I want to change the front rotors and pads. I wanted to know if there was a specific socket or torx bit I need to remove the calipers.

Front Disc Brake Pad Replacement

The generic information below may or may not be applicable to your vehicle.


1. Loosen lug nuts, raise vehicle, and support securely on jack stands. Remove front wheel.

2. Spray caliper assembly with brake cleaner.

3. Remove lower brake caliper bolt (8 mm, Honda; 12 mm, domestic) and pivot the caliper on the upper caliper pin. Using wire, and a suspension component, suspend caliper out of the way.

4. Remove pads, by lifting them out of the mounting bracket. [If the disc needs replacing, lift the caliper enough to slide it off the top caliper pin. Using wire, and a suspension component, suspend caliper out of the way. Remove the caliper mounting bracket (two 12 mm bolts, Honda; 15 mm, domestic) and disc. Clean rust from hub, in order to prevent lateral run out (LRO), install new disc, and reinstall caliper mounting bracket (tighten caliper mounting bracket bolts 80 lb.-ft.]

5. TRICK: Clean and lubricate caliper pins with silicone grease or Squeak Relief. Ensure neoprene boots are in good shape.

6. Crack bleeder screw or remove master cylinder reservoir cap. Failure to do this can damage the brake system, particularly on Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS).

7. Spread pads, using a disc brake pad spreader. This will drive the piston back into the caliper.

8. Apply Squeak Relief, Molykote M77, or other anti-squeal compound to pad side of shims and install new pads.

9. Lower caliper over pads and tighten caliper bolts (8 mm, Honda; 12 mm, domestic) 22 lb.-ft.

10. Tighten bleeder screw or replace master cylinder reservoir cap.

11. TRICK: Replace brake fluid every two years. This helps prevent vapor lock, removes air, moisture, rust, and soft rubber debris from the system, replenishes anti-corrosion properties of the fluid, and ensures calipers last a long time. The progression is normally RR, LF, LR, and RF. I recommend Valvoline Brake Fluid and ATE TYP 200, which are resonably priced ABS-certified fluids exhibiting high wet boiling points. ABS vehicles must only use ABS-certified brake fluid. Regular brake fluid is too viscous and generates too much heat in ABS systems. The fool-proof Brake Bleeder Economy One-Man, Cal-Van Tools, No. 247, allows one person to bleed the brake system in 45 minutes, saving approximately $110. This is one of the keys to having trouble-free brakes for years and years.

12. Check operation of the brakes. Pump the pedal a number of times, in order for the pedal to feel solid, not spongy. Warning: Don't operate the vehicle if you are in doubt about the effectiveness of the brake system.


Important: Not all disc brake pads meet Federal Safety Standards. Avoid cheap pads, the source of many brake problems. Insist on B.E.E.P. or D3EA CERTIFIED brake pads and rotors. Use the proper OEM, Bendix, Raybestos, or Wagner pads for your vehicle. Stay with the type of pads that came on your vehicle. If your vehicle came with ceramic brake pads, stay with them. Don't, for instance, switch to semi-metallic pads. A host of unforseen problems can result.