🔧 Altima - Rear Brake Pads & Rotors Replacement

You’ll be replacing the rear brake pads and brake rotors on your Altima. This restores stopping power, prevents vibration, and protects the calipers from damage.

Difficulty Level: Beginner-Intermediate | Estimated Time: 2–3 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Always work on a cool brake system; hot brakes can burn you.
• ⚠️ Support the car with jack stands, never rely only on a floor jack.
• ⚠️ Wear safety glasses and mechanic gloves to protect your eyes and hands.
• ⚠️ Do one side at a time so you can look at the other side as a reference.
• ⚠️ Do not press the brake pedal with a caliper removed; it can pop the piston out.
• ⚠️ Keep brake fluid off paint; it can damage painted surfaces.
• This Altima uses a cable parking brake, not an electric one—no scan tool needed.
• Battery disconnection is not required for this job.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• 🛠️ Floor jack (rated 2-ton or higher)
• 🛠️ Jack stands (rated 2-ton or higher, Qty: 2)
• 🛠️ Wheel chocks
• 🛠️ Lug wrench or 21mm socket
• 🛠️ 3/8" drive ratchet
• 🛠️ 1/2" drive ratchet or breaker bar
• 🛠️ 14mm socket
• 🛠️ 17mm socket
• 🛠️ 21mm socket
• 🛠️ Torque wrench (ft-lb, 10–150 ft-lb range)
• 🛠️ Torque wrench (Nm or in-lb, 10–50 Nm range)
• 🛠️ C-clamp or disc brake piston tool
• 🛠️ Flathead screwdriver (medium)
• 🛠️ Wire brush
• 🛠️ Bungee cord or metal wire hanger
• 🛠️ Shop rags
• 🛠️ Brake cleaner spray
• 🛠️ Small nylon or brass brush
• 🛠️ Rubber mallet or dead-blow hammer
• 🛠️ Penetrating oil spray
• 🛠️ Safety glasses
• 🛠️ Mechanic gloves
• 🛠️ Disposable face mask

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• 🔩 Rear brake pad set (left and right) - Qty: 1 set
• 🔩 Rear brake rotors (left and right) - Qty: 2
• 🔩 Rear brake hardware kit (pad clips/anti-rattle clips) - Qty: 1 set
• 🔩 Brake cleaner (aerosol) - Qty: 1–2 cans
• 🔩 High-temperature brake grease - Qty: 1 small tube
• 🔩 Anti-seize compound - Qty: 1 small tube
• 🔩 Shop towels or paper towels - Qty: 1 pack

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park your Altima on a level surface, shift to P, and set the parking brake.
• Loosen rear wheel lug nuts 1/2 turn with the 21mm socket before lifting the car.
• Place wheel chocks in front of the front wheels to prevent rolling.
• Raise the rear using the floor jack at the rear center jacking point, then support both sides with jack stands under the rear pinch welds.
• Release the parking brake once the rear wheels are off the ground so the rear rotors can turn freely.
• Open the hood and remove the brake fluid reservoir cap slightly so pressure can release when pistons are pushed in. Put a rag around it.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Remove the rear wheels

• Use the floor jack to raise the rear of the Altima and set it securely on jack stands.
• Use the 21mm socket and ratchet or lug wrench to remove the lug nuts and take off both rear wheels.
• Set the wheels aside where they won’t tip over.
• When reinstalling later, torque the lug nuts to 113 Nm (83 ft-lbs).

Step 2: Inspect and understand the rear brake layout

• Look at the rear brake: you’ll see the caliper (the clamp), the caliper bracket (the heavy metal support behind it), and the rotor (the round disc).
• Notice the rubber boots on the caliper bracket; these cover the slide pins that let the caliper move.
• Do one side at a time for reference.

Step 3: Remove the caliper

• Use a 14mm socket and 3/8" ratchet to remove the two small caliper slide bolts on the back of the caliper (top and bottom).
• Gently pry with a flathead screwdriver if needed to free the caliper from the pads.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket and hang it from the suspension spring using a bungee cord or wire hanger so it doesn’t hang by the brake hose.
• Never let the caliper hang by the hose.

Step 4: Remove the old brake pads and hardware

• Slide the old brake pads out of the caliper bracket by hand.
• Remove the metal pad clips (hardware) from the caliper bracket using your fingers or a flathead screwdriver.
• Use a wire brush to clean the areas on the bracket where the clips were sitting until they are shiny metal.
• Spray brake cleaner on the bracket and wipe with a shop rag.

Step 5: Remove the caliper bracket

• Use a 17mm socket and 1/2" ratchet or breaker bar to remove the two large bolts holding the caliper bracket to the rear knuckle.
• Slide the bracket off the rotor and set it on a clean surface.
• These bolts will later be tightened to 64 Nm (47 ft-lbs).

Step 6: Remove the old rotor

• If the rotor is loose, simply pull it straight off the hub.
• If it’s stuck from rust, spray penetrating oil around the center hub and the wheel studs.
• Use a rubber mallet to hit the rotor face between the studs, rotating it as you tap until it breaks free.
• Don’t hit the studs directly.

Step 7: Clean the hub and prepare the new rotor

• Use a wire brush to scrub the wheel hub surface where the rotor sits until rust and dirt are removed.
• Lightly wipe the hub with brake cleaner and a shop rag.
• Apply a very thin layer of anti-seize compound on the hub face around (not on) the studs to help prevent rotor rusting on.
• Spray the new rotor (both sides and hat area) with brake cleaner to remove the oily protective coating and wipe dry with a shop rag.

Step 8: Install the new rotor

• Slide the new rotor onto the hub, keeping it flush and fully seated.
• Thread on one old lug nut with your fingers using the 21mm socket to hold the rotor tight against the hub while you work.
• This keeps the rotor from wobbling.

Step 9: Service the caliper slide pins

• Take the caliper bracket you removed earlier.
• Pull each slide pin out gently by hand from the bracket (note which one came from top and bottom; sometimes they differ slightly).
• Wipe old grease off the pins with a shop rag.
• Use a nylon or brass brush to clean the pins if they are dirty or rusty, then wipe again.
• Apply a thin coat of high-temperature brake grease to each pin and reinstall them into the bracket, making sure they move smoothly.
• Pins must slide freely.

Step 10: Install new hardware on the bracket

• Clip the new pad hardware (metal clips) into the caliper bracket by hand, making sure they fully seat and are not bent.
• You can use a flathead screwdriver to gently press them into place if needed.
• Apply a very light film of brake grease to the pad contact surfaces on the clips (where the pads will slide), but do not get grease on the rotor or pad friction material.

Step 11: Reinstall the caliper bracket

• Position the caliper bracket over the new rotor and align it with the mounting holes.
• Install the two large bolts by hand to avoid cross-threading.
• Use a 17mm socket and 1/2" ratchet to snug them, then use a torque wrench to tighten to 64 Nm (47 ft-lbs).

Step 12: Compress the caliper piston

• Check the brake fluid level in the reservoir; if it’s very full, remove some using a clean rag or syringe so it doesn’t overflow when you push the piston in.
• Place an old brake pad against the caliper piston.
• Use a C-clamp to slowly push the piston back into the caliper until it is fully seated and flush. Go slowly to avoid damage.
• Stop if you feel abnormal resistance.

Step 13: Install the new brake pads

• Slide the new inner and outer pads into the caliper bracket, making sure the friction material faces the rotor.
• If your pad set includes wear indicators (small metal tabs), match them to the same position as on the old pads (usually on the inside pad at the top).
• Apply a small amount of brake grease to the pad backing plates where they contact the caliper and clips, but keep grease off the rotor and pad friction surfaces.

Step 14: Reinstall the caliper over the new pads

• Remove the bungee cord or wire hanger and position the caliper over the new pads and bracket.
• Align the caliper slide bolt holes with the slide pins.
• Install the two slide bolts by hand first, then tighten with a 14mm socket and 3/8" ratchet.
• Use the torque wrench and 14mm socket to tighten the slide bolts to 25 Nm (19 ft-lbs).

Step 15: Repeat on the other side

• Repeat Steps 3–14 on the other rear wheel.
• Make sure both sides have new pads, new rotors, and new hardware. Always replace rear brakes in pairs.

Step 16: Reinstall wheels and lower the vehicle

• Remove the temporary lug nut holding the rotor using the 21mm socket.
• Install the wheel on the hub and hand-tighten the lug nuts in a criss-cross (star) pattern using the 21mm socket.
• Use the floor jack to raise the car slightly, remove the jack stands, and lower the car to the ground.
• Use a torque wrench and 21mm socket to tighten all lug nuts to 113 Nm (83 ft-lbs) in a star pattern.

Step 17: Final checks under the hood

• Check the brake fluid level in the reservoir; adjust to the “MAX” line if needed.
• Clean any spilled fluid with a shop rag and brake cleaner if necessary.
• Reinstall and fully tighten the reservoir cap.

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✅ After Repair

• With the engine off, slowly press the brake pedal 10–15 times until it becomes firm. This seats the pads against the rotors.
• Set and release the parking brake a few times to make sure the cable system works smoothly.
• Check around both rear calipers and wheels for any signs of leaks or loose parts.
• Test drive in a safe, open area: start with gentle stops from low speeds, then gradually move to normal braking.
• For the first 300–500 km, avoid very hard braking to allow pads and rotors to bed in. Gentle stops improve pad life.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $350–$550 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $150–$260 (parts only)

You Save: $200–$290 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100–$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.5–2 hours.

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