🔧 Trax - Rear Brake Pad Replacement

Replacing the rear brake pads restores safe stopping and prevents rotor damage when pads get thin. Your Trax may have rear disc brakes (caliper visible) or rear drum brakes (smooth “drum” housing), so I’ve included both paths—use the one that matches what you see.

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

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on a level surface and chock the front wheels before lifting the rear.
• ⚠️ Support the Trax with jack stands; never rely on a floor jack alone.
• ⚠️ Brake dust is harmful—wear a mask and use brake cleaner, not compressed air.
• ⚠️ Don’t press the brake pedal with a caliper removed.
• ⚠️ Keep grease and brake fluid off pad friction material and rotor surfaces.

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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
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Dust mask
• Lug wrench (19mm)
• Torque wrench (20-150 ft-lbs range)
• Socket set (10mm-19mm)
• Ratchet (3/8" drive)
• Breaker bar (1/2" drive)
• Open-end wrench set (14mm-18mm)
• Flathead screwdriver
• C-clamp (6" minimum)
• Brake caliper hanger hook
• Wire brush
• Brake cleaner spray
• Turkey baster or fluid suction syringe
• Brake drum spring tool kit (specialty)
• Needle-nose pliers
• Small hammer

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Rear brake pad set - Qty: 1
• Rear pad hardware/clip kit - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper slide pin grease (synthetic) - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 1-2 cans
• Rear brake shoes kit - Qty: 1 (only if your Trax has rear drums)
• Rear drum hardware/spring kit - Qty: 1 (only if your Trax has rear drums)

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, put the shifter in P, and release the parking brake.
• Chock both front wheels with wheel chocks.
• Open the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir. If it’s near the “MAX” line, remove a little fluid using a turkey baster or fluid suction syringe so it doesn’t overflow when you push pistons back.
• “Caliper” is the clamp that squeezes the pads.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift the rear and remove the wheel

• Use a 19mm lug wrench to loosen the rear wheel lug nuts 1/2 turn while the tire is on the ground.
• Lift the rear with a floor jack at the proper rear jacking point, then support with jack stands.
• Remove the lug nuts with the 19mm lug wrench and remove the wheel.

Step 2: Identify what you have (disc vs drum)

• If you see a caliper clamped over a shiny rotor: follow Steps 3–9 (Rear Disc).
• If you see a smooth round drum housing with no caliper: skip to Steps 10–16 (Rear Drum).

Step 3: Rear Disc — remove the caliper

• Turn the steering wheel straight and look behind the hub for the caliper.
• Use the correct-size socket set (10mm-19mm) and ratchet to remove the caliper slide pin bolts.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket and support it with a brake caliper hanger hook (do not let it hang by the hose).

Step 4: Rear Disc — remove old pads and hardware

• Slide the pads out of the bracket by hand. If stuck, gently pry with a flathead screwdriver.
• Remove pad abutment clips (hardware) from the bracket.
• Clean the bracket pad lands with brake cleaner spray and a wire brush.

Step 5: Rear Disc — compress the caliper piston

• Place an old pad against the piston face, then use a C-clamp (6" minimum) to slowly push the piston fully back into the caliper.
• Check the brake fluid reservoir while compressing; remove extra fluid using a turkey baster or fluid suction syringe if it rises too high.
• Go slow to avoid damaging seals.

Step 6: Rear Disc — service the slide pins

• Pull the slide pins out of the bracket by hand.
• Wipe them clean and apply a thin coat of brake caliper slide pin grease (synthetic).
• Reinstall the slide pins and make sure they move smoothly.

Step 7: Rear Disc — install new hardware and pads

• Install new abutment clips onto the bracket by hand.
• Apply a very thin film of brake caliper slide pin grease (synthetic) where the pad ears contact the clips (not on the pad friction material).
• Install the new pads into the bracket.

Step 8: Rear Disc — reinstall the caliper

• Place the caliper over the new pads.
• Install the caliper slide pin bolts using the ratchet (3/8" drive) and the correct socket set (10mm-19mm).
• Torque to 28 Nm (21 ft-lbs).

Step 9: Rear Disc — reinstall the wheel

• Reinstall the wheel and hand-thread the lug nuts.
• Lower the Trax off the jack stands using the floor jack.
• Tighten lug nuts in a star pattern using a torque wrench.
• Torque to 140 Nm (103 ft-lbs).

Step 10: Rear Drum — remove the drum

• Make sure the parking brake is fully released.
• Pull the drum straight off by hand. If stuck, tap around the drum face with a small hammer.
• If it still won’t come off, use a flathead screwdriver to access the adjuster (through the backing plate slot) and back the shoes off slightly.

Step 11: Rear Drum — take a reference photo

• Before removing anything, take a clear photo of all springs and lever positions.
• This saves you from “where does this spring go?”

Step 12: Rear Drum — remove springs and shoes

• Use a brake drum spring tool kit (specialty) to remove the return springs.
• Use needle-nose pliers to remove hold-down springs/pins as needed.
• Remove the shoes and the adjuster assembly.

Step 13: Rear Drum — clean and inspect

• Spray the backing plate and drum with brake cleaner spray and wipe clean.
• Lightly brush rust from contact points using a wire brush.
• Inspect the wheel cylinder for any wetness (brake fluid leak). If leaking, stop and repair before reassembly.

Step 14: Rear Drum — install new shoes and hardware

• Install the new adjuster and shoes in the same layout as your reference photo.
• Use the brake drum spring tool kit (specialty) to reinstall springs.

Step 15: Rear Drum — adjust and reinstall the drum

• Turn the adjuster so the shoes slightly expand outward.
• Install the drum and spin it by hand; you want a light, even drag.
• If it’s too tight, back the adjuster off slightly using a flathead screwdriver.

Step 16: Rear Drum — reinstall the wheel

• Reinstall the wheel, lower the Trax, and torque the lug nuts with a torque wrench.
• Torque to 140 Nm (103 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• Before driving, pump the brake pedal slowly 10–15 times until it feels firm.
• Recheck the brake fluid level and top off only if needed.
• Do a slow test in a safe area: confirm normal stopping and no pulling/noise.
• If you replaced pads (disc), do a gentle break-in: 6–10 moderate stops from 30–10 mph, with cool-down time between stops.
• If you replaced shoes (drum), verify the parking brake holds and releases fully.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

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

DIY Cost: $50-$160 (parts only)

You Save: $100-$350 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.0-2.0 hours.

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