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Chevrolet Silverado Front Brake Pads Replacement Guide
How to change the front brake pads on a second generation 2007 to 2013 GM Chevy Silverado 1500 truck with pictures.

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2013 Silverado Front Wheel
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7/8" Lug Nut Caps
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Loosen Lug Nut Caps
This automotive "how-to" guide was specifically written to assist owners of the 2nd generation (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 & 2013) Chevrolet Silverado 1500 in replacing the front brake pads.

Owners of other General Motors vehicles such as the GMC Sierra, Terrain, Acadia, Yukon, Savana, Chevy Colorado, Avalanche, Express, Equinox, Traverse, Tahoe, Suburban, Spark, Sonic, Cruze, Volt, Malibu, Impala, SS, Camaro, Corvette, Verano, Regal, LaCrosse, Encore, and Enclave may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

The tools needed to complete this front brake job include a 7/8" socket, a 19mm socket, a ratcheting wrench, a floor jack with two jack stands, a lug nut wrench, a "C" or "F" clamp, a tube of brake parts lubricant grease, and a new set of brake pads.

A few compatible aftermarket brake pads with their part numbers include the following: ACDelco 17D1367CH, Raybestos ATD1367C, Wagner QC1363, Bendix D1363, Axxis 45-13630X, Dura International BP1363 C & Centric 300.13630.



 

Please verify the correct replacement part numbers for your Silverado by using the Amazon Part Finder website. The correct parts may vary depending on the model year, trim level, and whether it has the RWD (rear wheel drive) or 4WD (four wheel drive) transmission.
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Remove Lug Nut Cover
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Slightly Loosen Lug Nuts
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Raise Front of Truck
The first few steps are to park the truck on a level surface, engage the emergency parking brake and chock the rear wheels to keep the vehicle from moving.

Then slightly loosen the 6 lug nuts on the front wheel by turning them counter clockwise with the tire iron. (The tire iron is located under the rear passenger seat behind the driver's seat.)

Raise the front of the vehicle with the floor jack and securely support it with the two jack stands.

(I prefer to work on one side of the vehicle at a time for extra safety.)

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Spin Off 6 Lug Nuts
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Front Brake Bracket, Rotor
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Front Brake Caliper
Spin off the 6 lug nuts and set them aside in a safe place.

Pull off the front wheel to reveal the front brake caliper, rotor, bracket and suspension.

The two caliper bolts are located on the back side of the front brake caliper at the top and bottom.

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Loosen Upper Caliper Bolt
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Loosen Lower 19mm Bolt
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Remove Lower Bolt
Loosen the two caliper bolts with the 19mm socket and ratcheting wrench by turning them clockwise (as seen from the outside of the vehicle).
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Spin Out Upper Caliper Bolt
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Two 19mm Caliper Bolts
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Pull Off Front Brake Caliper
Remove the two caliper bolts and set them aside with the lug nuts.

Carefully pull the caliper off the old brake pads and out of the bracket. Try to avoid stressing the rubber brake fluid line.

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Rest Caliper On Suspension
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Pull Out Old Outer Pad
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Remove Inner Brake Pad
Rest the caliper on the suspension or suspend it from the spring with a bungee cord.

Pull the old outer and inner brake pads out of the bracket.

Make a mental note of how the wear or "squeal" bar is situated on the OEM brake pads.

On this 2013 Silverado 1500, the wear bar was located at the bottom of the inner brake pad.

I recommend buying the OEM GM ACDelco 17D1367CH front brake pads since they have excellent reviews on Amazon.



 

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Wear Bar - Bottom Inner Pad
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Replace Pad Abutment Clips
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Remove Upper Caliper Pin
If your new set of front brake pads came with new pad abutment or "anti-rattle" clips, pull the old ones out of the top and bottom of the bracket before installing the new ones.

In order for the brake caliper to operate smoothly, the two caliper slider pins need to be well lubricated.

Carefully remove the upper and lower caliper pins out of their rubber dust boots and apply a layer of brake caliper grease to each before pushing them back in.

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Lower Caliper Slider Pin
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Attach "F" Clamp To Pistons
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Twist Off Brake Fluid Cap
In order for the caliper to fit over the thicker new brake pads, the two caliper pistons need to be compressed backwards.

Attach the "C" or "F" clamp to the caliper using the back of an old brake pad to evenly distribute the pressure.

Move to the engine bay and twist off the brake fluid reservoir cap in the counter clockwise direction. Removing the brake fluid reservoir cap will allow the fluid to more easily travel back through the lines when you compress the caliper pistons.

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Compress Caliper Pistons
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Replace Brake Fluid Cap
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Install New Outer Pad

Slowly tighten the "C" or "F" clamp to compress the pistons while repeatedly checking the level in the brake fluid reservoir to make sure it doesn't over flow. Clean up any spilled brake fluid immediately since it can easily damage painted surfaces. You may need to reposition the "C" or "F" clamp to fully compress both pistons until they are flush with their rubber dust boots.

Replace the brake fluid reservoir cap as soon as possible since brake fluid is hygroscopic (readily absorbs moisture).

Thoroughly clean off the brake rotor, caliper bracket, brake caliper assembly and the lug nut studs with brake parts cleaner spray. Do not use compressed air or blow with your mouth to clean off the brake parts since breathing in brake dust can be harmful to your health. Brake dust can be carcinogenic (causes cancer) if inhaled.

If your vehicle previously exhibited shuddering, pulsating, or vibrations during braking, you may need to have your rotors "turned" (resurfaced) or just replace them with brand new rotors. If this is the truck's first front brake job and the rotors appear to be in excellent condition, you should be able to just replace the pads with great results.

To remove the existing rotors and install new ones, just remove the two bolts on the rear of the caliper bracket that attach it to the steering knuckle. Then loosen the old rotor with a rubber mallet, pull it off, and slide the new one in its place.

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Wear Bar - Bottom Inner Pad
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Push Pads Against Rotor
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Lower Caliper Over Pads
Install the new outer and inner brake pads with the wear bar situated at the bottom of the inner pad.

Push the two new brake pads flush against the rotor.

Carefully lower the caliper over the new brake pads and in to the bracket. If the caliper won't fit over the new pads, you may need to compress the pistons back a bit further.

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Insert Upper Caliper Bolt
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Insert Lower 19mm Bolt
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Tighten Upper Caliper Bolt
Line up the bolt holes in the caliper with the corresponding holes in the caliper slider pins without the bracket.

Insert the two caliper bolts and tighten them a few turns by hand to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

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Tighten Lower 19mm Bolt
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Rubber Valve Cap
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Brake Fluid Valve Cap
Tighten the upper and lower caliper bolts by turning them counter clockwise (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) with the 19mm socket and ratcheting wrench to just past hand tight or about 74 to 80 ft lbs of torque.

Double check that the two caliper bolts are tight before moving on to the next steps.

If your brake pedal previously felt soft or spongy, the brake fluid may be contaminated with water or the brake lines may contain some air bubbles.

It would be best to bleed the brake lines at this time in order to flush out the old fluid and replace it with fresh DOT3 brake fluid. For more on this topic, check out my Brake Line Fluid Bleeding With An Assistant DIY Guide or alternatively the Brake Line Fluid Bleeding With A Power Bleeder Guide.

The brake fluid bleeder valve is located underneath a rubber cap on the back side of the caliper just below the upper caliper bolt.

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Replace Front Wheel
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Spin On 6 Lug Nuts
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Slightly Tighten Lug Nuts
Replace the front wheel and spin on the 6 lug nuts by hand to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

Slightly tighten the 6 lug nuts in a criss cross or star pattern with the tire iron.

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Lower Truck From Jack
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Torque Lug Nuts
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Replace Lug Nut Cover
Lower the front of the truck from the jack stands using the floor jack.

Continue tightening the lug nuts in a criss cross or star pattern to about 1/4 to 1/3 turn past hand tight or about 140 ft lbs of torque. It would be best to use a torque wrench or an impact wrench with a torque stick to properly tighten the lug nuts.

Line up the lug nut cover and spin on the lug nut caps by hand to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

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Spin On Lug Nut Caps
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Tighten 7/8" Lug Nut Caps
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Front Brake Pads Replaced
Tighten the lug nuts caps with a 7/8" socket and ratcheting wrench to just past hand tight. Do not over tighten the lug nut caps.

Sit in the driver's seat of the vehicle and pump the brake pedal a few times to restore the brake line pressure. Check the brake fluid in the reservoir and verify that it is at the proper level. If it is low, add some DOT 3 fluid.

To break in your new front brake pads, just drive normally for the first few hundred miles while trying to avoid any hard or "panic" stops which may glaze over the new pads and cause them to be noisy and/or not perform as well.

It's also a good idea to regularly check your driveway for drops of brake fluid which may indicate a leak, check the brake fluid level in the reservoir, and also verify that the lug nuts are still tight.

For more, check out my other 2007-2013 Chevy Silverado Repair & Maintenance Guides.
 

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