🔧 Forester - Rear Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

You’ll be replacing the rear brake pads and rotors on your Forester, then verifying the parking brake (it uses a small drum brake inside the rear rotor “hat”). Worn pads/rotors can cause noise, vibration, and longer stopping distance, so doing both together is the correct approach.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 2-4 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on level ground and support the vehicle with jack stands, never the jack alone.
• ⚠️ Chock the front wheels before lifting the rear.
• ⚠️ Do not press the brake pedal with a caliper removed.
• ⚠️ Avoid breathing brake dust; use brake cleaner, not compressed air.
• ⚠️ Parking brake must be fully released during rotor removal/installation.

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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")
• Torque wrench (10–200 ft-lbs range)
• 14mm socket
• 17mm socket
• Ratchet (3/8" or 1/2")
• Flathead screwdriver (medium)
• C-clamp (6")
• Wire brush
• Rubber mallet
• Bungee cord
• Brake parts cleaner
• Shop towels
• 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 rotors - Qty: 2
• Rear brake pad hardware kit (clips/shims) - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper grease (high-temp silicone) - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 1
• Anti-seize compound - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on a flat surface, shift to Park, and fully release the parking brake.
• Chock both front wheels using wheel chocks.
• Crack the rear lug nuts loose 1/4 turn using a 19mm socket and breaker bar before lifting.
• Open the hood and remove the brake fluid reservoir cap (leave it sitting loosely). This helps when pushing the caliper piston back.
• Tip: Take a photo of each side before disassembly.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the rear of the vehicle

• Lift the rear using a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) at the approved rear lifting point.
• Set the vehicle onto jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) placed under solid rear support points.
• Remove both rear wheels using a 19mm socket and ratchet.

Step 2: Remove the rear caliper (pads stay with the bracket)

• Locate the two caliper slide pin bolts on the back of the caliper.
• Remove the slide pin bolts using a 14mm socket and ratchet.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket, then hang it from the suspension using a bungee cord.
• Do not let the caliper hang by the brake hose.

Step 3: Remove the old pads and hardware

• Pull the pads out of the bracket by hand (use a flathead screwdriver (medium) gently if stuck).
• Remove the pad hardware clips from the bracket using a flathead screwdriver (medium).
• Clean the pad “ledge” areas on the bracket with a wire brush and brake parts cleaner.

Step 4: Remove the caliper bracket

• Remove the two caliper bracket bolts using a 17mm socket and breaker bar.
• Set the bracket aside on a clean surface.
• When reinstalling later: Torque to 80 Nm (59 ft-lbs).

Step 5: Remove the rear rotor (parking brake is inside)

• Make sure the parking brake is fully released.
• Pull the rotor off the hub. If it’s stuck, tap evenly around the rotor hat using a rubber mallet.
• If it still won’t come off, the parking brake shoes may be holding it:
  • Remove the small rubber access plug (if equipped) on the rotor hat area and turn the star-wheel adjuster with a flathead screwdriver (medium) to loosen the shoes slightly.

Step 6: Prep the hub and check the parking brake shoes

• Clean rust off the hub face using a wire brush and spray with brake parts cleaner.
• Apply a very thin film of anti-seize compound to the hub face (avoid wheel studs and braking surfaces).
• Inspect the small parking brake shoes inside the rotor area for loose lining or heavy contamination.

Step 7: Install the new rotor and set parking brake shoe clearance

• Clean the new rotor surfaces with brake parts cleaner and shop towels to remove packing oil.
• Install the new rotor onto the hub.
• If the rotor won’t slide on easily, the parking brake shoes are too tight—loosen the adjuster with a flathead screwdriver (medium).
• Adjust the parking brake so the rotor has a slight, even drag, then back off slightly so it spins freely:
  • Turn the star wheel with a flathead screwdriver (medium) until you feel light drag.
  • Back off a small amount until drag is just gone.

Step 8: Reinstall the caliper bracket and new pad hardware

• Reinstall the caliper bracket bolts using a 17mm socket and ratchet.
• Torque to 80 Nm (59 ft-lbs) using a torque wrench (10–200 ft-lbs range).
• Install new hardware clips onto the bracket by hand (use a flathead screwdriver (medium) if needed).
• Apply a thin layer of brake caliper grease (high-temp silicone) where the pad ears slide on the hardware (keep grease off pad/rotor friction surfaces).

Step 9: Compress the caliper piston

• Use a C-clamp (6") to slowly press the caliper piston back in. (A C-clamp is a screw tool that pushes the piston straight back.)
• Watch the brake fluid level while compressing; clean up any spill with shop towels.

Step 10: Install the new pads and reinstall the caliper

• Install the new inner and outer pads into the bracket by hand.
• Place the caliper over the new pads.
• Install the slide pin bolts using a 14mm socket and ratchet.
• Torque to 27 Nm (20 ft-lbs) using a torque wrench (10–200 ft-lbs range).

Step 11: Reinstall wheels

• Reinstall the wheels and hand-thread the 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 using a torque wrench (10–200 ft-lbs range) and 19mm socket.
• Torque to 120 Nm (88.5 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• With the engine off, pump the brake pedal 10–15 times until it feels firm.
• Check brake fluid level and reinstall the reservoir cap snugly.
• Test the parking brake engagement and release before driving.
• Do a slow test drive, then recheck for unusual noises.
• Brake pad bed-in (safe area): make 6–10 moderate stops from ~35 mph down to ~5 mph, letting brakes cool a bit between stops.
• Tip: Avoid hard stops for first 200 miles.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $450-$750 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $140-$300 (parts only)

You Save: $310-$450 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 2-3 hours.

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