🔧 Outback - Rear Brake Pad Replacement

You’ll remove the rear caliper, swap in new pads, and compress the caliper piston so everything fits back together. Doing this correctly restores braking performance and prevents uneven wear or noise.

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.
• ⚠️ Release the parking brake before starting (your Outback uses a separate drum-style parking brake inside the rear rotor “hat”).
• ⚠️ Support the vehicle with jack stands—never rely on a floor jack alone.
• ⚠️ Do not press the brake pedal with a caliper removed.
• ⚠️ Avoid breathing brake dust; use brake cleaner, not compressed air.

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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
• 19mm socket
• Breaker bar (1/2")
• Torque wrench (10–200 ft-lbs)
• 14mm socket
• 17mm socket
• Ratchet (3/8")
• Flathead screwdriver
• C-clamp (6")
• Wire hook or bungee cord
• Brake parts 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
• Rear brake pad hardware kit (clips/shims) - Qty: 1
• Brake lubricant (silicone brake grease) - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on a level surface, shift to Park, and fully release the parking brake.
• Chock both front wheels with wheel chocks.
• Crack the rear lug nuts loose slightly using a 19mm socket and breaker bar before lifting.
• Open the hood and remove the brake fluid reservoir cap (loosely set it back on). This helps the caliper piston compress more easily.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the rear

• Lift the rear at the approved rear jacking point using a floor jack.
• Set the rear onto jack stands and lightly shake the vehicle to confirm it’s stable.
• Remove the rear wheels using a 19mm socket.

Step 2: Locate the rear caliper and hardware

• Turn the steering wheel as needed to give yourself room, and look at the rear brake assembly: rotor in the middle, caliper over the rotor.
• Check the brake hose routing so you can put it back the same way.

Step 3: Remove the caliper (keep it supported)

• Remove the two caliper slide pin bolts using a 14mm socket.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket. If it’s stuck, gently pry with a flathead screwdriver.
• Hang the caliper from the suspension using a wire hook or bungee cord. Never let it hang by the hose.
• Torque on install: Caliper slide pin bolts to 27 Nm (20 ft-lbs)

Step 4: Remove the old pads and hardware

• Slide the inner and outer pads out of the bracket by hand.
• Remove the pad clips/hardware from the bracket (usually they lift out).
• Spray the bracket pad lands (the metal “shelves” the pads slide on) with brake parts cleaner spray and wipe clean.

Step 5: Check the rotor and parking brake area

• Inspect the rotor surface for deep grooves, cracking, or heavy rust ridges.
• Spin the rotor by hand; it should turn freely with the parking brake released. If it drags hard, the parking brake shoes may be adjusted too tight.

Step 6: Compress the caliper piston

• Before compressing, watch the brake fluid reservoir level so it doesn’t overflow.
• Use a C-clamp (6") to slowly push the caliper piston back into the caliper. (A C-clamp is a screw clamp that pushes the piston straight back in.)
• Go slow and steady until the piston is fully seated.

Step 7: Install new hardware and pads

• Install the new pad clips/hardware onto the bracket (match positions side-to-side).
• Apply a thin film of brake lubricant (silicone brake grease) where the pad “ears” contact the clips. Keep grease off pad friction material.
• Install the inner and outer pads into the bracket.

Step 8: Reinstall the caliper

• Lower the caliper over the new pads.
• If the slide pins don’t line up easily, check that the piston is fully compressed and pads are seated.
• Install and tighten the slide pin bolts using a 14mm socket.
• Torque: Caliper slide pin bolts to 27 Nm (20 ft-lbs)

Step 9: If you removed the caliper bracket (only if needed)

• If you had to remove the bracket for cleaning or rotor service, reinstall the bracket bolts using a 17mm socket.
• Torque: Caliper bracket bolts to 80 Nm (59 ft-lbs)

Step 10: Reinstall wheels

• Reinstall the wheels and hand-thread all lug nuts.
• Lower the vehicle off the jack stands using the floor jack.
• Tighten lug nuts in a star pattern using a torque wrench.
• Torque: Wheel lug nuts to 120 Nm (88.5 ft-lbs)

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✅ After Repair

• With the engine OFF, 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 brake fluid shown on the reservoir cap).
• Test at low speed first. Confirm normal braking and no warning lights.
• Bed-in the pads: make 6–10 moderate stops from ~35 mph to ~5 mph, allowing short cool-down between stops. Avoid hard stops for 200 miles.

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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?

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.