🔧 Grand Cherokee - Rear Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

You’ll be replacing the rear brake pads and rear rotors on your Grand Cherokee. This restores braking performance and eliminates rotor wear (grooves, vibration, or pulsing) that new pads alone won’t fix.

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

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• 🛑 Support the vehicle with jack stands before working underneath.
• 🔥 Brakes get extremely hot; let everything cool fully first.
• ⚠️ Keep fingers clear when compressing the caliper piston.
• 🧯 Do not press the brake pedal with a caliper removed (it can pop the piston out).
• 🅿️ Parking brake warning: if your Grand Cherokee has an electronic parking brake (EPB) switch, keep it OFF and do not activate it while the rear rotors are removed.
• 🔋 Battery disconnect is not required for this repair.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Wheel chocks
• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• 21mm socket
• 1/2" drive breaker bar
• 1/2" drive torque wrench (20-150 ft-lbs range)
• 13mm socket
• 18mm socket
• Ratchet (1/2" drive)
• Ratchet (3/8" drive)
• Flat-blade screwdriver
• C-clamp (6")
• Bungee cord
• Wire brush
• Rubber mallet
• Micrometer or vernier caliper (specialty)

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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 - Replace in pairs - Qty: 2
• Rear brake pad hardware kit (clips) - Qty: 1
• Brake parts cleaner - Qty: 1
• High-temp silicone brake grease - Qty: 1
• Anti-seize compound - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park your Grand Cherokee on level ground and put the shifter in Park.
• Make sure the parking brake is fully released.
• Chock the front wheels with wheel chocks.
• Loosen the rear wheel lug nuts 1/2 turn using a 21mm socket and breaker bar before lifting.
• Open the hood and check the brake fluid level. If it’s near “MAX,” be ready to remove a little fluid (compressing pistons can raise the level).

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the rear

• Use a floor jack to lift the rear at the proper jacking point, then place jack stands under safe support points.
• Remove the rear wheels using a 21mm socket and ratchet.

Step 2: Confirm parking brake style (quick check)

• Look inside the cabin: if you have a console switch labeled “P” (electronic), that’s EPB; if it’s a pedal, that’s a mechanical parking brake.
• Either way, keep parking brake OFF.

Step 3: Remove the rear caliper

• Turn the steering wheel is not needed for the rear; just work straight on.
• Remove the two caliper slide/guide bolts using a 13mm socket and ratchet.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket. Hang it from the suspension with a bungee cord (do not let it hang by the brake hose).

Step 4: Remove the old brake pads and hardware

• Slide the pads out of the bracket by hand. If stuck, use a flat-blade screwdriver to gently pry.
• Remove the pad abutment clips (hardware) from the bracket.

Step 5: Remove the caliper bracket

• Remove the two caliper bracket bolts using an 18mm socket and breaker bar.
• Set the bracket aside.
• On reassembly: Torque to 129 Nm (95 ft-lbs) using a torque wrench.

Step 6: Remove the rotor

• If the rotor is stuck, tap around the hat area using a rubber mallet to break it free.
• Pull the rotor off the hub.
• If the rotor won’t come off easily, the parking brake shoes may be holding it; use a flat-blade screwdriver through the access slot (if equipped) to back off the adjuster slightly.

Step 7: Clean and prep the hub surface

• Clean rust from the hub face using a wire brush.
• Apply a very thin film of anti-seize compound to the hub face (avoid wheel studs and braking surfaces).
• Spray the new rotor with brake parts cleaner to remove protective oil.

Step 8: Install the new rotor

• Place the new rotor on the hub.
• Make sure it sits flush against the hub (no rust chunks behind it).

Step 9: Service the caliper bracket and slide pins

• Install new pad hardware clips onto the bracket.
• Pull the slide pins out one at a time and wipe them clean.
• Apply a light coat of high-temp silicone brake grease to the slide pins and reinstall them.
• Brake grease goes on moving parts only.

Step 10: Reinstall the caliper bracket

• Position the bracket over the rotor and install the bolts by hand first.
• Tighten using an 18mm socket and ratchet.
• Final tighten: Torque to 129 Nm (95 ft-lbs) using a torque wrench.

Step 11: Compress the caliper piston

• Place the old inner pad against the piston and use a C-clamp (6") to slowly press the piston fully back into the caliper.
• A C-clamp is a screw clamp that pushes the piston in evenly.
• Watch the brake fluid reservoir while you compress; don’t let it overflow.

Step 12: Install the new pads and reinstall the caliper

• Install the new pads into the bracket (make sure any wear sensor, if present, matches the original pad position).
• Slide the caliper over the new pads/rotor.
• Install the slide/guide bolts using a 13mm socket and ratchet.
• Final tighten: Torque to 35 Nm (26 ft-lbs) using a torque wrench.

Step 13: Repeat on the other rear wheel

• Repeat Steps 3 through 12 on the other side.
• Replace pads and rotors in pairs.

Step 14: Reinstall wheels and lower the vehicle

• Reinstall the wheels and hand-thread the lug nuts.
• Lower the vehicle using the floor jack.
• Final tighten lug nuts in a star pattern: Torque to 135 Nm (100 ft-lbs) using a torque wrench and 21mm socket.

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✅ After Repair

• With the engine OFF, pump the brake pedal 10-15 times until it feels firm (this seats the pistons back against the pads).
• Check brake fluid level and top off only if needed.
• Do a slow test drive and confirm no grinding, pulling, or warning lights.
• Bed-in (break-in) the new pads/rotors: make 6-10 moderate stops from ~35 mph down to ~5 mph, letting brakes cool a little between stops. Avoid hard stops for the first 200 miles.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $450-$900 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $180-$450 (parts only)

You Save: $270-$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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🎯 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.