🔧 Armada - Rear Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

On your Armada, the rear pads clamp the rotor to slow the vehicle, and worn pads/warped rotors can cause grinding, squealing, vibration, or longer stopping distances. This job replaces both rear rotors and pads, then re-seats the caliper piston and verifies the parking brake (drum-in-hat) isn’t dragging.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 2.0-3.5 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• 🛑 Support the Armada with jack stands; never rely on a floor jack.
• 🛑 Chock the front wheels before lifting the rear.
• 🛑 Release the parking brake fully before removing rear rotors (the parking brake shoes are inside the rotor hat).
• 🛑 Do not let the brake caliper hang by the hose; support it with a hanger.
• 🛑 Avoid breathing brake dust; use brake cleaner, not compressed air.
• 🛑 If brake fluid rises near the cap, remove a little with a syringe before compressing 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) - Qty: 2
• Wheel chocks - Qty: 2
• Lug wrench or 21mm socket
• Breaker bar (1/2")
• Torque wrench (30-200 ft-lbs range)
• Ratchet (3/8")
• Socket set (10mm-21mm)
• 14mm socket
• 19mm socket
• Flathead screwdriver
• C-clamp (6") or brake caliper compression tool (specialty)
• Caliper hanger hook (specialty)
• Wire brush
• Rubber mallet
• Brake 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
• Brake caliper hardware kit (clips/shims) - Qty: 1
• Brake lubricant (silicone or synthetic caliper grease) - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 1
• DOT 3 brake fluid - Qty: 1 quart

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, shift to P, and turn the engine off.
• Release the parking brake fully (foot pedal should be up).
• Open the hood and check the brake fluid level in the master cylinder reservoir.
• If fluid is near the “MAX” line, use a towel and remove a small amount before piston compression.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Loosen lug nuts and lift the rear

• Use a lug wrench or 21mm socket with a breaker bar to loosen rear lug nuts 1/2 turn (do not remove yet).
• Use a floor jack to lift the rear at the proper rear jacking point, then set the rear onto jack stands.
• Place wheel chocks at the front wheels.
• Remove the rear wheels with the 21mm socket.

Step 2: Remove the rear caliper (do not stretch the hose)

• Turn the steering wheel is not needed for rear; just position yourself for access.
• Locate the rear brake caliper on one side.
• Use a 14mm socket and ratchet to remove the two caliper slide pin bolts.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket and support it using a caliper hanger hook (specialty).
• Tip: Hang it from the coil spring.

Step 3: Remove pads and hardware

• Remove the old pads from the bracket by hand.
• Remove the pad abutment clips (hardware) using a flathead screwdriver.
• Clean the bracket pad lands with brake cleaner and a wire brush until smooth.

Step 4: Remove the caliper bracket

• Use a 19mm socket with a breaker bar to remove the two caliper bracket bolts.
• Remove the bracket and set it aside.

Step 5: Remove the rotor (parking brake shoes are inside)

• Make sure the parking brake is fully released.
• Pull the rotor straight off the hub.
• If the rotor is stuck, tap the rotor hat area with a rubber mallet while pulling outward.
• If it still won’t come off, use a flathead screwdriver to access and back off the parking brake adjuster through the access slot (drum-in-hat adjuster) until the rotor frees up.
• Tip: Small turns make a big difference.

Step 6: Prep hub face and install new rotor

• Clean rust from the hub face using a wire brush and brake cleaner (a flat, clean hub helps prevent rotor wobble).
• Install the new rotor onto the hub.
• If the rotor feels tight going on, verify the parking brake shoes aren’t expanded (adjuster backed off enough).

Step 7: Reinstall bracket and torque bolts

• Reinstall the caliper bracket over the new rotor.
• Install bracket bolts by hand first, then tighten with a 19mm socket.
• Torque to 98 Nm (72 ft-lbs).

Step 8: Install new pad hardware and pads

• Install new abutment clips from the hardware kit into the bracket by hand.
• Apply a thin film of brake lubricant to the clip contact points (where pad ears slide).
• Install the new pads into the bracket.

Step 9: Compress the caliper piston

• A brake caliper compression tool is a tool that slowly pushes the piston back into the caliper so thicker new pads will fit.
• Place an old pad against the piston face, then use a C-clamp (6") or brake caliper compression tool (specialty) to press the piston straight in slowly.
• Watch the brake fluid reservoir while compressing; stop if it’s close to overflowing.

Step 10: Reinstall caliper and torque slide bolts

• Place the caliper over the new pads and bracket.
• Install the slide pin bolts by hand, then tighten using a 14mm socket.
• Torque to 25 Nm (18 ft-lbs).

Step 11: Repeat on the other rear wheel

• Repeat Steps 2 through 10 on the opposite rear side.
• Use brake cleaner to remove any fingerprints/grease from rotor surfaces.

Step 12: Reinstall wheels and torque lug nuts

• Reinstall wheels and hand-thread all lug nuts.
• Lower the Armada to the ground using the floor jack.
• Tighten lug nuts in a star pattern using a torque wrench.
• Torque to 133 Nm (98 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• Before driving, pump the brake pedal 10–15 times until it feels firm.
• Check brake fluid level and top off with DOT 3 brake fluid if needed.
• Apply and release the parking brake a few times to confirm it holds and releases normally.
• Road test at low speed first; confirm no grinding, pulling, or warning lights.
• Pad bedding (recommended): make 8–10 smooth stops from ~35 mph to 5 mph, allowing light cooling between stops; avoid sitting stopped with hard pedal pressure immediately after.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $550-$950 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $180-$420 (parts only)

You Save: $370-$530 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.

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Quick check (so I tailor this perfectly): Does your Armada have a foot-operated parking brake pedal (most do), or an electronic parking brake switch?