use a flathead screwdriver if needed.
• Clean the bracket pad lands with a wire brush so the new clips sit flat.
• Install the new clips from the front brake hardware kit.
• Reinstall the caliper bracket and start both bolts by hand.
• Tighten using a 19mm socket and torque wrench: Torque to 137 Nm (101 ft-lbs).

Step 7: Compress the caliper piston

• Place one old pad against the piston face, then use a C-clamp (6") to slowly push the piston fully back into the caliper.
• Go slow to avoid overflowing the reservoir.
• Remove the old pad after the piston is fully seated.
• A “piston” is the round part that pushes the pads.

Step 8: Install the new pads

• Apply a thin layer of brake caliper grease (silicone) to pad backing contact points and where pads slide in the clips.
• Do not get grease on the pad friction material or rotor face. If you do, clean with brake cleaner spray.
• Install the new inner and outer pads into the bracket.

Step 9: Reinstall the caliper

• Lower the caliper over the new pads/rotor.
• If it won’t fit, the piston isn’t compressed fully—use the C-clamp (6") again.
• Install the slide bolts using a 14mm socket and torque wrench: Torque to 34 Nm (25 ft-lbs).

Step 10: Reinstall wheels and torque lug nuts

• Reinstall the wheels and hand-thread all lug nuts.
• Lower the vehicle off the jack stands using the floor jack.
• Tighten lug nuts in a star pattern using a 21mm socket and torque wrench: Torque to 113 Nm (83 ft-lbs).

Step 11: Repeat on the other front wheel

• Repeat Steps 2–10 on the other side. Use the same tools and torque specs.

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✅ After Repair

• Before starting the car, pump the brake pedal 10–15 times until it feels firm.
• Check the brake fluid level at the reservoir and top off with brake fluid (DOT 3) if needed.
• Start the engine and confirm the pedal feels normal (it may drop slightly with power assist).
• Test drive at low speed first. Listen for grinding and confirm straight, smooth braking.
• Brake bed-in (recommended): make 6–10 moderate stops from 35–10 mph, with 30 seconds between stops. Avoid hard stops for the first 200 miles.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $450-$900 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $160-$400 (parts only)

You Save: $290-$500 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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