🔧 Fusion - Rear Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

You’ll remove the rear wheels, unbolt the rear brake calipers, replace the pads and rotors, then reinstall everything with the correct torque. This restores braking performance and stops grinding, shaking, or long stopping distances caused by worn pads/rotors.

Assumption: Your Fusion has either a mechanical parking brake or an Electronic Parking Brake (EPB); steps below include both paths.

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 get hot; let everything cool before starting.
• 🧯 Do not press the brake pedal with a caliper removed.
• ⚡ If your Fusion has EPB, put it in service mode before pushing pistons back, or you can damage the parking brake system.

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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 1/2" (20-200 ft-lbs range)
• 19mm socket
• 13mm socket
• 15mm socket
• Ratchet 3/8"
• Torque wrench 3/8" (10-80 ft-lbs range)
• Caliper hanger hook
• C-clamp (6")
• Brake caliper wind-back tool set (specialty)
• Flathead screwdriver
• Wire brush
• Dead-blow hammer
• Scan tool with EPB service mode (specialty)
• Catch pan

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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
• Brake pad hardware kit (abutment clips) - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper grease (silicone) - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 2 cans
• Threadlocker (blue) - Qty: 1
• DOT 3 brake fluid - Qty: 1 quart

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📋 Before You Begin

• 🅿️ Park on level ground, steering straight, and chock the front wheels.
• 🛠️ Loosen rear lug nuts 1/2 turn using a 19mm socket and breaker bar before lifting.
• 📏 Lift the rear and support the car on jack stands at the proper lift points.
• ⚡ If equipped with EPB, use a scan tool with EPB service mode (specialty) to retract the parking brake before you touch the calipers. EPB service mode “backs off” the motor.
• 🧴 Open the hood and remove the brake fluid reservoir cap. Place a rag around it. Fluid may rise when compressing pistons.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Remove rear wheels

• Use a 19mm socket to remove the lug nuts, then remove both rear wheels.

Step 2: Remove the rear caliper

• Turn the steering wheel slightly if you need more hand room, but keep the car stable on jack stands.
• Use a 13mm socket to remove the two caliper slide pin bolts.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket and hang it using a caliper hanger hook. Never let it hang by the hose.

Step 3: Remove brake pads and bracket

• Remove the inner and outer pads from the bracket (a flathead screwdriver helps if they’re tight).
• Use a 15mm socket to remove the two caliper bracket bolts.
• Remove the bracket and set it aside.

Step 4: Remove the rotor

• Spray the hub/rotor center area with brake cleaner and let it soak.
• If the rotor is stuck, tap around the rotor hat with a dead-blow hammer until it breaks loose, then remove it.

Step 5: Clean and prep the hub surface

• Use a wire brush to clean rust off the hub face where the rotor sits.
• Spray with brake cleaner and wipe clean. A flat hub prevents brake vibration.

Step 6: Install the new rotor

• Clean the new rotor with brake cleaner to remove packing oil.
• Install the rotor onto the hub.
• To hold it in place, thread on 1-2 lug nuts by hand snug (use your 19mm socket lightly).

Step 7: Service the bracket and hardware

• Remove the old abutment clips from the bracket (use a flathead screwdriver).
• Clean the clip lands (where clips sit) using a wire brush.
• Install the new abutment clips from the hardware kit.
• Apply a thin film of brake caliper grease (silicone) to the clip lands only. Keep grease off pad friction surfaces.

Step 8: Reinstall the caliper bracket

• Apply threadlocker (blue) to the caliper bracket bolts.
• Install the bracket bolts using a 15mm socket.
• Torque to 85 Nm (63 ft-lbs).

Step 9: Compress the rear caliper piston (choose your parking brake type)

• If your Fusion has a mechanical parking brake: Use a brake caliper wind-back tool set (specialty) to rotate and press the piston in.
• If your Fusion has EPB: First retract EPB with the scan tool with EPB service mode (specialty), then compress the piston straight in using a C-clamp (6").
• Watch the brake fluid level at the reservoir; use a catch pan if you need to remove excess fluid.

Step 10: Install new pads

• Install the new inner and outer pads into the bracket.
• Apply a small amount of brake caliper grease (silicone) to the pad backing plates where they touch the caliper/bracket (not on the pad material).

Step 11: Reinstall the caliper

• Slide the caliper over the new pads.
• Install the slide pin bolts using a 13mm socket.
• Torque to 35 Nm (26 ft-lbs).

Step 12: Reinstall wheels

• Remove the temporary lug nuts holding the rotor (if used).
• Install the wheels and hand-thread all lug nuts.
• Lower the car until the tires just touch the ground, then torque lug nuts in a star pattern using a torque wrench 1/2".
• Torque to 135 Nm (100 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• 🦶 Pump the brake pedal 10-15 times until it feels firm. This seats the pistons to the pads.
• 🧴 Check brake fluid level and top off with DOT 3 brake fluid if needed.
• ⚡ If equipped with EPB, exit service mode using the scan tool with EPB service mode (specialty) and confirm the parking brake applies/releases normally.
• 🧪 Test drive at low speed first. Confirm no pulling, grinding, or warning lights.
• 🛣️ Pad bedding (break-in): make 6-10 smooth stops from 30 mph to 5 mph, with cool-down between stops. Avoid hard stops for 200 miles.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

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

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

You Save: $310-$580 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?

HowToo makes it easy: same-day/2-day shipping on every part, plus all the tools and specialty tools you need! Check out the parts and tools sections below to add everything to your cart.