🔧 Canyon - Rear Brake Pad & Rotor Replacement

This job replaces the rear brake pads and rear brake rotors on your Canyon. Rear brake pads wear down over time, and rotors should be replaced if they are grooved, rusty, warped, or below minimum thickness.

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

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on a cool brake system. Brake parts get very hot after driving.
• ⚠️ Support your Canyon with jack stands. Never work under a vehicle held only by a jack.
• ⚠️ Wear safety glasses and a dust mask. Brake dust should not be blown around with compressed air.
• ⚠️ Keep brake grease off the pad friction material and rotor faces.
• ⚠️ Pump the brake pedal before driving. The pedal will go low until the rear caliper pistons seat against the new pads.
• ⚠️ Battery disconnect is not required for this rear brake service.

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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)
• Wheel chocks
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Dust mask
• 22mm lug nut socket
• 1/2-inch drive breaker bar
• 1/2-inch drive torque wrench
• 3/8-inch drive ratchet
• 18mm socket
• 13mm wrench
• 15mm wrench
• 6-inch C-clamp
• Brake piston compression tool (specialty)
• Flat blade screwdriver
• Small wire brush
• Rubber mallet
• Brake cleaner spray
• Catch pan
• Bungee cord
• Anti-seize compound
• Silicone brake lubricant

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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
• Rear brake hardware kit - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner spray - Qty: 1-2 cans
• DOT 3 brake fluid - Qty: 1 small bottle
• Silicone brake lubricant - Qty: 1 packet/tube

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📋 Before You Begin

• 🅿️ Park your Canyon on level ground and leave the transmission in 1st gear.
• 🧱 Chock the front wheels with wheel chocks so the truck cannot roll.
• 🛑 Release the parking brake fully. The rear rotors cannot come off cleanly if the parking brake shoes are holding the inside of the rotor hat.
• 🔍 Open the hood and check the brake fluid reservoir. If it is full, remove a small amount with a clean suction tool or turkey baster before compressing calipers.
• 🧰 A C-clamp is a simple screw-type clamp used to slowly push the caliper piston back into the caliper body.
• 🧰 A torque wrench is a tool that tightens bolts to a measured amount so they are not too loose or too tight.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Loosen the Rear Wheel Lug Nuts

• Use a 22mm lug nut socket and 1/2-inch drive breaker bar to loosen the rear lug nuts about 1/2 turn while the tires are still on the ground.
• Do not remove the lug nuts yet.
• Crack them loose before lifting.

Step 2: Lift and Support the Rear of the Truck

• Use a floor jack to lift the rear of your Canyon at the rear axle housing area.
• Place jack stands under solid rear axle support points, then lower the truck onto the stands.
• Gently shake the truck by hand to confirm it is stable before removing wheels.

Step 3: Remove the Rear Wheels

• Use the 22mm lug nut socket to remove the loosened lug nuts.
• Remove both rear wheels and set them flat on the ground.

Step 4: Inspect the Brake Assembly

• Put on safety glasses, nitrile gloves, and a dust mask.
• Use brake cleaner spray over a catch pan to wet down brake dust.
• Look at how the pads, clips, and caliper are positioned before taking them apart.
• Take a phone picture first.

Step 5: Remove the Rear Caliper

• Use a 13mm wrench or 15mm wrench on the caliper slide pin bolts, depending on the installed bolt size.
• If the slide pin spins, hold the slide pin flats with the second wrench while loosening the bolt.
• Remove the two caliper slide pin bolts.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket.
• Use a bungee cord to hang the caliper from the suspension.
• Do not let the caliper hang by the rubber brake hose.

Step 6: Remove the Old Brake Pads and Hardware

• Use a flat blade screwdriver to gently pry the old pads out of the caliper bracket.
• Remove the old pad abutment clips from the bracket by hand or with the flat blade screwdriver.
• Abutment clips are thin stainless clips that let the brake pads slide smoothly in the bracket.

Step 7: Remove the Caliper Bracket

• Use an 18mm socket and 3/8-inch drive ratchet to remove the two rear caliper bracket bolts.
• If the bolts are tight, use the 1/2-inch drive breaker bar with the correct adapter if available.
• Remove the caliper bracket from the axle flange.

Step 8: Remove the Rear Rotor

• Make sure the parking brake is fully released.
• Pull the rotor straight off by hand.
• If the rotor is stuck, tap around the rotor hat with a rubber mallet.
• If it still will not come off, the parking brake shoes may be catching inside the rotor. Work slowly and avoid forcing it.
• Rotor hat means the raised center section of the rotor that fits over the wheel hub.

Step 9: Clean the Hub Face

• Use a small wire brush to clean rust from the hub face where the rotor sits.
• Wipe the area with brake cleaner spray.
• Apply a very thin film of anti-seize compound to the hub face only.
• Do not put anti-seize on wheel studs, rotor friction surfaces, or brake pads.

Step 10: Install the New Rotor

• Use brake cleaner spray to clean both friction faces of the new rotor.
• Slide the new rotor onto the hub by hand.
• Install one lug nut backward by hand to hold the rotor flat while you work.

Step 11: Service the Caliper Bracket

• Use the small wire brush to clean the pad contact areas on the caliper bracket.
• Install the new rear brake hardware clips by hand.
• Apply a thin layer of silicone brake lubricant only where the pad ears touch the clips.
• Do not grease the pad friction surface.

Step 12: Reinstall the Caliper Bracket

• Position the caliper bracket over the rotor.
• Start both bracket bolts by hand to prevent cross-threading.
• Use an 18mm socket and 1/2-inch drive torque wrench to tighten the rear caliper bracket bolts.
• Torque to 200 Nm (148 ft-lbs)

Step 13: Compress the Rear Caliper Piston

• Place one old brake pad against the caliper piston.
• Use a 6-inch C-clamp or brake piston compression tool to slowly push the piston fully back into the caliper.
• Watch the brake fluid reservoir while compressing. Remove excess fluid if it nears the top.
• If the piston does not move smoothly, stop and inspect for caliper problems.
• Go slow to protect seals.

Step 14: Install the New Rear Brake Pads

• Install the new pads into the caliper bracket by hand.
• Make sure the pad ears sit fully in the new hardware clips.
• The friction material must face the rotor.

Step 15: Reinstall the Rear Caliper

• Lower the caliper over the new pads by hand.
• Start the caliper slide pin bolts by hand.
• Use a 13mm wrench or 15mm wrench to tighten the slide pin bolts while holding the slide pin flats with the second wrench if needed.
• Torque to 38 Nm (28 ft-lbs)

Step 16: Repeat on the Other Rear Side

• Repeat Steps 4 through 15 on the opposite rear wheel.
• Always replace rear pads and rotors in pairs so braking stays even.

Step 17: Reinstall the Rear Wheels

• Remove the temporary backward lug nut from each rotor by hand.
• Install each wheel onto the hub.
• Start all lug nuts by hand.
• Use the 22mm lug nut socket to snug the lug nuts in a star pattern.

Step 18: Lower the Truck and Torque the Lug Nuts

• Use the floor jack to lift the rear slightly and remove the jack stands.
• Lower your Canyon until the tires touch the ground and cannot spin.
• Use the 22mm lug nut socket and 1/2-inch drive torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern.
• Torque to 190 Nm (140 ft-lbs)

Step 19: Pump the Brake Pedal

• Sit in the driver seat and press the brake pedal slowly several times until it feels firm.
• This moves the caliper pistons back out against the new pads.
• Do not drive until the brake pedal feels normal.

Step 20: Check Brake Fluid Level

• Open the brake fluid reservoir cap by hand.
• Check that the level is between the MIN and MAX marks.
• Add DOT 3 brake fluid if needed.
• Reinstall the reservoir cap tightly by hand.

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✅ After Repair

• ✅ Start your Canyon and press the brake pedal again. It should feel firm, not spongy.
• ✅ Test the parking brake in a safe area before normal driving.
• ✅ Drive slowly in a safe area and confirm the truck stops straight with no grinding or pulling.
• ✅ Bed in the new pads: make 8-10 moderate stops from about 30-40 mph, allowing cooling time between stops.
• ✅ Avoid hard braking for the first 200 miles unless it is an emergency.
• ✅ Recheck lug nut torque after the first short drive: Torque to 190 Nm (140 ft-lbs)

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $350-$650 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $120-$280 (parts only)

You Save: $230-$370 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.

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