🔧 Focus - Rear Brake Pad Replacement

You’ll be removing the rear wheels, swinging the rear calipers up, and swapping the old pads for new ones. On your Focus, the rear caliper piston is typically a “screw-in” style (it turns as it goes back in) because it’s tied to the parking brake mechanism.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 1.5-3.0 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on level ground and chock the front wheels.
• ⚠️ Support the car with jack stands; never rely on a floor jack alone.
• ⚠️ Brake dust is harmful—use brake cleaner, not compressed air.
• ⚠️ Do not press the brake pedal with a caliper removed.
• ⚠️ Parking brake must be fully released before retracting rear 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
• Lug nut socket (19mm)
• Breaker bar (1/2")
• Torque wrench (20–200 ft-lbs range)
• Socket set (8mm–18mm)
• Ratchet (3/8")
• Open-end wrench set (13mm–18mm)
• Caliper piston wind-back tool kit (specialty)
• Flathead screwdriver
• Bungee cord
• Wire brush
• Brake cleaner spray
• 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
• Brake lubricant (high-temp silicone) - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, shift to Park (automatic) or in gear (manual), and fully release the parking brake.
• Chock both front wheels using wheel chocks.
• Loosen the rear lug nuts slightly before lifting using a 19mm lug nut socket and breaker bar.
• Open the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir; make sure it’s not overfilled (fluid level may rise when pistons retract).

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the rear of the car

• Lift the rear at the correct jack point using a floor jack.
• Set the car down onto jack stands placed under the proper rear support points.
• Give the car a firm shake to confirm it’s stable.

Step 2: Remove the rear wheels

• Remove the lug nuts using a 19mm lug nut socket and ratchet.
• Remove both rear wheels and set them aside.

Step 3: Access the rear caliper and remove the caliper bolts

• Turn the steering wheel is not needed; you’re working on the rear.
• Locate the two caliper slide-pin bolts on the back of the caliper.
• Remove the slide-pin bolts using the correctly sized socket and ratchet (commonly 13mm–15mm head depending on hardware).
• Hold the slide pin with an appropriately sized open-end wrench if it tries to spin.

Step 4: Swing the caliper up and support it

• Carefully lift the caliper off the pads.
• Hang the caliper from the suspension using a bungee cord.
• Never let the caliper hang by the hose.

Step 5: Remove old pads and hardware

• Remove the inner and outer pads by hand. Use a flathead screwdriver gently if they’re stuck.
• If your new pads include new abutment clips (pad hardware), remove the old clips from the bracket.
• Clean the bracket contact points using brake cleaner spray and a wire brush.

Step 6: Retract the rear caliper piston (screw-in style)

• Fit the correct adapter from the caliper piston wind-back tool kit (specialty) into the piston face.
• Turn and press the piston in at the same time with the wind-back tool until it bottoms out.
• Keep the piston boot from twisting; use a flathead screwdriver gently to help the boot “untwist” if needed.
• Check the brake fluid reservoir level and remove a small amount if it gets too high.
• If it won’t retract, stop and re-check parking brake release.

Step 7: Install new pad hardware and pads

• Install new abutment clips (if provided) into the bracket by hand.
• Apply a thin film of brake lubricant (high-temp silicone) to the pad ears (where pads slide on the clips).
• Install the new inner and outer pads into the bracket.

Step 8: Reinstall the caliper

• Swing the caliper back over the new pads by hand.
• Reinstall the caliper slide-pin bolts using the correct socket and ratchet.
• Torque to 35 Nm (26 ft-lbs) for the rear caliper slide-pin bolts.

Step 9: Reinstall wheels and torque lug nuts

• Reinstall the wheels and hand-thread all lug nuts.
• Lower the car off the jack stands using the floor jack.
• Tighten lug nuts in a star pattern using a torque wrench.
• Torque to 135 Nm (100 ft-lbs) for the wheel lug nuts.

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✅ After Repair

• With the car on the ground, pump the brake pedal 10–15 times until it feels firm (this seats the pads against the rotors).
• Check brake fluid level and top off only if needed (use the correct DOT-rated fluid shown on the reservoir cap).
• Apply and release the parking brake several times to confirm normal operation.
• Test drive at low speed first and verify no grinding, pulling, or warning lights.
• Easy break-in: 8–10 gentle stops from 30 mph.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $250-$450 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $40-$120 (parts only)

You Save: $130-$410 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.0-1.8 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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