🔧 Altima - Rear Brake Pad & Rotor Replacement

This is an intermediate repair, mainly because your Altima’s electronic parking brake must enter maintenance mode first. You’ll remove both rear calipers and brackets, replace both rotors and the complete pad set, then reactivate and test the parking brake.

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

Assumption: This procedure applies to the factory rear disc-brake system with electronic parking brake.

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Enter electronic parking brake maintenance mode before removing either caliper or compressing its piston.
• ⚠️ Never support your Altima with only a floor jack. Use properly positioned jack stands.
• ⚠️ Chock the front wheels because the parking brake must remain released.
• ⚠️ Never press the brake pedal while a caliper is removed.
• ⚠️ Support each caliper. Never let it hang from its brake hose.
• ⚠️ Wear eye protection and clean brake dust with brake cleaner, not compressed air.
• ⚠️ Keep lubricant, dirty gloves, and fingerprints off pad friction surfaces and rotor faces.
• ⚠️ Battery disconnection is not normally required. Keep the ignition off after maintenance mode is active.

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🔧 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
• 21mm lug-nut socket
• 14mm socket
• 19mm socket
• 3/8-inch drive ratchet
• 1/2-inch drive breaker bar
• 3/8-inch drive torque wrench (10-100 Nm range)
• 1/2-inch drive torque wrench (40-150 Nm range)
• Electronic parking brake service scan tool (specialty)
• Brake caliper piston compressor (specialty)
• Flat-blade screwdriver
• Small wire brush
• Rubber mallet
• Bungee cord or caliper hanger
• Brake-fluid suction syringe (specialty)
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Dust mask
• Shop towels

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Rear ceramic brake pad set - Qty: 1
• Rear brake rotors - Replace in pairs - Qty: 2
• Rear disc-brake hardware kit - Qty: 1
• Silicone or synthetic brake lubricant - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 2 cans
• DOT 3 brake fluid - Qty: 1 small container if adjustment is needed

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park your Altima on firm, level ground. Select Park and place wheel chocks securely around the front wheels.
• Release the electronic parking brake before lifting the car.
• Open the hood and inspect the brake-fluid reservoir. If the fluid is at MAX, use the suction syringe to remove a small amount into a clean container.
• An electronic parking brake service scan tool communicates with the brake controller and safely retracts the rear parking-brake actuators.
• Use the scan tool before lifting: Electronic Parking Brake > Maintenance Mode > Retract/Open. Menu wording varies by scan-tool brand.
• Wait for confirmation that maintenance mode is active, then switch the ignition off. Nissan service information requires the rear parking-brake system to be placed in its maintenance position before piston compression. youtube.com)

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Activate Electronic Parking Brake Maintenance Mode

• Connect the electronic parking brake service scan tool to the diagnostic connector beneath the driver-side dashboard.
• Switch the ignition on without pressing the brake pedal or starting the engine.
• Select Electronic Parking Brake > Maintenance Mode > Retract/Open.
• Wait until the scan tool confirms both rear actuators are retracted.
• Switch the ignition off and leave the parking-brake switch alone.
• Don’t improvise with direct motor power.

Step 2: Loosen the Rear Lug Nuts

• Use the 21mm lug-nut socket and 1/2-inch drive breaker bar to loosen every rear lug nut approximately half a turn.
• Do not remove the lug nuts while the car is still on the ground.

Step 3: Lift and Support the Rear

• Use the floor jack at an approved rear lifting point.
• Place the jack stands beneath the reinforced rear pinch-weld support points.
• Lower your Altima carefully onto the stands.
• Push the body gently to verify that it is stable before removing the wheels.

Step 4: Remove Both Rear Wheels

• Use the 21mm lug-nut socket and 3/8-inch drive ratchet to remove the lug nuts.
• Remove both wheels and place them flat beneath the sides of the car as an additional safety barrier.

Step 5: Remove the First Rear Caliper

• Use the 14mm socket and 3/8-inch drive ratchet to remove the upper and lower caliper slide-pin bolts.
• Lift the caliper from the pads. A caliper is the clamp that pushes the pads against the rotor.
• Hang the caliper from the suspension using the bungee cord or caliper hanger.
• Do not stretch, twist, or kink the rubber brake hose.

Step 6: Remove the Pads and Hardware

• Pull the inner and outer pads from the bracket by hand.
• If they are stuck, use the flat-blade screwdriver carefully without damaging the bracket.
• Remove the stainless pad clips. These clips guide the pads and allow them to move freely.
• Check for uneven pad wear, torn slide-pin boots, leaking brake fluid, or seized slide pins.

Step 7: Remove the Caliper Bracket

• Use the 19mm socket and 1/2-inch drive breaker bar to remove both caliper-bracket bolts.
• Hold the bracket while removing the second bolt so it does not fall.

Step 8: Remove the Old Rotor

• Pull the rotor straight from the hub by hand.
• If it is rusted in place, use the rubber mallet to strike the rotor hat between the wheel studs.
• Do not strike the wheel studs or reusable hub components.
• Use the small wire brush, brake cleaner, and shop towels to clean the hub face.
• A dirty hub creates a brand-new vibration.

Step 9: Install the New Rotor

• Use brake cleaner and clean shop towels to remove the protective coating from both rotor faces.
• Slide the new rotor squarely onto the hub.
• Install one lug nut backward by hand to hold the rotor flat against the hub.

Step 10: Prepare the Caliper Bracket

• Use the small wire brush to clean rust from the bracket surfaces beneath the pad clips.
• Install the new hardware clips firmly into the bracket.
• Apply a very thin film of silicone or synthetic brake lubricant where the pad ears contact the clips.
• Do not apply lubricant to the rotor, pad friction material, or wheel studs.

Step 11: Reinstall the Caliper Bracket

• Place the bracket over the rotor and start both bolts by hand.
• Use the 19mm socket and 1/2-inch drive torque wrench to tighten both bolts.
• Torque to 84 Nm (62 ft-lbs). howtoo.com

Step 12: Install the New Pads

• Install the inner and outer pads into the bracket by hand.
• Confirm that the pad ears sit completely inside the hardware clips.
• Each pad should slide without binding. If one jams, remove it and clean more rust from beneath the clip.

Step 13: Compress the Caliper Piston

• Confirm again that electronic parking brake maintenance mode remains active.
• Place an old pad across the piston face.
• Use the brake caliper piston compressor to push the piston slowly and straight into the caliper.
• Watch the brake-fluid reservoir while compressing the piston. Remove excess fluid with the brake-fluid suction syringe if it approaches MAX.
• Do not force or twist the piston. Stop if it will not move with moderate pressure.

Step 14: Reinstall the Caliper

• Remove the caliper from the hanger and place it over the new pads.
• Make sure the slide-pin boots are not twisted or pinched.
• Start both slide-pin bolts by hand.
• Use the 14mm socket and 3/8-inch drive torque wrench to tighten them.
• Torque to 34 Nm (25 ft-lbs). howtoo.com

Step 15: Complete the Opposite Side

• Repeat Steps 5 through 14 on the other rear wheel using the same tools.
• Replace both rear rotors and all rear pads together. Mixing old and new friction parts can cause uneven braking.

Step 16: Reinstall the Rear Wheels

• Remove the temporary lug nut holding each rotor.
• Install each wheel and start every lug nut by hand.
• Use the 21mm lug-nut socket and 3/8-inch drive ratchet to snug the nuts in a star pattern.

Step 17: Lower the Car and Torque the Wheels

• Use the floor jack to raise the car slightly.
• Remove both jack stands, then lower the car completely.
• Use the 21mm lug-nut socket and 1/2-inch drive torque wrench in a star pattern.
• Torque to 113 Nm (83 ft-lbs). howtoo.com

Step 18: Exit Maintenance Mode

• Connect the electronic parking brake service scan tool again.
• Switch the ignition on without starting the engine.
• Select Electronic Parking Brake > Maintenance Mode > Close/Release/End.
• Wait until the scan tool confirms normal electronic parking brake operation.
• Switch the ignition off after the process finishes.

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✅ After Repair

• Press the brake pedal slowly several times until it becomes firm. Do this before selecting Drive or Reverse.
• Check the brake-fluid reservoir and set the level between MIN and MAX using the correct fluid.
• Start the engine and apply and release the electronic parking brake at least twice.
• Make sure no brake, ABS, or parking-brake warning remains illuminated.
• Perform a walking-speed brake test before entering traffic.
• Bed the pads with approximately 8 moderate stops from 30 mph to 5 mph. Allow 30 seconds of driving between stops.
• Do not remain stopped with the hot brake pedal firmly applied immediately after bedding.
• Avoid unnecessary hard braking for approximately 200 miles while the pads and rotors establish even contact. howtoo.com
• Recheck the wheel-lug torque after 25-50 miles.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

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

DIY Cost: $100-$250 (parts only, depending on pad and rotor grade)

You Save: $250-$500 by doing it yourself!

Local Haryana pricing will vary. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.5-2.5 hours.

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