🔧 Canyon - Rear Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

You’ll remove the rear wheels, swing the rear calipers out of the way, replace the pads, and swap the rotors. On your Canyon, the parking brake uses small “drum-style” shoes inside the rotor hat, so the rotor may need the parking brake adjuster backed off to come free.

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

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• 🛑 Support the truck with jack stands—never rely on a floor jack alone.
• 🧤 Brake dust is harmful—wear safety glasses and a dust mask; use brake cleaner, not compressed air.
• 🔥 Brakes can be very hot—let everything cool before touching.
• 🧷 Do not let the caliper hang by the brake hose—support it with a hook/strap.
• 🧴 Don’t spill brake fluid on paint; keep the brake fluid reservoir cap on loosely while compressing pistons.

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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
• Dust mask
• Breaker bar (1/2")
• Torque wrench (20-250 ft-lbs range)
• 19mm socket
• 13mm socket
• 18mm socket
• Ratchet (3/8")
• Ratchet (1/2")
• Flat-blade screwdriver
• C-clamp brake piston compressor (specialty)
• Caliper hanger hook
• Wire brush
• Rubber mallet
• Brake cleaner spray
• High-temp silicone brake grease

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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 caliper bracket hardware kit - Qty: 1
• Brake anti-squeal compound - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground and place wheel chocks in front of the front wheels.
• Release the parking brake fully (rear rotors may not come off if it’s applied).
• Loosen rear lug nuts 1/2 turn with a 19mm socket and breaker bar before lifting.
• Open the hood and check the brake fluid level; if it’s near “MAX,” be ready to remove a little if it rises when you compress pistons.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the rear

• Raise the rear with a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) at the rear jacking point, then set the frame on jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Remove both rear wheels using a 19mm socket and ratchet (1/2").

Step 2: Remove the rear caliper (the clamp that squeezes the pads)

• Turn the steering wheel is not needed—rear is fixed. Locate the two caliper slide bolts on the back of the caliper.
• Remove the caliper slide bolts using a 13mm socket and ratchet (3/8").
• Lift the caliper off the bracket and hang it with a caliper hanger hook.
• Tip: Hang it from the leaf spring/frame.

Step 3: Remove pads and caliper bracket (the pad “frame”)

• Slide the old pads out of the bracket by hand; use a flat-blade screwdriver gently if stuck.
• Remove the caliper bracket bolts using an 18mm socket with a breaker bar (1/2").
• Set the bracket aside for cleaning and re-greasing.
• Assumption: Common Canyon rear fasteners are 13mm slide bolts and 18mm bracket bolts; if yours differs, match the socket to the bolt head.

Step 4: Remove the rotor (may be held by the parking brake shoes)

• Spray the hub/rotor center with brake cleaner spray and scrub rust with a wire brush.
• Pull the rotor straight off. If it’s stuck, tap the rotor hat with a rubber mallet (hit the flat face, not the studs).
• If the rotor won’t come off, the parking brake shoes are too tight:
  • Look for the small access slot in the backing plate behind the rotor and remove the rubber plug (if equipped) using a flat-blade screwdriver.
  • Use the flat-blade screwdriver to turn the star-wheel adjuster to retract (loosen) the shoes a few clicks, then try again.

Step 5: Prep the hub and install the new rotor

• Clean the wheel hub face with a wire brush so the new rotor sits flat (prevents pedal pulsation).
• Clean the new rotor braking surfaces with brake cleaner spray to remove shipping oil.
• Install the new rotor onto the hub. Hold it in place with one lug nut threaded on by hand (use a wheel lug and your fingers).

Step 6: Service the bracket hardware

• Remove the old pad clips (abutment clips) from the bracket using a flat-blade screwdriver.
• Clean the clip lands (where the clips sit) with a wire brush, then install new clips from the hardware kit by hand.
• Pull the slide pins out, wipe them clean, and apply a thin coat of high-temp silicone brake grease, then reinstall them.
• Tip: Keep grease off pad friction material.

Step 7: Reinstall the caliper bracket

• Reinstall the bracket over the rotor and start bolts by hand.
• Tighten bracket bolts using an 18mm socket and torque wrench (20-250 ft-lbs range).
• Torque to 170 Nm (125 ft-lbs)

Step 8: Compress the caliper piston and install new pads

• Before compressing, check the brake fluid reservoir level (it may rise).
• Place an old pad against the piston and slowly compress the piston using a C-clamp brake piston compressor (specialty).
• Apply a small amount of brake anti-squeal compound to the pad backing plates (not the friction surface).
• Install the new pads into the bracket by hand (make sure they slide freely in the new clips).

Step 9: Reinstall the caliper

• Place the caliper over the new pads and align the slide pin holes.
• Install and tighten slide bolts using a 13mm socket and torque wrench (20-250 ft-lbs range).
• Torque to 35 Nm (26 ft-lbs)

Step 10: Repeat on the other side

• Repeat Steps 2–9 on the other rear wheel.

Step 11: Reinstall wheels and lower the truck

• Reinstall wheels and snug lug nuts using a 19mm socket and ratchet (1/2").
• Lower the truck off the jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) using the floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Final-torque lug nuts in a star pattern with a torque wrench (20-250 ft-lbs range).
• Torque to 190 Nm (140 ft-lbs)

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✅ After Repair

• With the engine off, pump the brake pedal 10–15 times until it feels firm (this seats the pistons against the new pads).
• Check brake fluid level and top off only if needed.
• Test the parking brake: apply/release, then confirm the rear wheels rotate freely when released.
• Bed-in (break-in) the pads: make 6–10 moderate stops from ~35 mph down to ~5 mph, allowing 30–60 seconds between stops for cooling.
• Listen for grinding/scraping; recheck lug nut torque after a short drive.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

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

DIY Cost: $160-$380 (parts only)

You Save: $290-$520 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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