How to Change Rear Brake Pads (DIY)

Step 7

Seat the New Brake Pads

Snap the new retainer clips into place, positioning them the same way as the old ones. Some pads come with a packet of brake grease, otherwise break open a new pouch of brake grease and apply a thin coat to the inside of each clip holding the brake pad ears.

Find the new brake pad with the metal flange attached to its back. This flange is the squealer that signals heavy pad wear and should be mounted on the inside pad. Slide this pad into the clip-lined grooves in the caliper bracket with the friction material facing the rotor. Fit the matching outer pad into the other side of the bracket, again with the friction material facing the rotor.

Step 8

Reattach Caliper

Retract the piston. If the piston face is hollow, any tool large enough to compress the piston will suffice, taking care not to break through the thin metal that comprises the back face of the piston. You can protect the piston by laying one of the old pads across the piston as you push it back. Many newer models require a special tool called a brake caliper wind-back tool. Identify these pistons by looking for a solid surface (not hollow) on the piston face that has two or three recesses for the winding pins to grip and turn.

If you get the brakes pulled apart and don’t have the tool, you can still complete the job with a needle-nose vise-grip wrench or pliers. Grip the piston face with the tip of the wrench and turn it clockwise to retract the piston.

Reposition the caliper, fitting it over the new brake pads. Insert the anchor bolts through the caliper and into the slider pins. Finger-tighten until snug, then tighten each firmly with a box-end wrench.

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