🔧 Traverse - Rear Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

You’ll be removing the rear wheels, taking off the rear brake caliper and bracket, then replacing the rotor and brake pads. Worn pads or warped rotors can cause grinding, squealing, vibration, and longer stopping distance.

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

Assumption: standard rear disc brakes with mechanical parking brake (no electronic parking brake).

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on level ground and support your Traverse with jack stands before going under it.
• ⚠️ Chock the front wheels; you’ll release the parking brake during this job.
• ⚠️ Do not let the caliper hang by the brake hose—support it with a hook/strap.
• ⚠️ Brake dust is harmful—use brake cleaner, not compressed air.
• ⚠️ Keep grease off pad friction material and rotor braking surfaces.

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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 (20-250 Nm range)
• 19mm socket
• 13mm socket
• 18mm socket
• Ratchet (3/8")
• Ratchet (1/2")
• Flat-blade screwdriver
• C-clamp (6")
• Bungee cord or caliper hook (specialty)
• Wire brush
• Rubber mallet
• Micrometer or vernier caliper (specialty)
• Turkey baster or fluid suction pump (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 - Replace in pairs - Qty: 2
• Rear brake hardware kit (abutment clips) - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper slide pin grease (silicone brake grease) - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner spray - Qty: 2
• DOT 3 brake fluid - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on a level surface, shift to Park, and turn the engine off.
• Chock both front wheels using wheel chocks.
• Release the parking brake fully (important so the rear rotors can come off).
• Open the hood and check the brake fluid level in the master cylinder reservoir; if it’s near MAX, remove a little with a turkey baster or fluid suction pump (this prevents overflow when you compress the caliper piston).

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Loosen lug nuts and raise the rear

• Use a 19mm socket and breaker bar to loosen the rear wheel lug nuts about 1 turn while the wheels are on the ground.
• Lift the rear with a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) at the approved rear lift point and place jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) under the rear support points.
• Remove the wheels with a 19mm socket.

Step 2: Remove the caliper (outer moving part)

• Turn the steering wheel slightly if you need better access (rear access is usually straight-on).
• Use a 13mm socket and ratchet (3/8") to remove the two rear caliper slide bolts.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket and hang it from the suspension using a bungee cord or caliper hook (specialty).
• A caliper is the clamp that squeezes the pads.

Step 3: Remove old brake pads and hardware

• Pull the inner and outer pads out of the bracket by hand; use a flat-blade screwdriver gently if they’re stuck.
• Remove the pad abutment clips (the thin metal “tracks”) using a flat-blade screwdriver.
• Clean the bracket pad lands (where the clips sit) with brake cleaner spray and a wire brush.

Step 4: Remove the caliper bracket (the fixed mounting frame)

• Use an 18mm socket and ratchet (1/2") to remove the two caliper bracket bolts.
• Remove the bracket and set it aside.
• The bracket is what the pads slide in.
• On reassembly: Torque to 129 Nm (95 ft-lbs)

Step 5: Remove the rotor

• If the rotor is stuck from rust, spray the hub center with brake cleaner spray and tap the rotor hat with a rubber mallet to break it free.
• Remove the rotor from the hub.
• If it won’t come off, confirm the parking brake is fully released (your Traverse uses a parking brake inside the rotor hat).

Step 6: Prep the hub and install the new rotor

• Clean rust from the hub face with a wire brush so the new rotor sits flat.
• Clean both sides of the new rotor using brake cleaner spray (this removes protective shipping oil).
• Install the new rotor onto the hub.
• Flat hub = no brake pedal pulsation.

Step 7: Service the slide pins and reinstall the bracket

• Pull the caliper slide pins out of the bracket by hand.
• Wipe old grease off and apply fresh brake caliper slide pin grease (silicone brake grease).
• Reinstall the pins and make sure they slide smoothly.
• Reinstall the caliper bracket using an 18mm socket and torque wrench.
• Torque to 129 Nm (95 ft-lbs)

Step 8: Install new hardware clips and pads

• Install new abutment clips from the rear brake hardware kit into the bracket.
• Apply a very thin film of brake caliper slide pin grease where the pad “ears” contact the clips (metal-to-metal touch points only).
• Install the new pads into the bracket.
• No grease on pad friction surfaces.

Step 9: Compress the caliper piston

• Place the old inner pad against the caliper piston.
• Use a C-clamp (6") to slowly press the piston fully back into the caliper.
• Keep an eye on brake fluid level under the hood while compressing; remove excess with the turkey baster or fluid suction pump (specialty) if it starts to overflow.
• Go slow to protect seals.

Step 10: Reinstall the caliper

• Set the caliper back over the new pads and align the slide bolt holes.
• Install the caliper slide bolts using a 13mm socket and torque wrench.
• Torque to 35 Nm (26 ft-lbs)

Step 11: Reinstall wheels and torque lug nuts

• Reinstall the wheels and hand-thread the lug nuts.
• Lower the Traverse off the jack stands using the floor jack.
• Use a torque wrench and 19mm socket to tighten lug nuts in a star pattern.
• Torque to 190 Nm (140 ft-lbs)

Step 12: Repeat on the other rear wheel

• Repeat Steps 1–11 on the opposite rear side.
• Always replace pads/rotors in pairs.

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✅ After Repair

• With the engine off, press the brake pedal slowly 10-15 times until it feels firm (this seats the pistons against the new pads).
• 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 and releases normally.
• Test drive at low speed first; confirm no grinding, pulling, or warning lights.
• Pad bed-in (recommended): make 8-10 smooth stops from 50 km/h to 15 km/h, allowing 30-60 seconds between stops for cooling.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: ₹18,000-₹35,000 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: ₹8,000-₹18,000 (parts only)

You Save: ₹10,000-₹17,000 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run ₹1,000-₹2,500/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 2-3 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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