🔧 Altima - Front Brake Pad Replacement

This is a manageable first brake job if you work carefully. You’ll remove both front wheels, swing each caliper upward, compress the piston, and replace the pads and retaining clips.

Difficulty Level: Beginner-Intermediate | Estimated Time: 1.5-2.5 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Support your Altima with jack stands. Never work beneath a vehicle held only by a floor jack.
• ⚠️ Replace the front pads on both sides. Replacing only one side can create uneven braking.
• ⚠️ Don’t press the brake pedal while a caliper is removed.
• ⚠️ Never let a caliper hang from its rubber brake hose.
• ⚠️ Keep grease, oil, and dirty hands away from pad friction material and rotor faces.
• ⚠️ Front pad replacement doesn’t require electronic parking brake service mode or battery disconnection.
• ⚠️ Brake dust may be harmful. Don’t blow it away with compressed air.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• 3-ton floor jack
• 3-ton jack stands
• Wheel chocks
• 21mm deep socket
• 14mm socket
• 3/8-inch drive ratchet
• 1/2-inch drive breaker bar
• 3/8-inch drive torque wrench
• 1/2-inch drive torque wrench
• Disc brake piston compression tool (specialty)
• Small flat-blade screwdriver
• Small wire brush
• Brake caliper hanger (specialty)
• Brake fluid syringe (specialty)
• Drain pan
• Nitrile gloves
• Safety glasses

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Front brake pad set - Qty: 1
• Front disc brake hardware kit - Qty: 1
• High-temperature silicone brake lubricant - Qty: 1
• Non-chlorinated brake cleaner - Qty: 1-2 cans
• Lint-free shop towels - Qty: 1 pack

Replace in pairs: One front pad set normally contains the inner and outer pads for both front wheels.

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📋 Before You Begin

• 📋 Park on firm, level ground. Shift into PARK and apply the parking brake.
• 📋 Place wheel chocks securely behind both rear wheels.
• 📋 Open the hood and check the brake fluid reservoir. If the fluid is at the MAX line, remove a small amount with the brake fluid syringe before compressing the pistons.
• 📋 Loosen each front lug nut about half a turn with the 21mm socket and breaker bar while the tires remain on the ground.
• 📋 Don’t open a brake bleeder or disconnect a brake hose for a normal pad replacement.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Raise and support the front

• Use the 3-ton floor jack at the specified front-center lifting point to raise your Altima.
• Place the 3-ton jack stands beneath the reinforced front side support points.
• Lower the car onto the stands and leave the floor jack lightly touching the lifting point as backup support.
• Push gently against the body to confirm that the vehicle is stable.

Step 2: Remove both front wheels

• Use the 21mm socket and breaker bar to remove the lug nuts.
• Remove both front wheels and slide them flat beneath the side of the car as additional protection.

Step 3: Inspect the rotors and brake system

• Use the safety glasses and visually inspect each rotor for cracks, heavy scoring, blue heat spots, or a pronounced outer lip.
• Check the calipers, hoses, and bleeder areas for wet brake-fluid residue.
• Compare inner and outer pad wear. A large difference may indicate a seized sliding pin or sticking caliper.
• Stop and repair any leak or seized component before installing pads.

Step 4: Create piston clearance

• Turn the steering wheel to give yourself better access to the back of the caliper.
• Use the small flat-blade screwdriver carefully between the old pad and rotor to move the caliper piston inward slightly.
• Don’t pry hard against the rotor. You only need enough clearance to swing the caliper away.

Step 5: Remove the lower sliding pin bolt

• Use the 14mm socket and 3/8-inch ratchet to remove the lower caliper sliding pin bolt.
• A sliding pin allows the caliper to move sideways and apply both pads evenly.
• If the pin rotates, hold its flat section with an appropriately sized wrench while loosening the bolt.

Step 6: Swing up and support the caliper

• Rotate the caliper upward around its upper sliding pin.
• Use the brake caliper hanger to support it from the suspension.
• Verify that the rubber brake hose isn’t stretched, kinked, or twisted.

Step 7: Remove the old pads and clips

• Pull the inner and outer brake pads from the caliper bracket by hand.
• Use the small flat-blade screwdriver to remove the metal pad-retaining clips.
• Note the location of the wear indicator, shims, and pad orientation before separating anything.
• Don’t throw the old pads away yet. One will help compress the piston.

Step 8: Clean and inspect the bracket

• Place the drain pan below the brake assembly.
• Use the small wire brush to clean the bracket surfaces beneath the retaining clips.
• Spray the bracket and rotor with non-chlorinated brake cleaner and wipe them with lint-free shop towels.
• Make sure the pad-contact surfaces are smooth enough for the new pads to slide freely.

Step 9: Inspect the sliding pins

• Pull the accessible sliding pin from its rubber boot by hand.
• Inspect it for rust, pitting, or dried lubricant.
• Clean it with brake cleaner and a lint-free shop towel.
• Apply a thin film of high-temperature silicone brake lubricant, then reinstall it without twisting the boot.
• Don’t use petroleum grease. It can swell the rubber boots.

Step 10: Compress the caliper piston

• Place an old brake pad against the piston face.
• Position the disc brake piston compression tool between the old pad and caliper housing.
• Slowly compress the piston completely into the caliper.
• Watch the brake fluid reservoir while compressing it. Use the brake fluid syringe if the level approaches the top.
• If the piston binds or needs excessive force, stop. A seized piston can cause brake drag and overheating.
• Slow pressure protects the piston seal.

Step 11: Install the new retaining clips

• Press the new metal retaining clips into the clean caliper bracket by hand.
• Apply a very thin layer of high-temperature silicone brake lubricant where the pad ears contact the clips.
• Keep lubricant completely away from the rotor and pad friction surfaces.

Step 12: Install the new pads

• Slide the new inner and outer pads into the caliper bracket by hand.
• Match the wear-indicator position to the original pad arrangement.
• Confirm that both pads sit squarely and can move slightly within the clips.

Step 13: Reinstall the caliper

• Lower the caliper over the new pads by hand.
• If it won’t fit, use the piston compression tool again. Don’t force the caliper into position.
• Install the lower sliding pin bolt by hand to prevent cross-threading.
• Use the 14mm socket and 3/8-inch torque wrench to tighten the sliding pin bolt to 34 Nm (25 ft-lbs). howtoo.com

Step 14: Repeat on the opposite side

• Repeat Steps 3 through 13 on the other front brake.
• Before installing the wheels, verify that both sliding pin bolts are tight and both brake hoses remain correctly routed.

Step 15: Reinstall the wheels

• Place each wheel onto its hub and start every lug nut by hand.
• Use the 21mm socket and 3/8-inch ratchet to snug the lug nuts in a crisscross pattern.
• Use the 3-ton floor jack to raise the car, remove the jack stands, and lower the tires onto the ground.
• Use the 21mm socket and 1/2-inch torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts in a crisscross pattern to 113 Nm (83 ft-lbs). Nissan specifies this wheel-nut torque for the 2019 Altima. owners.nissanusa.com

Step 16: Restore the brake pedal

• With the engine off, press the brake pedal slowly several times until it becomes firm.
• Don’t move the vehicle until the pedal feels firm and consistent.
• Check the brake fluid reservoir and set the level between the MIN and MAX marks using the correct fresh brake fluid if necessary.

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✅ After Repair

• ✅ Start the engine and hold firm pressure on the brake pedal for 30 seconds. The pedal shouldn’t continue sinking.
• ✅ Check around both front calipers for leaks, loose parts, or twisted hoses.
• ✅ Test the brakes at walking speed in a clear, safe area before entering traffic.
• ✅ Make several moderate stops from approximately 30 mph to gradually seat the pads, allowing cooling time between stops.
• ✅ Avoid panic stops and holding the hot brakes firmly at a complete stop for the first 200 miles unless safety requires it.
• ✅ Recheck the brake fluid level after the road test.
• ✅ Stop driving if the car pulls sharply, a wheel becomes unusually hot, the pedal feels soft, or a brake warning light appears. Brakes aren’t the place for “probably fine.”

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $250-$450 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $45-$120 (parts only)

You Save: $130-$350 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1-1.5 hours.

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