🔧 Forte - Rear Brake Pad Replacement

Replacing the rear brake pads restores stopping power and prevents metal-to-metal damage that can ruin your rotors (the flat brake discs). You’ll remove the rear caliper (the clamp that squeezes the pads), install new pads/hardware, and retract the caliper piston so everything fits back together.

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 the rear.
• 🛑 Release the parking brake before starting, or the rear calipers may not come off.
• 🛑 Support the car with jack stands; never rely on a floor jack alone.
• 🛑 Do not let the caliper hang by the brake hose; support it with a hanger.
• 🛑 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 2-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• Lug nut socket 21mm
• Breaker bar 1/2-inch drive
• Torque wrench 3/8-inch drive (10-80 ft-lbs range)
• Torque wrench 1/2-inch drive (50-150 ft-lbs range)
• Ratchet 3/8-inch drive
• Socket set metric 12mm-19mm
• Wrench set metric 12mm-19mm
• Flat-blade screwdriver
• Wire brush
• Bungee cord
• Rear disc brake piston wind-back tool (specialty)
• C-clamp 6-inch
• Needle-nose pliers
• Catch pan
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves

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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 or synthetic caliper grease) - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 1
• Rear brake rotors - Qty: 2 Replace in pairs if worn

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📋 Before You Begin

• 🧱 Park on level ground, put the shifter in Park, and chock the front wheels.
• 🧱 Make sure the parking brake is fully released.
• 🧱 Loosen rear lug nuts 1/2 turn before lifting.
• 🧱 Open the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir. Keep the cap sitting loosely on top. Helps prevent spills/pressure buildup

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the rear

• Use wheel chocks on both front wheels.
• Use a breaker bar 1/2-inch drive with a 21mm socket to loosen the rear lug nuts 1/2 turn.
• Use a floor jack to lift the rear, then place jack stands under solid rear lift points and lower onto the stands.

Step 2: Remove the rear wheels

• Remove lug nuts with a 21mm socket and ratchet 3/8-inch drive (or breaker bar), then remove both rear wheels.

Step 3: Remove the caliper (not the bracket)

• Find the two caliper slide-pin bolts (small bolts on the back of the caliper).
• Use a ratchet 3/8-inch drive with the correct metric socket set to remove the slide-pin bolts.
• Lift the caliper off the pads and rotor.
• Support the caliper using a bungee cord so it does not pull on the hose.
• Slide pins are the guided bolts that let the caliper move.

Step 4: Remove old pads and hardware

• Pull the inner and outer pads out by hand. Use a flat-blade screwdriver gently if they’re stuck.
• Remove the pad clips (hardware) from the caliper bracket using a flat-blade screwdriver or needle-nose pliers.

Step 5: Clean and prep the bracket

• Place a catch pan underneath.
• Spray the bracket and pad contact points with brake cleaner.
• Use a wire brush to remove rust where the pad clips sit.
• Install the new hardware clips by hand (they should snap/seat fully).

Step 6: Retract the rear caliper piston

• Look at the piston face (the round part that presses the inner pad).
• Most rear calipers on the Forte use a “push-and-turn” piston because the parking brake is built in.
• Path A (push-and-turn piston):
  • Use a rear disc brake piston wind-back tool (specialty) to rotate and press the piston clockwise until it’s fully seated.
  • Stop if it binds hard; re-check tool alignment.
• Path B (push-straight piston):
  • Use a C-clamp 6-inch to slowly press the piston straight in.
• Watch the brake fluid level while compressing; if it rises too high, remove a little fluid carefully into the catch pan.
• Go slow to avoid seal damage.

Step 7: Lubricate the right places (not the friction)

• Apply a thin film of brake lubricant to the pad “ears” where they touch the clips.
• Apply a thin film of brake lubricant to the caliper slide pins if they are clean and move freely.
• Do not get grease on the pad friction surface or rotor face.

Step 8: Install the new pads

• Install the new inner and outer pads into the bracket by hand.
• If one pad has a wear indicator tab, install it in the same position as the old set (commonly the inner pad).

Step 9: Reinstall the caliper

• Lower the caliper back over the new pads.
• If it won’t fit, the piston is not fully retracted—use the wind-back tool (or C-clamp) again.
• Install the slide-pin bolts using a ratchet 3/8-inch drive and the correct metric socket set.
• Torque to 25 Nm (18 ft-lbs) for rear caliper slide-pin bolts.
• Torque wrench = tool that tightens to a set value.

Step 10: Reinstall wheels and torque lug nuts

• Install the wheels and hand-thread lug nuts.
• Lower the car off the stands using the floor jack.
• Use a torque wrench 1/2-inch drive with a 21mm socket to tighten lug nuts in a star pattern.
• Torque to 88-108 Nm (65-80 ft-lbs).

Step 11: Seat the pads before driving

• With the car on the ground, press the brake pedal slowly 10-15 times until it feels firm.
• Check brake fluid level and top off only if needed.
• Re-apply and release the parking brake a few times to confirm normal feel.

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✅ After Repair

• 🔍 Test at low speed first: gentle braking in your driveway/parking lot.
• 🔍 Listen for scraping/grinding; stop and re-check work if heard.
• 🔍 Pad break-in: make 6-10 normal stops from ~30 mph, letting brakes cool a minute between stops. Avoid hard stops for 200 miles
• 🔍 Recheck lug nut torque after 25-50 miles using a torque wrench 1/2-inch drive.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

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

DIY Cost: $50-$140 (parts only)

You Save: $110-$400 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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