🔧 Civic - Rear Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

You’ll remove the rear wheels, unbolt the caliper and bracket, replace the pads and rotor, then reassemble and torque everything correctly. On your Civic, the rear caliper piston must be rotated while being pushed in because the parking brake mechanism is built into the caliper.

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

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• 🛑 Support the car with jack stands; never rely on a floor jack alone.
• 🧤 Wear gloves and safety glasses; brake dust and cleaner are irritating.
• 🔥 Brakes can be very hot; let everything cool before you start.
• 🧷 Do not let the caliper hang by the brake hose; support it with a hanger.
• 🚫 Don’t press the brake pedal with a caliper removed; the piston can pop out.

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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
• 19mm socket
• 3/8" drive ratchet
• 1/2" drive breaker bar
• 12mm socket
• 14mm socket
• 17mm socket
• Torque wrench (10–150 ft-lbs range)
• Flat trim tool
• JIS #3 screwdriver
• Dead-blow hammer
• Caliper piston wind-back tool (specialty)
• Wire brush
• Bungee cord
• Catch pan
• 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
• Rear pad hardware kit (clips/shims) - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper slide pin grease (silicone) - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 2 cans
• Medium-strength threadlocker - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, set the parking brake, and place wheel chocks at the front wheels.
• Loosen the rear lug nuts 1/2 turn with a 19mm socket and breaker bar before lifting.
• Open the hood and remove the brake fluid reservoir cap (leave it sitting on top) so fluid can rise as you compress pistons.
• Place a catch pan under the brake area when using brake cleaner.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift the rear and remove the wheels

• Use a floor jack to lift the rear at the proper rear jacking point.
• Set the car down onto jack stands at the rear pinch welds.
• Remove lug nuts with a 19mm socket and ratchet, then remove both rear wheels.

Step 2: Remove the caliper (keep it supported)

• Turn the steering wheel is not needed (rear), just position yourself for access.
• Remove the lower and upper caliper slide bolts using a 12mm socket (caliper slide bolts are the smaller bolts).
• Lift the caliper off the bracket and support it with a bungee cord.
• Never hang the caliper by the hose.

Step 3: Remove the pads and inspect the slide pins

• Pull the old pads out of the bracket by hand (use a flat trim tool gently if stuck).
• Slide the caliper pins in/out by hand to confirm they move smoothly.
• Clean and lightly lubricate the pins with brake caliper slide pin grease (silicone).
• Only grease the pins, not pad friction material.

Step 4: Remove the caliper bracket

• Remove the two bracket-to-knuckle bolts using a 17mm socket and breaker bar.
• Set the bracket aside.
• During reassembly: Torque to 80 Nm (59 ft-lbs) and apply medium-strength threadlocker.

Step 5: Remove the old rotor

• If your rotor has a retaining screw, remove it using a JIS #3 screwdriver (JIS fits Japanese screws better than Phillips).
• If the rotor is stuck, strike the rotor hat area with a dead-blow hammer to break it free.
• Remove the rotor from the hub.

Step 6: Clean the hub and install the new rotor

• Clean hub face rust with a wire brush so the rotor sits flat.
• Spray the new rotor braking surfaces with brake cleaner and wipe clean (removes packing oil).
• Install the rotor onto the hub. If you removed a retaining screw, reinstall it using a JIS #3 screwdriver (snug only).

Step 7: Install new pad hardware and pads

• Remove old pad clips from the bracket using a flat trim tool.
• Clean the bracket pad lands with a wire brush.
• Install new clips from the rear pad hardware kit.
• Install the new pads into the bracket (they should slide freely).

Step 8: Wind back the rear caliper piston (important)

• Use a caliper piston wind-back tool (specialty) to rotate and push the piston back into the caliper.
• A wind-back tool is a tool that presses while turning, because the rear piston is threaded for the parking brake.
• Watch the brake fluid reservoir; if it gets too full, remove a little fluid into a catch pan (do not spill on paint).

Step 9: Reinstall the bracket and caliper

• Reinstall the bracket using a 17mm socket and torque wrench.
• Torque to 80 Nm (59 ft-lbs).
• Reinstall the caliper over the new pads and start the slide bolts by hand.
• Tighten slide bolts using a 12mm socket.
• Torque to 34 Nm (25 ft-lbs).

Step 10: Reinstall wheels and torque lug nuts

• Install wheels and hand-thread lug nuts.
• Lower the car to the ground using the floor jack.
• Tighten lug nuts in a star pattern with a torque wrench.
• Torque to 108 Nm (80 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• With the engine off, slowly pump the brake pedal 10–15 times until it feels firm.
• Check brake fluid level and reinstall the reservoir cap.
• Start the engine and confirm the pedal stays firm.
• Test at low speed first; confirm normal stopping and no grinding.
• Bed-in the pads: make 6–10 medium stops from 30–40 mph with cool-down time between stops.
• Recheck lug nut torque after 25–50 miles using a torque wrench.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $450-$750 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $160-$320 (parts only)

You Save: $290-$430 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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