🔧 Forte - Rear Brake Pad Replacement

Replacing rear brake pads involves lifting the rear of your Forte, removing the rear calipers, swapping the pads, and retracting the caliper piston so the thicker new pads fit. Worn pads reduce braking power and can damage the rotors if you wait too long.

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

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on a flat, solid surface and use jack stands—never rely on a floor jack alone.
• ⚠️ Make sure the parking brake is fully released before you start (rear calipers can’t retract correctly if it’s applied).
• ⚠️ Brake dust is unhealthy—wear a dust mask and use brake cleaner (don’t blow dust with compressed air).
• ⚠️ Do not let the caliper hang by the brake hose—support it with a caliper hanger hook.
• ⚠️ Keep brake fluid off paint; check the reservoir level as you compress pistons.

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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
• 21mm socket
• 3/8" drive ratchet
• 1/2" drive breaker bar
• Torque wrench (20–200 Nm range)
• 14mm socket
• 17mm socket
• Flat trim tool
• Brake caliper hanger hook
• Needle-nose pliers
• Rear disc brake piston tool kit (specialty)
• Wire brush
• Brake parts cleaner
• 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 pad hardware kit (clips/shims) - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper slide pin grease (silicone) - Qty: 1
• Brake lubricant (pad backing/abutment lube) - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, put the shifter in P, and place wheel chocks in front of the front tires.
• Release the parking brake fully.
• Open the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir; keep the cap resting loosely (don’t remove it completely unless needed).
• Assumption: Your Forte has rear disc brakes; torque specs can vary slightly by brake package.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Loosen the rear wheel lug nuts

• Use a 21mm socket with a breaker bar to loosen each rear wheel lug nut about 1/2 turn.

Step 2: Lift and support the rear of the car

• Use a floor jack to lift at the rear jacking point.
• Place jack stands under solid pinch weld/frame points and lower the car onto them.
• Shake the car gently to confirm it’s stable.

Step 3: Remove the rear wheels

• Use a 21mm socket and ratchet to remove the lug nuts, then remove both rear wheels.

Step 4: Inspect the caliper and rotor

• Look at the rotor surface for deep grooves or heavy rust ridges.
• Check pad thickness; anything near ~3 mm is due.

Step 5: Remove the rear caliper (do not remove the bracket yet)

• On the back of the caliper, remove the two slide pin bolts using a 14mm socket and ratchet.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket.
• Hang the caliper using a caliper hanger hook.
• Slide pins are the caliper’s “guide bolts” that let it move.

Step 6: Remove old pads and hardware

• Pull the pads out of the bracket by hand; use needle-nose pliers if needed.
• Remove stainless pad clips/hardware using a flat trim tool.
• Use brake parts cleaner and a wire brush to clean the bracket pad seats where the clips sit.

Step 7: Retract the rear caliper piston

• First try to retract the piston using the rear disc brake piston tool kit (specialty).
• Many rear calipers require a push-and-turn retraction: set the tool and rotate while applying inward pressure until the piston bottoms out.
• If the piston compresses straight in without turning, continue compressing until fully seated.
• Watch the brake fluid reservoir while retracting; stop if it looks close to overflowing and remove a little fluid if necessary using shop towels.
• The piston tool is a cube/plate tool that turns the piston.

Step 8: Lubricate and install new pad hardware

• Install new pad clips from the hardware kit by snapping them into the bracket by hand (use a flat trim tool gently if needed).
• Apply a thin film of brake lubricant to the pad “ears” where they slide on the clips (do not get lube on pad friction material).

Step 9: Service the slide pins

• Pull each slide pin out of the bracket by hand.
• Wipe clean with shop towels, then apply caliper slide pin grease (silicone).
• Reinsert pins and confirm they glide smoothly.

Step 10: Install new pads

• Place the new inner and outer pads into the bracket by hand.
• Make sure the pads slide freely; if they bind, re-clean the bracket pad seats with brake cleaner and wire brush.

Step 11: Reinstall the caliper

• Position the caliper over the new pads.
• Install the slide pin bolts using a 14mm socket and ratchet.
• Torque to 25 Nm (18 ft-lbs).

Step 12: If you removed the caliper bracket (only if needed)

• If you removed the bracket for cleaning, reinstall the bracket bolts using a 17mm socket.
• Torque to 75 Nm (55 ft-lbs).

Step 13: Reinstall wheels and torque lug nuts

• Reinstall the wheels and hand-thread the lug nuts.
• Lower the car off the jack stands using the floor jack.
• Torque lug nuts in a star pattern using a torque wrench and 21mm socket.
• Torque to 107 Nm (79 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• With the engine off, pump the brake pedal slowly 10–15 times until it feels firm (this seats the pistons to the new pads).
• Check brake fluid level and top off only if needed (use the correct DOT brake fluid shown on the reservoir cap).
• Do a careful test drive: start at low speed and confirm normal braking and no pulling/noises.
• Bed-in (break-in) the pads: make 6–10 moderate stops from ~30 mph to ~5 mph, allowing a little cooling time between stops.
• Re-check for leaks and re-check lug nut torque after 50–100 km.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: ₹4,500–₹9,000 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: ₹1,500–₹4,000 (parts only)

You Save: ₹3,000–₹5,000 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run ₹800–₹2,000/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.0–1.8 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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