🔧 Fusion - Front Brake Pad & Rotor Replacement

This repair replaces the front brake pads and front brake rotors on your Fusion. The front brakes do most of the stopping, so replacing worn pads and rotors restores smooth braking and helps prevent noise, vibration, and reduced stopping power.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 2-3 hours

---

⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Your Fusion is a plug-in hybrid, so do not touch orange high-voltage cables or high-voltage components.
• ⚠️ Work with the vehicle OFF, key/fob away from the car, and the 12V battery negative cable disconnected before starting brake work.
• ⚠️ Support the car with jack stands. Never rely on a floor jack alone.
• ⚠️ Brake dust can be harmful. Do not blow it with compressed air. Use brake cleaner and rags.
• ⚠️ Brake fluid damages paint. Wipe spills immediately with water.
• ⚠️ After installation, pump the brake pedal before moving the car. The pedal may go low at first.

---

🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• 19mm lug nut socket
• 1/2-inch drive breaker bar
• 1/2-inch drive torque wrench
• 3/8-inch drive ratchet
• 7mm hex socket
• 18mm socket
• 6mm hex socket
• Flat-blade screwdriver
• Brake caliper hanger hook
• C-clamp or disc brake piston compressor
• Wire brush
• Brake cleaner spray
• Shop rags
• Small bungee cord
• Brake fluid tester or clean turkey baster

---

🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Front brake pad set - Qty: 1
• Front brake rotors - Qty: 2
• Front brake hardware kit - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper slide pin grease - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner spray - Qty: 2 cans
• DOT 4 brake fluid - Qty: 1 small bottle

---

📋 Before You Begin

• 🚗 Park your Fusion on a flat, solid surface.
• 🅿️ Shift to Park and apply the parking brake before loosening the lug nuts.
• 🔑 Turn the vehicle completely OFF and keep the key/fob away from the car.
• 🔋 Open the hood and disconnect the 12V battery negative cable using a 10mm socket if accessible. This helps prevent the hybrid system from waking up during service.
• 🧰 A caliper is the clamp that squeezes the brake pads against the rotor. A rotor is the round metal disc behind the wheel.
• 💧 Check the brake fluid reservoir. If it is very full, remove a small amount using a clean turkey baster so it does not overflow when compressing the caliper pistons.
• ⚠️ This procedure is for the front brakes only. The rear brakes may require electronic parking brake service mode, but the front brakes do not.

---

🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Loosen the Front Lug Nuts

• Use a 19mm lug nut socket and 1/2-inch drive breaker bar to loosen each front wheel lug nut about half a turn.
• Do this while the tires are still touching the ground so the wheels do not spin.
• Do not remove them yet.

Step 2: Raise and Support the Front of the Car

• Place wheel chocks behind the rear wheels.
• Use a floor jack at the proper front jacking point to lift the front of your Fusion.
• Place jack stands under the approved front support points.
• Gently lower the car onto the jack stands and lightly shake the car to confirm it is stable.

Step 3: Remove the Front Wheels

• Use the 19mm lug nut socket to remove the loosened lug nuts.
• Remove both front wheels and place them flat under the car as an extra safety backup.

Step 4: Remove the Caliper Spring Clip

• Use a flat-blade screwdriver to carefully pry the outer caliper spring clip away from the caliper.
• Hold the clip with one hand so it does not pop away.
• Take a photo first.

Step 5: Remove the Caliper Slide Pin Bolts

• Remove the rubber dust caps from the rear of the caliper slide pins by hand or with a flat-blade screwdriver.
• Use a 7mm hex socket and 3/8-inch drive ratchet to remove the two caliper slide pin bolts.
• The slide pins let the caliper move smoothly as the pads wear.

Step 6: Lift Off the Brake Caliper

• Use a flat-blade screwdriver to gently wiggle the caliper loose if it is tight.
• Lift the caliper off the rotor.
• Hang the caliper from the strut spring using a brake caliper hanger hook or small bungee cord.
• Do not let the caliper hang by the rubber brake hose.

Step 7: Remove the Old Brake Pads

• Pull the outer brake pad out of the caliper bracket by hand.
• Pull the inner brake pad out of the caliper piston by hand.
• Use a flat-blade screwdriver only if the pads are stuck.
• Look at pad wear. Uneven wear can mean sticky slide pins or a sticking caliper.

Step 8: Compress the Caliper Piston

• Place one old brake pad against the caliper piston.
• Use a C-clamp or disc brake piston compressor to slowly push the piston fully back into the caliper.
• Watch the brake fluid reservoir while compressing the piston. Use a clean turkey baster to remove excess fluid if it rises too high.
• The piston is the round part that pushes the inner pad into the rotor.
• Go slow to protect seals.

Step 9: Remove the Caliper Bracket

• Use an 18mm socket and 1/2-inch drive breaker bar to remove the two caliper bracket bolts.
• Remove the caliper bracket from the steering knuckle.
• These bolts may be tight from factory threadlocker.

Step 10: Remove the Old Rotor

• If equipped with a rotor retaining screw, use a 6mm hex socket to remove it.
• Pull the rotor straight off the wheel hub.
• If the rotor is stuck, tap around the rotor hat with a non-marring dead blow hammer if available.
• Do not hit the wheel studs.

Step 11: Clean the Hub Surface

• Use a wire brush to clean rust and debris from the wheel hub face.
• Spray the area with brake cleaner spray and wipe it with shop rags.
• A clean hub helps prevent brake vibration caused by rotor wobble.

Step 12: Install the New Rotor

• Clean both sides of the new rotor using brake cleaner spray and shop rags.
• Slide the new rotor onto the hub.
• If equipped with a rotor retaining screw, install it using a 6mm hex socket. Snug only; do not over-tighten.
• Thread one lug nut on by hand to hold the rotor flat while you work.

Step 13: Service the Caliper Bracket

• Remove the old pad hardware clips from the caliper bracket by hand or with a flat-blade screwdriver.
• Use a wire brush to clean the bracket where the clips sit.
• Install the new hardware clips by hand.
• Apply a thin layer of brake caliper slide pin grease only to the pad contact points on the clips.
• Do not get grease on the rotor or pad friction material.

Step 14: Reinstall the Caliper Bracket

• Position the caliper bracket over the rotor.
• Start both bracket bolts by hand to avoid cross-threading.
• Use an 18mm socket and 1/2-inch drive torque wrench to tighten the caliper bracket bolts to Torque to 175 Nm (129 ft-lbs).

Step 15: Install the New Brake Pads

• Slide the new outer brake pad into the caliper bracket by hand.
• Install the new inner brake pad into the caliper piston side by hand.
• Make sure the pads sit flat and move slightly in the hardware clips.
• Pads should slide, not jam.

Step 16: Reinstall the Caliper

• Lower the caliper over the new pads and rotor.
• Use the 7mm hex socket to start both slide pin bolts by hand.
• Use a 7mm hex socket and 3/8-inch drive torque wrench to tighten the caliper slide pin bolts to Torque to 35 Nm (26 ft-lbs).
• Reinstall the rubber dust caps by hand.

Step 17: Reinstall the Caliper Spring Clip

• Use your hands and a flat-blade screwdriver to reinstall the outer caliper spring clip in the same position as before.
• Make sure the clip is fully seated and secure.

Step 18: Repeat on the Other Front Side

• Repeat Steps 4 through 17 on the opposite front brake using the same tools.
• Always replace front brake pads and rotors in pairs.

Step 19: Reinstall the Wheels

• Remove the temporary lug nut holding each rotor.
• Install both front wheels by hand.
• Use the 19mm lug nut socket to snug the lug nuts in a star pattern.
• Lower the car using the floor jack and remove the jack stands.

Step 20: Torque the Lug Nuts

• Use a 19mm lug nut socket and 1/2-inch drive torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern.
• Tighten each lug nut to Torque to 135 Nm (100 ft-lbs).

Step 21: Reconnect the 12V Battery

• Use a 10mm socket to reconnect the 12V battery negative cable if it was disconnected.
• Make sure the terminal is snug and does not twist by hand.

---

✅ After Repair

• ✅ Before starting or moving your Fusion, press the brake pedal slowly 5-10 times until it feels firm.
• ✅ Check the brake fluid level and top off with DOT 4 brake fluid if needed.
• ✅ Start the vehicle and confirm no brake warning lights stay on.
• ✅ Test the brakes at very low speed in a safe area before normal driving.
• ✅ Bed in the new pads with several gentle stops from about 30 mph, allowing cooling time between stops.
• ✅ Avoid hard braking for the first 200 miles unless needed for safety.
• ✅ Recheck lug nut torque after the first short drive.

---

💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

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

DIY Cost: $160-$320 (parts only)

You Save: $290-$430 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.5-2.0 hours.

---

🎯 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.