🔧 Murano - Rear Brake Pad Replacement

You’ll remove the rear wheels, swing the rear brake calipers out of the way, swap in new pads (and hardware), then reassemble and pump the brake pedal to restore a firm pedal. Rear pads wear down from normal braking and can cause squealing, grinding, or longer stopping distance when they’re thin.

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

Assumption: Your Murano uses a mechanical parking brake (no electronic parking brake).

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• 🛑 Support the SUV with jack stands; never rely on a jack alone.
• 🧤 Wear safety glasses and gloves; brake dust and cleaner are irritating.
• 🔥 Brakes can be hot—let everything cool before starting.
• 🚫 Do not press the brake pedal with a caliper removed (the piston can pop out).
• 🪝 Hang the caliper with a hook/strap; don’t let it dangle by the brake hose.
• 🅿️ Release the parking brake before removing rear calipers.

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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
• 21mm socket
• Breaker bar (1/2-inch drive)
• Torque wrench (20-150 ft-lbs range)
• Ratchet (3/8-inch drive)
• 14mm socket
• 19mm socket
• Flat-blade screwdriver
• C-clamp (6-inch)
• Brake caliper piston compression tool (specialty)
• Small wire brush
• Bungee cord
• Drain pan
• Shop towels
• 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
• High-temp silicone brake grease - Qty: 1
• Brake parts cleaner - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, shift to Park, and chock the front wheels using wheel chocks.
• Make sure the parking brake is fully released.
• Loosen the rear lug nuts 1/2 turn using a 21mm socket and breaker bar before lifting.
• Pop the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir; keep it closed, but check it while compressing pistons so it doesn’t overflow. Place a drain pan and shop towels under it just in case.
• Tip: Do one side at a time to compare parts.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and support the rear

• Lift the rear at the correct jack point using a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Set the SUV down securely onto jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Remove the rear wheels using a 21mm socket.

Step 2: Locate the rear caliper and inspect

• Find the rear brake caliper (the clamp over the rotor) and the caliper bracket behind it.
• Check the rotor for deep grooves or heavy rust ridges. If it’s badly worn, pads alone may not fix noise/vibration.

Step 3: Remove the caliper (slide pin bolts)

• Turn the steering wheel is not needed for the rear; just position yourself for access.
• Remove the two caliper slide pin bolts using a 14mm socket and ratchet (3/8-inch drive).
• Carefully lift the caliper off the bracket. Hang it from the suspension using a bungee cord.
• Tip: Never hang the caliper by the hose.

Step 4: Remove old pads and hardware

• Pull the inner and outer pads out of the bracket by hand. Use a flat-blade screwdriver gently if they’re stuck.
• Remove the pad abutment clips (metal hardware) from the bracket.
• Clean the bracket pad ledges (where clips sit) using brake parts cleaner, shop towels, and a small wire brush.

Step 5: Compress the caliper piston

• Place one old pad against the piston face to spread the force evenly.
• Compress the piston slowly using a C-clamp (6-inch) or brake caliper piston compression tool (specialty). (This tool pushes the piston straight back into the caliper.)
• Watch the brake fluid reservoir level as you compress; if it gets too high, use shop towels to catch any overflow.

Step 6: Install new hardware and pads

• Install new abutment clips from the rear brake pad hardware kit (clips/shims) into the bracket.
• Apply a thin film of high-temp silicone brake grease to the bracket pad ledges where the pads slide (do not get grease on pad friction material or rotor).
• Install the new inner and outer pads into the bracket in the same orientation as removed.

Step 7: Service slide pins and reinstall caliper

• Pull the slide pins out of the caliper bracket boots and wipe them clean using shop towels.
• Apply a light coat of high-temp silicone brake grease to the slide pins and reinstall them (they should move smoothly by hand).
• Set the caliper back over the new pads.
• Install and tighten the slide pin bolts using a 14mm socket and torque wrench: Torque to 26 Nm (19 ft-lbs).

Step 8: Repeat on the other rear wheel

• Repeat Steps 2–7 on the opposite side so rear pads are replaced as a pair.

Step 9: Reinstall wheels

• Reinstall both rear wheels and hand-thread the lug nuts.
• Lower the SUV off the jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) using the floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Tighten lug nuts in a star pattern using a torque wrench: Torque to 133 Nm (98 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• 🦶 Pump the brake pedal 8–15 times until it feels firm (this seats the pistons against the new pads).
• 🧴 Check brake fluid level and top off only if needed (use the correct DOT fluid listed on the reservoir cap).
• 👂 With the engine running, do a slow test in a safe area: confirm normal stopping and no pulling or grinding.
• 🛑 Bedding-in: make 6–10 moderate stops from 30–40 mph, letting brakes cool a bit between stops. Avoid hard stops for the first 150–200 miles.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

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

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

You Save: $200-$310 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?

HowToo makes it easy: same-day/2-day shipping on every part, plus all the tools and specialty tools you need! Check out the parts and tools sections below to add everything to your cart.