🔧 Escape - Front Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

You’ll remove the front wheels, unbolt the brake caliper and bracket, swap the rotors, then install new pads and reassemble. This restores braking performance and prevents vibration/pulsation caused by worn pads or warped rotors.

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

Assumption: factory front brakes; torque specs may vary by build—verify if you have a service manual.

---

⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• 🛑 Support the Escape on jack stands—never rely on a jack.
• 🛑 Don’t breathe brake dust; use brake cleaner and wear a mask.
• 🛑 Brake parts get hot; work on a cool vehicle.
• 🛑 Do not let the caliper hang by the hose—support it with a hook.
• 🛑 Keep grease off pad/rotor friction surfaces.
• 🛑 No battery disconnect is required for this job.

---

🔧 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
• Lug wrench or 19mm socket
• 3/8" drive ratchet
• 1/2" drive breaker bar
• Torque wrench (20-200 ft-lbs range)
• Socket set (8mm-21mm)
• 7mm hex bit socket
• 13mm socket
• 15mm socket
• 18mm socket
• Wire brush
• C-clamp or disc brake piston compressor tool (specialty)
• Bungee cord or caliper hook
• Flathead screwdriver
• Rubber mallet
• Brake cleaner spray
• Nitrile gloves
• Safety glasses

---

🔩 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 (clips/abutments) - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper slide pin boots (if damaged) - Qty: 1
• High-temperature silicone brake grease - Qty: 1
• Blue threadlocker - Qty: 1

---

📋 Before You Begin

• 🧱 Park on level ground, put the shifter in Park, and set the parking brake.
• 🧱 Chock the rear wheels using wheel chocks.
• 🧱 Loosen the front lug nuts 1/2 turn using a 19mm socket before lifting.
• 🧱 Open the hood and check brake fluid level; it may rise when you compress the pistons.
• 🧱 If the reservoir is very full, remove a little fluid with a suction tool (don’t spill on paint).

---

🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and remove the front wheels

• Place a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) under the front jacking point and lift.
• Set the Escape onto jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) and gently shake the vehicle to confirm it’s stable.
• Remove lug nuts with a 19mm socket and take off both front wheels.

Step 2: Remove the brake caliper

• Turn the steering wheel for better access to the caliper you’re working on.
• Remove the lower and upper caliper slide pin bolts using a 7mm hex bit socket (hold the slide pin if it spins using a 15mm wrench if needed).
• Lift the caliper off the bracket and support it with a bungee cord or caliper hook.
• A caliper is the part that squeezes the pads.

Step 3: Remove the old pads and inspect

• Pull the pads out of the bracket by hand; use a flathead screwdriver gently if stuck.
• Inspect the caliper slide pins for smooth movement; clean with brake cleaner spray if dirty.

Step 4: Remove the caliper bracket

• Remove the two caliper bracket bolts using an 18mm socket and a 1/2" drive breaker bar.
• Set the bracket aside.
• Reinstall torque later: Torque to 115 Nm (85 ft-lbs).

Step 5: Remove the rotor

• If your rotors are held by a retaining screw, remove it using the correct Torx bit socket set from your socket set (8mm-21mm).
• Pull the rotor off. If it’s rust-stuck, tap the rotor hat (the center area) with a rubber mallet until it breaks free.
• Clean the hub face with a wire brush and spray with brake cleaner spray.
• A clean hub helps prevent brake vibration.

Step 6: Install the new rotor

• Clean the new rotor with brake cleaner spray to remove protective oil.
• Slide the rotor onto the hub and hold it in place with one lug nut hand-tight (use the 19mm socket).

Step 7: Reinstall the caliper bracket with new hardware

• Install new pad abutment clips (from the front brake hardware kit) onto the bracket by hand.
• Apply a thin film of high-temperature silicone brake grease where the pad “ears” touch the clips (metal-to-metal contact points only).
• Reinstall the bracket bolts using an 18mm socket.
• Use a torque wrench (20-200 ft-lbs range): Torque to 115 Nm (85 ft-lbs).
• If the bolts were threadlocked from the factory, apply blue threadlocker sparingly to clean threads.

Step 8: Compress the caliper piston

• Remove the old inner pad (or use a flat plate) and compress the piston using a C-clamp or disc brake piston compressor tool (specialty).
• Go slowly and watch the brake fluid reservoir so it doesn’t overflow.
• The piston is the round part inside the caliper.

Step 9: Install the new pads and reinstall the caliper

• Install the new pads into the bracket by hand.
• Apply a light coat of high-temperature silicone brake grease to the caliper slide pins (remove them first, wipe clean, then re-lube).
• Set the caliper over the new pads.
• Install and tighten the caliper slide pin bolts using a 7mm hex bit socket.
• Use a torque wrench (20-200 ft-lbs range): Torque to 28 Nm (21 ft-lbs).

Step 10: Repeat on the other side

• Repeat Steps 2–9 on the other front wheel.
• Always replace pads/rotors in pairs.

Step 11: Reinstall wheels and torque lug nuts

• Reinstall wheels and hand-thread lug nuts.
• Lower the Escape off the jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) using the floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Torque lug nuts in a star pattern using a torque wrench (20-200 ft-lbs range): Torque to 135 Nm (100 ft-lbs).

---

✅ After Repair

• 🧪 Pump the brake pedal 10–15 times before driving until it feels firm.
• 🧪 Check brake fluid level and top off only if needed (use the correct DOT rating shown on the reservoir cap).
• 🧪 Test at low speed first, then re-check for leaks, odd noises, or pulling.
• 🧪 Pad/rotor bed-in (recommended): make 8–10 moderate stops from 35–40 mph to 5 mph, with 30 seconds between stops; avoid hard stops for the first 200 miles.

---

💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

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

DIY Cost: $160-$380 (parts only)

You Save: $290-$470 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.5-2.5 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.