🔧 Highlander - Rear Brake Pad Replacement

You’ll be removing the rear wheels, swinging the rear calipers up, swapping the pads/hardware, then reassembling and testing. Rear pads wear down over time, and replacing them restores safe stopping and prevents rotor damage.

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

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• 🛑 Support your Highlander on jack stands; never rely on a jack alone.
• 🧤 Brake dust is harmful—wear a mask and avoid blowing dust with compressed air.
• 🔥 Brakes can be hot; let everything cool before starting.
• ⚠️ Keep the parking brake released while working on the rear brakes (this Highlander uses a drum-in-hat parking brake inside the rear rotor).
• 🔋 Battery disconnect is not required for this job.

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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"
• Torque wrench 20-150 ft-lbs
• 14mm socket
• 17mm socket
• Ratchet 3/8"
• Flathead screwdriver
• C-clamp (6-inch)
• Brake caliper hanger hook (specialty)
• Wire brush
• Shop towels
• Nitrile gloves
• Safety glasses
• Dust mask

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Rear brake pad set - Qty: 1
• Rear brake 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, shift to Park, and place wheel chocks at the front wheels.
• Release the parking brake fully (rear parking brake is inside the rear rotor).
• Open the hood and loosen the brake fluid reservoir cap (do not remove it completely). This helps the caliper piston push back easier.
• Do one side at a time to use the other as a reference.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Loosen lug nuts and raise the rear

• Use a 21mm socket and breaker bar 1/2" to loosen the rear wheel lug nuts about 1/2 turn while the tire is on the ground.
• Lift the rear with a floor jack at the proper rear jacking point, then support with jack stands.
• Remove the lug nuts with the 21mm socket and remove the wheel.

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

• Find the rear brake caliper (the clamp that squeezes the rotor).
• Use a 14mm socket and ratchet 3/8" to remove the two caliper slide pin bolts (upper and lower).
• Keep bolts clean—don’t drop them in dirt.

Step 3: Swing the caliper up and support it

• Carefully pivot the caliper up and off the pads.
• Hang the caliper using a brake caliper hanger hook (specialty).
• Do not let the caliper hang by the brake hose.

Step 4: Remove old pads and hardware

• Pull the inner and outer pads out by hand. Use a flathead screwdriver gently if they’re stuck.
• Remove the stainless pad clips/hardware from the bracket.
• Use brake cleaner and shop towels to clean the bracket contact points (where the pads slide).
• Use a wire brush to knock off rust on the pad slide surfaces.

Step 5: Retract the caliper piston

• Place an old pad against the piston face, then use a C-clamp (6-inch) to slowly push the piston back into the caliper.
• Watch the brake fluid level at the reservoir while compressing. If it gets too high, remove a little fluid (do not overflow onto paint).
• Go slow—fast compression can damage seals.

Step 6: Lube slide pins and install new hardware

• Pull the slide pins out of the caliper bracket by hand.
• Wipe them clean with shop towels, then apply a thin coat of brake caliper grease (silicone) and reinstall.
• Install the new pad clips/hardware from the rear brake hardware kit onto the bracket.
• Only grease metal-to-metal sliding points.

Step 7: Install new pads and reinstall the caliper

• Install the new inner and outer pads into the bracket. Make sure they slide freely in the new hardware.
• Pivot the caliper back down over the new pads.
• Reinstall the two slide pin bolts using a 14mm socket and ratchet 3/8".
• Torque to 25 Nm (19 ft-lbs)

Step 8: If removing the caliper bracket (only if needed)

• If you need extra room (rusted pads/hardware), remove the bracket bolts using a 17mm socket and breaker bar 1/2".
• Reinstall bracket bolts with a torque wrench 20-150 ft-lbs.
• Torque to 79 Nm (58 ft-lbs)

Step 9: Reinstall wheels

• Reinstall the wheel and hand-thread lug nuts.
• Lower the Highlander off the jack stands using the floor jack.
• Tighten lug nuts in a star pattern with a torque wrench 20-150 ft-lbs.
• Torque to 103 Nm (76 ft-lbs)

Step 10: Repeat on the other rear side

• Repeat Steps 1–9 for the other rear wheel.
• Replace rear pads in pairs.

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✅ After Repair

• Before driving, pump the brake pedal slowly 10–15 times until it feels firm (this seats the pistons against the new pads).
• Check brake fluid level and top off only if needed.
• Do a careful test drive at low speed and confirm no pulling, grinding, or warning lights.
• Pad bed-in (simple method): make 6–8 smooth stops from ~35 mph down to ~5 mph, allowing 30–60 seconds between stops for cooling.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

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

DIY Cost: $50-$140 (parts only)

You Save: $200-$310 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.5-2.5 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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