🔧 Tundra - Rear Brake Pad Replacement

Your Tundra’s rear brake pads wear down over time and need replacement to keep braking strong and quiet. This job involves removing the rear calipers, swapping the pads and hardware, and safely compressing the caliper pistons before reassembly.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 1.5-3 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Support the truck on jack stands; never rely on a jack.
• ⚠️ Chock the front wheels; you’ll be working on the rear.
• ⚠️ Do not press the brake pedal with a caliper removed.
• ⚠️ Brake dust is harmful; use brake cleaner, not compressed air.
• ⚠️ If brake fluid rises near the reservoir cap, remove a little with a turkey baster to prevent overflow.
• ⚠️ Battery disconnect is not required for this repair.

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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
• 21mm socket
• Breaker bar (1/2" drive)
• Torque wrench (30-150 ft-lbs range)
• 14mm socket
• 17mm socket
• Ratchet (3/8" drive)
• Needle-nose pliers
• C-clamp (6" minimum)
• Wire hook or bungee cord
• Brake cleaner spray
• Shop rags
• 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
• Rear brake pad hardware kit - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper grease (silicone) - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground and set the parking brake.
• Chock both front wheels using wheel chocks.
• Crack the rear lug nuts loose using a 21mm socket and breaker bar before lifting.
• Pop the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir so you can monitor fluid level as you compress pistons.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the rear

• Use a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) to lift the rear of your Tundra at a safe rear lift point.
• Set it down onto jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) on both sides.
• Remove the rear wheels using a 21mm socket.

Step 2: Locate the caliper and remove the slide pin bolts

• Turn the steering wheel is not needed for the rear; you can work straight-on.
• Find the two smaller caliper slide pin bolts on the back of the caliper.
• Remove those bolts using a 14mm socket and ratchet (3/8" drive).
• Slide pins are the caliper’s guide bolts.

Step 3: Remove and support the caliper

• Lift the caliper off the bracket by hand.
• Hang the caliper from the suspension using a wire hook or bungee cord.
• Do not let the caliper hang by the brake hose.

Step 4: Remove old pads and hardware

• Slide the old brake pads out of the bracket by hand (use needle-nose pliers if they’re stuck).
• Remove the pad hardware clips from the bracket.
• Spray the bracket pad lands with brake cleaner spray and wipe with shop rags.

Step 5: Compress the caliper piston

• Place an old pad against the caliper piston face.
• Use a C-clamp (6" minimum) to slowly press the piston back into the caliper until it bottoms out.
• Watch the brake fluid reservoir while compressing; stop if it’s close to overflowing.
• Go slow to avoid damaging seals.

Step 6: Install new hardware and pads

• Install new pad hardware clips into the caliper bracket by hand.
• Apply a thin layer of brake caliper grease (silicone) where the pad “ears” touch the hardware clips.
• Install the new pads into the bracket in the same orientation as the old ones.

Step 7: Reinstall the caliper and torque bolts

• Set the caliper back over the new pads.
• Install the slide pin bolts by hand first to avoid cross-threading.
• Tighten using a 14mm socket and torque wrench: Torque to 34 Nm (25 ft-lbs).

Step 8: Reinstall wheels and torque lug nuts

• Reinstall the wheels and snug lug nuts using a 21mm socket.
• Lower the truck using the floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Torque lug nuts in a star pattern using a torque wrench: Torque to 131 Nm (97 ft-lbs).

Step 9: Repeat on the other rear side

• Repeat Steps 2-8 on the other rear wheel.
• Replace rear pads as a set (both sides) to keep braking even.

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✅ After Repair

• With the truck still parked, pump the brake pedal 10-15 times until it feels firm.
• Check brake fluid level and top off only if needed (do not overfill).
• Start the engine and do a slow test stop in a safe area.
• Bed-in the pads: make 6-10 medium stops from ~30 mph to ~5 mph, letting brakes cool a minute between stops.
• Listen for grinding/squealing and recheck for any loose hardware.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $350-$650 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $60-$180 (parts only)

You Save: $170-$590 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.5-3 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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