🔧 Legacy - Rear Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

You’ll remove the rear wheels, take off the rear calipers and brackets, replace the rotors, then install new pads and hardware. On your Legacy, the key is handling the rear parking brake system correctly so you don’t damage the caliper/piston.

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

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• 🛑 Support the car on jack stands; never rely on a jack alone.
• 🧤 Brake dust is harmful—wear gloves and a dust mask; use brake cleaner, not compressed air.
• 🔥 Brakes get hot—work on a cool car.
• ⚠️ Do not press the brake pedal with a caliper removed.
• ⚠️ Parking brake caution: if your car has Electronic Parking Brake (EPB), put it in service/maintenance mode before retracting pistons.

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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
• 1/2-inch drive breaker bar
• 1/2-inch drive torque wrench (20-150 ft-lbs range)
• 14mm socket
• 17mm socket
• Ratchet (3/8-inch drive)
• 3/8-inch drive torque wrench (10-80 ft-lbs range)
• Flathead screwdriver
• Bungee cord
• Wire brush
• Rubber mallet
• Caliper piston wind-back tool (specialty)
• Needle-nose pliers
• Drip pan
• Brake cleaner spray
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Dust mask

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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 (silicone) - Qty: 1
• Brake parts cleaner - Qty: 2 cans
• Medium-strength threadlocker (blue) - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, set the transmission to P, and chock the front wheels with wheel chocks.
• Loosen rear lug nuts 1/2 turn using a 21mm socket and breaker bar before lifting.
• If equipped with EPB: place it into service/maintenance mode before starting (steps below include two paths).
• Open the hood and check brake fluid level. If the reservoir is very full, be ready to remove a little fluid with a clean syringe/turkey baster as pistons retract (catch it in a drip pan).

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the rear

• Use a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) to lift the rear at the proper rear jacking point.
• Place jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) under the rear pinch welds or rear support points and lower the car onto them.
• Remove the rear wheels using a 21mm socket and set them aside.

Step 2: Put the parking brake in the correct mode (two possibilities)

• If your Legacy has an EPB switch (electronic parking brake):
  • Turn ignition to ON (engine off).
  • Use the EPB switch to release the parking brake.
  • Follow the on-dash prompts for brake service mode if available. If no prompt appears, do not force the piston.
• If your Legacy has a hand lever (mechanical parking brake):
  • Make sure the parking brake is fully released.
• Assumption: If the rear caliper piston will not retract, your car likely has EPB and needs service mode before continuing.

Step 3: Remove the rear caliper

• Locate the two caliper slide-pin bolts on the back of the caliper.
• Use a 14mm socket and ratchet (3/8-inch drive) to remove the slide-pin bolts.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket and hang it from the suspension using a bungee cord. Never let it hang by the brake hose.

Step 4: Remove pads and inspect slide pins

• Remove the old pads from the bracket (a flathead screwdriver can help).
• Pull the slide pins out one at a time, wipe clean, and apply a thin coat of brake caliper grease (silicone).
• Clean the bracket pad “lands” (where clips sit) using a wire brush and brake cleaner spray.

Step 5: Remove the caliper bracket

• Remove the two caliper bracket bolts using a 17mm socket and breaker bar.
• Set the bracket aside.
• When reinstalling later: Torque to 59 Nm (44 ft-lbs).

Step 6: Remove the rotor

• Spray the hub/rotor hat area with brake cleaner spray.
• If the rotor is stuck, strike the rotor hat with a rubber mallet evenly around the center until it pops loose.
• Remove the rotor.

Step 7: Prep the hub and install the new rotor

• Clean rust off the hub face using a wire brush. This helps prevent pedal pulsation.
• Clean the new rotor surfaces with brake cleaner spray to remove protective oil.
• Install the new rotor.

Step 8: Reinstall the bracket and hardware clips

• Reinstall the caliper bracket using a 17mm socket and ratchet.
• Apply a small amount of medium-strength threadlocker (blue) to the bracket bolts.
• Torque to 59 Nm (44 ft-lbs).
• Install new pad hardware clips from the hardware kit.

Step 9: Retract the rear caliper piston

• Use a caliper piston wind-back tool (specialty) to push and rotate the piston back in. (A wind-back tool is a device that turns the piston while pressing it inward.)
• Go slowly and keep the piston straight so it doesn’t bind.
• Watch the brake fluid reservoir while retracting. Use a drip pan and remove excess fluid if it starts to overflow.

Step 10: Install new pads

• Apply a very thin film of brake caliper grease (silicone) to pad ears where they contact the clips. Keep grease off friction material.
• Install the inner and outer pads into the bracket.

Step 11: Reinstall the caliper

• 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).

Step 12: Reinstall wheels

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

Step 13: Restore parking brake function

• If equipped with EPB, turn ignition ON and use the EPB switch to apply and release once to confirm normal operation.

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✅ After Repair

• With the car on the ground, pump the brake pedal slowly 10-15 times until it feels firm. This seats the pads.
• Check brake fluid level and top off only if needed.
• Test at low speed first. Confirm no pulling, grinding, or warning lights.
• Pad bedding (safe, open road): do 6-8 moderate stops from ~40 mph to 10 mph, then drive 5-10 minutes to cool. Avoid hard stops while cooling.
• Recheck lug nut torque after ~50-100 miles: 120 Nm (89 ft-lbs).

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $450-$850 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $160-$350 (parts only)

You Save: $290-$500 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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🎯 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.