🔧 Altima - Rear Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

You’ll remove the rear wheels, unbolt the rear calipers, replace the pads and rotors, then reinstall everything and bed-in the new brakes. On your Altima, the rear caliper piston must be rotated while pushing in, because the parking brake mechanism is built into the caliper.

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

Assumption: Stock rear disc brakes (no electronic parking brake).

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on level ground and support the car with jack stands (never the jack alone).
• ⚠️ Chock the front wheels and release the parking brake before starting (rear brakes won’t come off if it’s applied).
• ⚠️ Brake dust is harmful—use brake cleaner, not compressed air.
• ⚠️ Don’t press the brake pedal with a caliper removed (the piston can pop out).
• ⚠️ Watch the brake fluid level while compressing pistons—remove some with a suction tool if it’s near MAX.

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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 (20-150 ft-lbs)
• 14mm socket
• 19mm socket
• 3/8" drive ratchet
• 6" extension (3/8")
• Torque wrench (10-80 ft-lbs)
• Flathead screwdriver
• Needle-nose pliers
• Brake caliper wind-back tool (specialty)
• Caliper hanger hook (specialty)
• Wire brush
• Rubber mallet
• Brake cleaner spray
• Shop towels
• Nitrile gloves
• Safety glasses
• Turkey baster or fluid suction syringe (specialty)

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Rear brake pad set - Qty: 1
• Rear brake rotors - Qty: 2
• Rear pad hardware/clip kit - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper slide pin grease (silicone-based) - Qty: 1
• Brake parts cleaner - Qty: 2 cans
• Anti-seize compound - Qty: 1
• DOT 3 brake fluid - Qty: 1 quart

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, put the shifter in Park, and turn the engine off.
• Release the parking brake fully (your Altima uses a mechanical parking brake).
• Place wheel chocks in front of both front tires.
• Open the hood and check the brake fluid reservoir level; keep the cap loosely set on top.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Loosen lug nuts and lift the rear

• Use a 21mm socket and breaker bar to loosen the rear lug nuts 1/2 turn (do not remove yet).
• Use a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) to lift the rear at the proper rear jacking point.
• Set the car down on jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum).

Step 2: Remove the rear wheels

• Remove the lug nuts with a 21mm socket and 3/8" drive ratchet.
• Remove both rear wheels and set them aside.

Step 3: Remove the rear caliper (do not let it hang)

• Turn the steering wheel straight and look at the rear caliper.
• Use a 14mm socket with a 3/8" drive ratchet and 6" extension (3/8") to remove the two caliper slide pin bolts.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket and support it using a caliper hanger hook (specialty).
• Tip: Hang it from the spring—never the brake hose.

Step 4: Remove the old pads and hardware

• Remove the inner and outer pads by hand; use a flathead screwdriver gently if needed.
• Remove the pad hardware clips from the bracket using needle-nose pliers or a flathead screwdriver.
• Clean the pad “shelves” on the bracket with a wire brush and spray with brake cleaner spray.

Step 5: Remove the caliper bracket

• Use a 19mm socket and breaker bar to remove the two caliper bracket bolts (they’re tight).
• Remove the bracket and set it aside.
• On reassembly: Torque to 98 Nm (72 ft-lbs).

Step 6: Remove the rotor

• If the rotor is stuck, spray the hub/rotor center area with brake cleaner spray and tap around the rotor hat with a rubber mallet until it breaks free.
• Remove the rotor.

Step 7: Clean and install the new rotor

• Clean the new rotor faces with brake cleaner spray and shop towels (removes protective oil).
• Use a wire brush to clean rust off the wheel hub face.
• Apply a very thin film of anti-seize compound to the hub center (not on the rotor face).
• Install the new rotor onto the hub.

Step 8: Service slide pins and reinstall the bracket

• Pull the slide pins out of the bracket by hand; wipe them clean with shop towels.
• Apply brake caliper slide pin grease (silicone-based) to the pins and reinstall them.
• Reinstall the caliper bracket using a 19mm socket and 3/8" drive ratchet, then tighten with a 1/2" drive torque wrench (20-150 ft-lbs).
• Torque to 98 Nm (72 ft-lbs).

Step 9: Install new hardware clips and pads

• Install the new hardware clips into the bracket by hand (use needle-nose pliers if needed).
• Apply a thin layer of brake caliper slide pin grease (silicone-based) where the pad ears touch the clips (metal-on-metal contact points only).
• Install the new inner and outer pads into the bracket.

Step 10: Retract (wind back) the rear caliper piston

• Check the brake fluid reservoir; if it’s near MAX, remove a small amount using a turkey baster or fluid suction syringe (specialty).
• Use a brake caliper wind-back tool (specialty) to rotate the piston clockwise while pushing it inward.
• A wind-back tool is a tool that turns the piston while pressing it in at the same time.
• Stop when the piston is fully seated and the caliper fits over the new pads.

Step 11: Reinstall the caliper

• Place the caliper over the pads and align it with the slide pin holes.
• Install the caliper slide pin bolts using a 14mm socket and 3/8" drive ratchet, then torque with a torque wrench (10-80 ft-lbs).
• Torque to 26 Nm (19 ft-lbs).

Step 12: Repeat on the other rear side

• Repeat Steps 3 through 11 on the other rear wheel.
• Tip: Do one side at a time as a reference.

Step 13: Reinstall wheels and lower the car

• Reinstall the wheels and hand-thread the lug nuts.
• Lower the car off the jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) using the floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Tighten lug nuts in a star pattern using a 21mm socket and 1/2" drive torque wrench (20-150 ft-lbs).
• Torque to 113 Nm (83 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• ✅ Pump the brake pedal 10–15 times before driving until it feels firm.
• ✅ Check brake fluid level and top off with DOT 3 brake fluid if needed.
• ✅ Re-apply and release the parking brake a few times to confirm it holds normally.
• ✅ Bed-in the pads: make 6–10 medium stops from 30–40 mph with cooling time between stops; avoid hard braking for the first 200 miles.
• ✅ Listen for scraping/grinding and recheck your work if anything sounds wrong.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $450-$850 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $140-$320 (parts only)

You Save: $310-$530 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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