🔧 Sentra - Rear Brake Pad Replacement

On your Sentra, the rear brakes may be either disc brakes (pads) or drum brakes (shoes), depending on equipment. I’ll give you the disc-pad procedure first, then a drum-shoe path so you can follow the one that matches what you see behind the rear wheel.

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

Assumption: Stock rear brakes; follow Disc Path if you see a caliper, Drum Path if you see a drum.

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• 🛑 Support the car with jack stands on solid ground; never rely on a floor jack alone.
• 🧤 Brake dust is harmful—wear gloves and a dust mask, and use brake cleaner instead of compressed air.
• 🔥 Brakes can be hot; let everything cool before touching rotors/drums.
• 🧴 Keep brake fluid off paint; it damages finishes.
• 🔒 Chock the front wheels; your Sentra is FWD and will try to roll when the rear is lifted.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (pair, rated 2-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• Lug wrench or 19mm socket
• 3/8" drive ratchet
• Socket set (10mm-19mm)
• 14mm socket
• 12mm socket
• Breaker bar (3/8" or 1/2")
• Torque wrench (10-150 ft-lbs)
• Large C-clamp or brake caliper piston tool (specialty)
• Flathead screwdriver
• Bungee cord or mechanics wire
• Brake cleaner spray
• Wire brush
• Micrometer or brake pad gauge (specialty)
• Needle-nose pliers
• Brake spring tool (specialty)
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• 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 (clips/shims) - Qty: 1
• Brake lubricant (silicone or synthetic) - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 2
• Rear brake shoes (drum path only) - Qty: 1
• Rear drum brake hardware kit (springs/hold-downs) (drum path only) - Qty: 1
• DOT 3 brake fluid - Qty: 1 quart

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📋 Before You Begin

• 🧱 Park on level ground, put the transmission in 1st gear, and set the parking brake before lifting.
• 🔧 Loosen rear lug nuts 1/2 turn using a lug wrench or 19mm socket before the wheels are off the ground.
• 🛞 Chock both front wheels using wheel chocks.
• 🧴 Pop the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir; keep the cap sitting loosely on top so pressure can vent while you compress pistons.
• Definition: A caliper piston tool (or C-clamp) pushes the brake piston back so the new thicker pads fit.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the rear

• Use a floor jack to lift the rear at the rear center jacking point, then set the car onto jack stands at the pinch welds.
• Remove both rear wheels using a lug wrench or 19mm socket.

Step 2: Identify rear brake type (Disc vs Drum)

• If you see a caliper squeezing a flat rotor, follow Disc Path (Steps 3–9).
• If you see a closed “hat” shaped drum with no caliper, skip to Drum Path (Steps 10–16).

Step 3 (Disc Path): Remove the caliper

• Turn the steering wheel is not needed for rear; access the caliper from behind the hub.
• Remove the lower and upper caliper slide pin bolts using a 12mm socket (common on Sentra rear calipers).
• Lift the caliper off the bracket and hang it with a bungee cord or mechanics wire.
• Do not let the caliper dangle by the brake hose.

Step 4 (Disc Path): Remove old pads and hardware

• Pull the old pads out of the bracket by hand; use a flathead screwdriver gently if they’re stuck.
• Remove pad clips/shims from the bracket using a flathead screwdriver.
• Clean the bracket “pad lands” (where clips sit) using brake cleaner spray and a wire brush.

Step 5 (Disc Path): Check slide pins

• Pull each slide pin out by hand, wipe clean, and apply a thin coat of brake lubricant (silicone or synthetic).
• Definition: A slide pin is the greased pin that lets the caliper move evenly as pads wear.

Step 6 (Disc Path): Compress the caliper piston

• Place an old pad against the piston face, then use a large C-clamp or brake caliper piston tool (specialty) to slowly push the piston fully back.
• Watch the brake fluid reservoir while compressing; if it nears “MAX,” remove a little fluid using a hand pump (if available) to prevent overflow. If you don’t have one, compress slowly and stop if it’s close.

Step 7 (Disc Path): Install new hardware and pads

• Install new pad clips from the rear brake hardware kit into the bracket by hand.
• Apply a very thin film of brake lubricant where the pad ears contact the clips.
• Install the new pads into the bracket (same positions as removed).
• Tip: Pads should slide easily by hand.

Step 8 (Disc Path): Reinstall caliper and torque bolts

• Lower the caliper over the new pads.
• Install the slide pin bolts using a 12mm socket, then tighten with a torque wrench.
• Torque to 25 Nm (18 ft-lbs) for rear caliper slide pin bolts (typical Sentra rear disc spec).

Step 9 (Disc Path): Repeat on the other side

• Repeat Steps 3–8 on the other rear wheel.
• Reinstall wheels and hand-tighten lug nuts using a lug wrench or 19mm socket.

Step 10 (Drum Path): Release parking brake and remove the drum

• Make sure the parking brake is fully released.
• Pull the drum straight off by hand. If stuck, tap around the drum face using a rubber mallet (if you have one) or strike gently with a regular hammer through a block of wood.
• If it won’t come off, back off the adjuster through the access slot using a flathead screwdriver.
• Definition: The adjuster is a small screw mechanism that sets shoe-to-drum clearance.

Step 11 (Drum Path): Take a reference “photo” before disassembly

• Use your phone to take a clear picture of the springs and lever layout on each side.
• Tip: Left and right sides can be mirrored.

Step 12 (Drum Path): Remove springs and hold-downs

• Remove the return springs using needle-nose pliers or a brake spring tool (specialty).
• Remove the shoe hold-down pins/springs using needle-nose pliers.
• Keep parts organized; lay them out in removal order.

Step 13 (Drum Path): Remove shoes and transfer the parking brake lever

• Remove the shoes and the adjuster assembly by hand.
• Transfer the parking brake lever to the new shoe (if equipped) using a socket set (commonly 10mm/12mm) or needle-nose pliers for the clip, depending on design.

Step 14 (Drum Path): Clean and lightly lubricate contact points

• Clean the backing plate with brake cleaner spray.
• Apply a tiny dab of brake lubricant on the backing plate pads where the shoes rub.

Step 15 (Drum Path): Install new shoes and hardware

• Install the new shoes and new hardware springs using a brake spring tool (specialty) and needle-nose pliers.
• Reinstall the adjuster and set it to roughly the same length as before removal.

Step 16 (Drum Path): Install drum and adjust

• Install the drum by hand; it should slide on with slight drag.
• If it’s too tight, shorten the adjuster using a flathead screwdriver. If it’s too loose (spins freely), lengthen the adjuster.
• Repeat Steps 10–16 on the other side.

Step 17: Reinstall wheels and torque 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 113 Nm (83 ft-lbs) for Sentra wheel lug nuts.

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✅ After Repair

• 🦶 Pump the brake pedal slowly 10–15 times until it feels firm (this seats the pads/shoes).
• 🧴 Check brake fluid level and top off with DOT 3 brake fluid if needed.
• 🔁 Test at low speed in a safe area: confirm normal stopping and no pulling/noise.
• 🛑 For drum brakes, test the parking brake hold on a gentle incline.
• Tip: Avoid hard stops for first 150 miles.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

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

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

You Save: $210-$330 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.0-2.0 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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