🔧 Altima - Rear Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

You’ll be removing the rear wheels, taking the calipers and brackets off, swapping the rear rotors, and installing new rear brake pads. On your Altima, the parking brake is a small drum brake inside the rotor “hat,” so the parking brake must be released to remove the rotor.

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

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on level ground and support the car on jack stands—never rely on a jack alone.
• ⚠️ Release the parking brake before removing rear rotors (the rotor can be locked on by the drum shoes).
• ⚠️ Don’t let the caliper hang by the brake hose—support it with a hook/strap.
• ⚠️ Brake dust is harmful—use brake cleaner, not compressed air.
• ⚠️ If brake fluid rises near the top of the reservoir, remove a little with a suction tool to prevent overflow.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 2-ton minimum, pair)
• Wheel chocks
• 21mm socket
• Ratchet (3/8" or 1/2" drive)
• Breaker bar (1/2" drive)
• Torque wrench (10–200 Nm range)
• 14mm socket
• 19mm socket
• Flathead screwdriver
• C-clamp (6" or larger)
• Brake caliper hanger hook
• Wire brush
• Rubber mallet
• Brake cleaner spray
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves

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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 Replace in pairs
• Rear brake hardware kit (pad clips/shims) - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper slide pin grease (silicone-based) - Qty: 1
• Brake parts cleaner - Qty: 1
• Anti-seize compound - Qty: 1
• Brake fluid (DOT 3) - Qty: 1 quart

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, put the shifter in 1st gear, and chock the front wheels.
• Loosen rear lug nuts slightly using a 21mm socket and breaker bar before lifting.
• Release the parking brake fully (very important for rotor removal).
• Open the hood and check the brake fluid level in the reservoir; be ready to remove a small amount if it gets too high when compressing pistons.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the rear

• Use a floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum) to lift the rear at the approved center lift point.
• Place jack stands (rated 2-ton minimum, pair) under the rear support points and lower the car onto them.
• Remove both rear wheels using a 21mm socket and ratchet.

Step 2: Remove the rear caliper

• Turn the steering wheel straight (rear is fixed, but it helps your work position).
• Remove the lower and upper caliper slide bolts using a 14mm socket and ratchet.
• Lift the caliper off the pads and support it with a brake caliper hanger hook. Never hang it by the hose.

Step 3: Remove pads and caliper bracket

• Slide the old pads out of the bracket by hand (use a flathead screwdriver gently if they’re stuck).
• Remove the caliper bracket bolts using a 19mm socket and breaker bar.
• Set the bracket aside.
• When reinstalling later: bracket bolts Torque to 98 Nm (72 ft-lbs).

Step 4: Remove the old rotor

• Spray the rotor hat/hub area with brake cleaner spray and let it soak.
• If the rotor is stuck, tap the rotor hat with a rubber mallet to break rust loose.
• Pull the rotor straight off.
• If the rotor won’t come off, the parking brake shoes may be holding it—confirm the parking brake is fully released, then tap again with the rubber mallet.

Step 5: Clean the hub and prep the new rotor

• Use a wire brush to clean rust off the hub face (this helps prevent vibration).
• Wipe the hub clean, then apply a very thin film of anti-seize compound to the hub face (avoid the wheel studs).
• Spray both sides of the new rotor with brake cleaner spray to remove packing oil, then wipe dry.
• Install the new rotor onto the hub.

Step 6: Service slide pins and install bracket

• Pull the caliper slide pins out of the bracket (they slide out by hand).
• Clean the pins and apply brake caliper slide pin grease (silicone-based), then reinstall them.
• Reinstall the caliper bracket using a 19mm socket and torque wrench.
• Torque to 98 Nm (72 ft-lbs).

Step 7: Install new pad hardware and pads

• Install the new pad clips from the rear brake hardware kit into the bracket (they snap in).
• Apply a thin layer of brake caliper slide pin grease (silicone-based) on the pad “ears” where they slide on the clips. Keep grease off friction material.
• Install the new inner and outer pads into the bracket.

Step 8: Compress the caliper piston and reinstall caliper

• Place an old pad against the caliper piston, then use a C-clamp (6" or larger) to slowly press the piston back in.
• C-clamp note: it’s a screw clamp that pushes the piston in evenly.
• Watch the brake fluid reservoir while compressing—remove a little fluid if it’s getting too full.
• Reinstall the caliper over the new pads.
• Install the slide bolts using a 14mm socket and torque wrench.
• Torque to 26 Nm (19 ft-lbs).

Step 9: Reinstall wheels

• Put the wheels back on and hand-thread lug nuts.
• Lower the car off the jack stands using the floor jack.
• Tighten lug nuts in a star pattern using a torque wrench.
• Torque to 113 Nm (83 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• Pump the brake pedal slowly 10–15 times until it feels firm (this seats the pads against the rotors).
• Check brake fluid level and top off with DOT 3 if needed.
• Apply and release the parking brake a few times, then confirm it holds the car on a slight incline.
• Road test at low speed first. Listen for grinding and verify straight braking.
• Pad bedding: Do 6–10 moderate stops from ~35 to 5 mph, with cool-down time between stops.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $450-$800 (parts + labor)

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

You Save: $310-$480 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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