🔧 Rear Brakes & Rotors - Replacement

Your rear pads and rotors wear together, so replacing both at the same time gives better braking and a smoother pedal. On your Equinox, the rear caliper and bracket must come off before the rotor can be removed.

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

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• Work on a level surface and chock the front wheels before lifting the rear.
• Support the vehicle with jack stands; never rely on a jack alone.
• Brake parts and rotors can be hot after driving.
• Do not press the brake pedal with a caliper removed.
• Use brake cleaner only in a well-ventilated area.
• Battery disconnect is not required for this repair.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated for vehicle weight)
• Wheel chocks
• 19mm socket
• 13mm socket
• 18mm socket
• Torque wrench
• Ratchet
• Breaker bar
• C-clamp or disc brake caliper tool
• Bungee cord or mechanic's wire
• Flat blade screwdriver
• Wire brush
• Brake cleaner
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Torque angle gauge (optional)

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Rear brake pad set - Qty: 1 set
• Rear brake rotors - Replace in pairs - Qty: 2
• Brake hardware kit - Qty: 1 set
• Brake lubricant - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 2 cans

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground and set the parking brake.
• Loosen the rear lug nuts before lifting.
• Put the transmission in Park.
• Chock the front wheels securely.
• If your wheel uses locking lugs, remove them first.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the rear of the vehicle

• Use a floor jack to raise the rear of the vehicle at the proper lift point.
• Place jack stands under the rear support points and lower the vehicle onto them.
• Remove both rear wheels with a 19mm socket.
• Keep the lug nuts in a tray.

Step 2: Remove the caliper

• Use a 13mm socket to remove the caliper guide pin bolts.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket and hang it with a bungee cord or mechanic's wire.
• Do not let the caliper hang by the brake hose.

Step 3: Remove the caliper bracket and rotor

• Use an 18mm socket and breaker bar to remove the caliper bracket bolts.
• Remove the bracket from the knuckle.
• If the rotor is stuck, use a flat blade screwdriver and tap around the hub face with a rubber mallet if needed.
• Remove any rotor retaining screw if equipped, using a flat blade screwdriver.
• Remove the rotor.

Step 4: Prepare the mounting surfaces

• Use a wire brush to clean rust from the hub face and caliper bracket contact points.
• Spray the new rotor with brake cleaner and wipe it dry.
• Clean hubs help prevent rotor wobble.

Step 5: Install the new rotor and bracket

• Install the new rotor on the hub.
• Reinstall the caliper bracket with the 18mm socket.
• Torque the caliper bracket bolts to 175 Nm (129 ft-lbs).

Step 6: Compress the caliper piston and install new pads

• Use a C-clamp or disc brake caliper tool to push the piston fully back into the caliper.
• Install the new pad hardware and apply a thin coat of brake lubricant where the pads contact the bracket.
• Install the new pads in the bracket.
• Reinstall the caliper over the pads.
• Torque the caliper guide pin bolts to 27 Nm (20 ft-lbs).

Step 7: Reinstall wheels and lower the vehicle

• Install the rear wheels by hand first.
• Lower the vehicle with the floor jack.
• Use a torque wrench and 19mm socket to tighten the lug nuts.
• Torque the lug nuts to 190 Nm (140 ft-lbs).

Step 8: Final pedal check

• Before moving the vehicle, pump the brake pedal slowly until it feels firm.
• Check the brake fluid level under the hood and top off if needed.

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✅ After Repair

• Test the brakes at low speed in a safe area.
• Listen for noise and feel for vibration.
• Verify the parking brake still holds the vehicle.
• For the first 200 miles, avoid hard stops to help the pads bed in.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

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

DIY Cost: $180-$320 (parts only)

You Save: $270-$530 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 2-3 hours.

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🎯 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.