🔧 Altima - Rear Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

Your Altima’s rear brakes use pads that clamp a rotor (disc). Replacing pads and rotors restores stopping power, reduces noise/vibration, and prevents metal-to-metal damage when pads get too thin.

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

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on level ground and chock the front wheels before lifting the rear.
• ⚠️ Release the parking brake before removing rear calipers/rotors (rear rotors can stick if the parking brake is applied).
• ⚠️ Support the caliper with a hook or bungee—do not let it hang by the brake hose.
• ⚠️ Avoid breathing brake dust; use brake cleaner, not compressed air.
• ⚠️ Keep brake fluid off paint; it damages paint quickly.
• ⚠️ No battery disconnect is required for this rear brake job on your Altima.

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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)
• Wheel chocks (2-pack)
• 19mm socket
• Breaker bar (1/2")
• Torque wrench (10–200 Nm range)
• 14mm socket
• 19mm socket
• Ratchet (3/8" or 1/2")
• Flathead screwdriver
• C-clamp (6")
• Wire brush
• Rubber mallet
• M8 x 1.25 bolts (pair)
• Brake cleaner spray
• Catch pan
• Bungee cord
• Nitrile gloves
• Safety glasses

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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 (clips/shims) - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper slide pin grease (high-temp silicone) - Qty: 1
• Brake fluid (DOT 3) - Qty: 1 quart

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, shift to Park, and chock both front wheels.
• Release the parking brake fully (your Altima uses a mechanical parking brake).
• Crack the rear lug nuts loose using a 19mm socket and breaker bar before lifting.
• Open the hood and check the brake fluid level—when you compress pistons, the level may rise. Don’t let it overflow.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the rear

• Use a floor jack to lift the rear at the proper jacking point.
• Set the car down onto jack stands placed under solid rear support points.
• Confirm stability by gently rocking the car. Keep wheel chocks on the front wheels.

Step 2: Remove the rear wheels

• Remove lug nuts with a 19mm socket and ratchet.
• Remove both rear wheels and place them under the car as an extra safety backup.

Step 3: Remove the rear caliper

• Turn the steering wheel straight and look at the rear caliper on one side.
• Remove the caliper slide bolts using a 14mm socket.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket. If it’s tight, gently pry with a flathead screwdriver.
• Hang the caliper using a bungee cord so the hose is not stretched.
• Torque to 25 Nm (18 ft-lbs) when reinstalling the caliper slide bolts.

Step 4: Remove the old pads and hardware

• Slide the pads out by hand. If stuck, use a flathead screwdriver gently.
• Remove the pad clips/hardware from the bracket.
• Spray the bracket with brake cleaner spray and scrub contact points with a wire brush.

Step 5: Remove the caliper bracket

• Remove the caliper bracket bolts using a 19mm socket and breaker bar.
• Take off the bracket and set it aside.
• Torque to 98 Nm (72 ft-lbs) when reinstalling the caliper bracket bolts.

Step 6: Remove the rotor

• If the rotor is stuck, tap around the rotor hat using a rubber mallet.
• If it still won’t budge, thread two M8 x 1.25 bolts into the rotor’s push-off holes and tighten evenly with a ratchet until the rotor pops loose.
• Remove the rotor.

Step 7: Prep the hub and install the new rotor

• Clean the hub face with a wire brush and spray with brake cleaner spray. A clean hub helps prevent rotor wobble.
• Install the new rotor. Hold it in place by threading on one lug nut by hand (use the old one temporarily).

Step 8: Service slide pins and reinstall the bracket

• Pull the slide pins out of the bracket by hand.
• Wipe them clean and apply a thin coat of rear brake caliper slide pin grease (this grease prevents sticking and uneven pad wear).
• Reinstall slide pins and boots fully seated.
• Reinstall the caliper bracket using a 19mm socket and torque wrench.
• Torque to 98 Nm (72 ft-lbs).

Step 9: Install new hardware and pads

• Install new pad clips from the rear brake hardware kit.
• Install the new pads into the bracket by hand.

Step 10: Compress the caliper piston and reinstall the caliper

• Place an old pad against the piston and compress the piston slowly using a C-clamp (6").
• Watch the brake fluid reservoir so it doesn’t overflow; use a catch pan and remove excess fluid if needed.
• Slide the caliper over the new pads and reinstall the slide bolts using a 14mm socket and torque wrench.
• Torque to 25 Nm (18 ft-lbs).

Step 11: Repeat on the other side

• Repeat Steps 3–10 on the other rear wheel.
• Do one side at a time to avoid mix-ups.

Step 12: Reinstall wheels and torque lug nuts

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

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✅ After Repair

• Press the brake pedal slowly 10–15 times until it feels firm (this seats the pads against the rotors).
• Check brake fluid level and top up with DOT 3 if needed.
• Test in a safe area: slow stops first. Confirm no pulling, grinding, or warning lights.
• Bed-in procedure: make 6–10 moderate stops from ~50 km/h to ~10 km/h, with cool-down driving between stops. Avoid hard stops for 200 km.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: ₹12,000-₹25,000 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: ₹6,000-₹15,000 (parts only)

You Save: ₹6,000-₹10,000 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run ₹1,000-₹2,500/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.5-3.0 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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