🔧 Forester - Rear Brake Pad Replacement

You’ll remove the rear wheels, swing the rear calipers out of the way, swap the old pads for new ones, and compress the caliper piston so everything fits back together. Worn rear pads reduce braking performance and can damage the rotors if they get too thin.

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

Assumption: Your Forester uses a rear floating caliper (push-in piston) with a drum-in-hat parking brake (common Subaru setup).

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on level ground and support the rear with jack stands—never rely on a jack.
• ⚠️ Keep the transmission in Park and chock the front wheels with wheel chocks.
• ⚠️ Release the parking brake before starting (Subaru rear parking brake can drag if applied).
• ⚠️ Brake dust is harmful—use brake cleaner, not compressed air.
• ⚠️ Do not press the brake pedal while a caliper is off the rotor.
• ⚠️ No battery disconnect 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
• 19mm socket
• Breaker bar (1/2" drive)
• Torque wrench (10–200 Nm range)
• 14mm socket
• 17mm socket
• Ratchet (3/8" drive)
• C-clamp brake piston compressor
• Flathead screwdriver
• Bungee cord
• Wire brush
• 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 hardware kit (pad clips/shims) - Qty: 1
• High-temp silicone brake grease - Qty: 1
• Brake parts cleaner - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on a flat surface, set the shifter to Park, and turn the engine off.
• Place wheel chocks in front of both front tires.
• Make sure the parking brake is released before lifting the rear.
• Crack the rear lug nuts loose 1/4 turn using a 19mm socket and breaker bar before the tires leave the ground.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the rear

• Lift the rear using a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) at the rear jacking point.
• Set the rear onto jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) at safe lift points.
• Remove the rear wheels using a 19mm socket and ratchet (3/8" drive).

Step 2: Locate the rear caliper and check pad/rotor condition

• Look at the rear caliper and rotor; note how the pads sit in the bracket.
• If the rotor is deeply grooved or blue/purple from heat, plan to replace/turn rotors (pads alone may not fix vibration/noise).

Step 3: Remove the lower caliper slide pin bolt and swing caliper up

• Remove the lower caliper slide pin bolt using a 14mm socket and ratchet (3/8" drive).
• Swing the caliper upward like a hinge.
• Support the caliper with a bungee cord so it doesn’t hang by the brake hose.
• Torque to 27 Nm (20 ft-lbs) for the slide pin bolt during reassembly.

Step 4: Remove the old pads and hardware clips

• Slide the pads out by hand; use a flathead screwdriver gently if they’re stuck.
• Remove the pad clips/hardware from the bracket (these are the stainless “tracks” the pads slide on).

Step 5: Compress the caliper piston (make room for new thicker pads)

• Place one old pad against the piston face to protect it.
• Slowly compress the piston using a C-clamp brake piston compressor until it bottoms out evenly.
• Go slow to avoid overflowing the reservoir.

Step 6: Clean and grease the pad contact points (not the pad friction)

• Clean the caliper bracket pad lands with brake parts cleaner spray and a wire brush.
• Install the new hardware clips from the rear brake hardware kit.
• Apply a thin film of high-temp silicone brake grease where the pad ears contact the clips.
• Never grease the pad face or rotor.

Step 7: Install the new rear pads

• Slide the new pads into the bracket by hand.
• If one pad has a wear indicator “squealer,” match it to the same side/orientation as the original pads.

Step 8: Reinstall and tighten the caliper

• Swing the caliper back down over the new pads.
• Install the lower slide pin bolt using a 14mm socket and ratchet (3/8" drive).
• Torque to 27 Nm (20 ft-lbs).

Step 9: (If needed) Remove the caliper bracket to service stuck hardware

• If the pads won’t slide freely, remove the caliper bracket bolts using a 17mm socket and breaker bar (1/2" drive).
• Clean the bracket thoroughly with brake parts cleaner spray and a wire brush, then reinstall.
• Torque to 80 Nm (59 ft-lbs) for the caliper bracket bolts.

Step 10: Reinstall wheels

• Reinstall the wheels and hand-thread all lug nuts.
• Lower the vehicle off the jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) using the floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Tighten lug nuts in a star pattern with a torque wrench (10–200 Nm range).
• Torque to 120 Nm (89 ft-lbs) for the lug nuts.

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✅ After Repair

• Pump the brake pedal 10–15 times until it feels firm (this seats the pads against the rotor).
• Check the brake fluid level and top off only if needed.
• Test drive at low speed first; confirm quiet operation and normal pedal feel.
• Pad break-in: make 6–10 gentle stops from 30–40 mph with cool-down time between stops.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

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

DIY Cost: $50-$120 (parts only)

You Save: $200-$330 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.0-1.5 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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