🔧 Legacy - Rear Brake Pad Replacement

You’ll remove the rear wheels, swing the rear brake calipers out of the way, replace the old pads with new ones, and then reassemble and test. On many Legacys, the rear brakes use an electronic parking brake (EPB), which must be put into service/maintenance mode before you compress the pistons.

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 before lifting.
• Support the car with jack stands; never rely on a floor jack alone.
• If your Legacy has electronic parking brake (EPB), do not try to force the rear pistons in without EPB service mode.
• Do not press the brake pedal with a caliper removed.
• Brake dust is harmful—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-inch drive)
• Torque wrench (10-200 Nm range)
• 14mm socket
• 17mm socket
• Ratchet (3/8-inch drive)
• Flat trim tool
• Caliper hanger hook
• C-clamp brake piston compressor
• Wire brush (small)
• Brake cleaner spray
• Nitrile gloves
• Safety glasses
• Scan tool with EPB service mode (specialty)

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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 (abutment clips/shims) - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper slide pin grease (silicone) - Qty: 1
• Brake parts cleaner - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, turn ignition OFF, and place wheel chocks at the front tires.
• Loosen the rear wheel lug nuts 1/2 turn using a 19mm socket and breaker bar before lifting.
• EPB note: If equipped, you must put the EPB into pad replacement/service mode before compressing the pistons.
• Lift the rear using a floor jack and support with jack stands under proper rear lift/support points.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Put the parking brake system in the correct mode

• If your Legacy has EPB (button-style parking brake): Use a scan tool with EPB service mode (specialty) to command Rear EPB > Pad Replacement/Service Mode > Retract. This retracts the parking brake motors so the pistons can be pushed in safely.
• If your Legacy has a hand lever parking brake (no EPB button): Make sure the parking brake is fully released. (No scan tool step needed.)
• EPB service mode prevents motor damage.

Step 2: Remove the rear wheels

• Remove the lug nuts with a 19mm socket and ratchet.
• Remove both rear wheels and set them aside.

Step 3: Locate the rear caliper and remove the caliper bolts

• The caliper is the clamp that squeezes the pads onto the rotor.
• Turn the steering wheel straight and look at the rear brake assembly.
• Remove the two caliper slide pin bolts using a 14mm socket and ratchet.

Step 4: Swing the caliper up and support it

• Carefully lift/swing the caliper off the pads.
• Hang the caliper from the suspension with a caliper hanger hook. Do not let it hang by the brake hose.

Step 5: Remove the old pads and hardware

• Pull the inner and outer pads out by hand. Use a flat trim tool gently if they are stuck.
• Remove the pad abutment clips (hardware) from the bracket.
• Spray the bracket contact areas with brake cleaner spray, then scrub with a small wire brush.

Step 6: Compress the caliper piston

• The piston is the round part inside the caliper that pushes the pads.
• Place an old pad against the piston face, then slowly compress using a C-clamp brake piston compressor.
• Compress until the piston is fully seated and there’s room for the new thicker pads.
• Go slow to avoid fluid overflow.

Step 7: Re-grease slide pins and install new hardware

• Pull the slide pins out one at a time (they are the pins the caliper “floats” on).
• Wipe old grease off, then apply fresh silicone brake caliper slide pin grease.
• Install the new abutment clips into the bracket.

Step 8: Install the new pads

• Install the inner and outer pads into the new abutment clips.
• Make sure the pads slide freely in the clips (no binding).

Step 9: Reinstall the caliper and torque fasteners

• Lower the caliper back over the new pads.
• Install the slide pin bolts using a 14mm socket and ratchet.
• Torque to 25 Nm (18 ft-lbs) for the rear caliper slide pin bolts.
• If you removed the caliper bracket bolts (not always required), reinstall using a 17mm socket and ratchet, then Torque to 65 Nm (48 ft-lbs).

Step 10: Reinstall wheels and torque lug nuts

• Reinstall wheels and hand-thread lug nuts.
• Lower the car to the ground with the floor jack.
• Tighten lug nuts in a star pattern using a torque wrench: Torque to 120 Nm (89 ft-lbs).

Step 11: Exit EPB service mode (if equipped)

• Use the scan tool with EPB service mode (specialty) to command Rear EPB > Pad Replacement/Service Mode > Apply/Close.

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✅ After Repair

• Pump the brake pedal 10-15 times until it feels firm (this seats the pads).
• Check brake fluid level and top off only if needed.
• With the car in a safe area, do a low-speed brake test.
• Bed-in the pads: make 6-10 gentle stops from ~30 mph to 5 mph, with cool-down time between stops.
• If any brake warning lights stay on (especially EPB), rescan with your scan tool.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

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

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

You Save: $130-$350 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.0-1.8 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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