Chevrolet
Camaro Front Brake Pads Replacement Guide
How to change the front brake pads on a
6th generation 2016 to 2021 GM Chevrolet Camaro with the part numbers.
2020 Camaro Front Wheel |
Slightly Loosen Lug Nuts |
Raise - Remove Lug Nuts |
This automotive
maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist owners of the sixth
generation (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021) GM Chevrolet Camaro with
the standard braking package in changing the front brake pads and
lubricating the caliper slider pins. Plus instructions for replacing the
rotors if necessary. The LT and LS trim levels that are equipped with either the LTG 2.0L I4 engine or the LGX 3.6L V6 engine have the standard braking package with single piston front brake calipers. (If your Camaro is equipped with the Brembo performance braking package or the "heavy duty" braking package, the procedure, torque values and part numbers will be different.) The development and release of the 7th generation Camaro has been delayed, so the current sixth generation will probably continue into the 2022 and 2023 model years. Owners of other General Motors vehicles from Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac such as the Malibu, Impala, Bolt, Corvette, Trailblazer, Trax, Equinox, Blazer, Traverse, Tahoe, Suburban, Colorado, Silverado, Express, Encore, Envision, Enclave, Regal, Sierra, Terrain, Acadia, Yukon, Canyon, Savana, XT4, XT5, XT6, Escalade, CT4, CT5, CTS and CT6 may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful. A few compatible sets of new front brake pads with their part numbers are as follows: ACDelco 17D1886CH, Callahan CPK01084, Power Stop Z26-1886 and R1 Concepts 2311-1835-00. The tools and other items needed to complete this procedure include a lug nut wrench, a floor jack, two jack stands, a 14mm socket, a 3/8" drive ratchet, an "F" clamp and a tube of brake caliper grease. The first few steps are to drive the car on to a level surface, shift the transmission into "Park" and turn off the ignition. Engage the emergency / parking brake and place wheel chocks on both sides of the rear tires to help prevent the vehicle from moving. Slightly loosen the five lug nuts on the front wheel by rotating them about 1/2 turn in the counterclockwise direction with the tire iron. (I used my Kawasaki electric impact wrench to slightly loosen the lug nuts since they were very tight.) Carefully raise the front of the car with the floor jack and securely support it with two jack stands under the frame rail. Please do not solely rely on the floor jack to support the vehicle. |
||
|
||
Five Lug Nuts Removed |
Caliper, Bracket & Rotor |
Front Brake Caliper |
Spin off the five
lug nuts and set them aside in a safe place. Carefully remove the front wheel and tire to reveal the caliper, bracket, rotor and suspension. Some amateur mechanics choose to place the wheel and tire under the frame rail as a backup support device just in case the floor jack and jack stands happen to fail. Once the front wheel has been removed, you'll be able to see the caliper, bracket, rotor and front suspension. The front brake caliper is held in place to the bracket by two bolts on the back side of the caliper with their bolt heads facing in towards the engine. |
||
Loosen Upper Caliper Bolt |
Loosen Lower Bolt |
Spin Out Top Bolt |
Loosen the top
caliper bolt by turning it in the clockwise direction (as seen from the
outside of the vehicle) with the 14mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet. Then loosen the bottom caliper bolt by also turning it in the clockwise direction (when viewed from the outside of the car looking in towards the wheel well) with the 14mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet. |
||
Spin Out Bottom Bolt |
2 Caliper Bolts Removed |
Pry Off Brake Caliper |
Spin out the two
caliper bolts by hand and set them aside in a safe place. The OEM brake pads were covered in some disc brake quiet gel at the factory which caused them to become stuck to the caliper. I had to use a large flat head screwdriver to pry the caliper out of the bracket and off the old pads. |
||
Rest Caliper On Hub |
Old Brake Pads Exposed |
Small Raised Metal Tabs |
Lift the caliper
out of the bracket and off the old brake pads. Rest the caliper on the suspension or suspend it from the spring with a bungee cord or some twine. Try to avoid pulling on, bending, stressing or kinking the rubber brake fluid hose. The pad abutment or "anti-rattle" clips at the top and bottom of the bracket have small raised metal retaining tabs that block the old pads from being pulled out. |
||
Push Down Metal Tab |
Push Up Metal Tab |
Remove Old Outer Pad |
Use a flat head screwdriver to gently push down the flexible metal tabs before pulling the old pads out of the bracket. Remove the inner and outer brake pads from the bracket. |
||
Retaining Tab - Inner Pad |
Push Up Retaining Tab |
Wear Bar - Bottom Inner |
Make a mental note of where the wear indicator bar or "squeal bar" is situated on the old brake pads. On this 2020 Camaro, the wear indicator bar was situated on the bottom of the old inner brake pad. |
||
Pad Abutment Clips |
Replace Abutment Clips |
Caliper Slider Pin |
If your new set of
front pads includes a bag of replacement brake hardware, pull the old pad
abutment or anti-rattle clips out of the top and bottom of the bracket. Apply a thin layer of brake parts lubricant grease to the top and bottom of the pad abutment clips where they will come in contact with the bracket and the new pads. Push the new pad abutment clips into the top and bottom of the bracket. Make sure the clips are fully seated in the bracket. In order for the caliper to operate smoothly, the two caliper slider pins or "guide pins" need to be well lubricated. Pull out one caliper slider pin at a time, apply some brake parts lubricant grease to the pin and push it back into the rubber dust boot. |
||
Lubricate & Replace Pins |
Attach "F" Clamp |
Right Rear Engine Bay |
Avoid mixing up the
upper and lower caliper slider pins since they are slightly different. (The lower pin on this 2020 Camaro was a light blue color.) In order for the caliper to fit over the thicker new brake pads, the piston will need to be compressed or "retracted" back. Attach the "F" clamp to the caliper and use an old brake pad to evenly distribute the pressure across the piston. Move to the right rear area of the engine bay (close to the driver's seat) and locate the brake fluid reservoir. |
||
Remove Reservoir Cap |
Compress Caliper Piston |
Replace Reservoir Cap |
Twist off the brake
fluid reservoir cap in the counterclockwise direction and set the cap aside
in a safe place. Removing the reservoir cap will allow the brake fluid to more easily travel back through the line when you compress the caliper piston. Slowly turn the "F" clamp handle in the clockwise direction to compress the caliper piston. Repeatedly check the fluid level in the reservoir while you are compressing the piston to make sure it doesn't overflow. Clean up any spilled brake fluid immediately since brake fluid can easily damage painted surfaces. Continue compressing the piston until it is just about flush with the rubber dust boot that surrounds it. Try to avoid pinching or damaging the rubber dust boot that surrounds the piston. As soon as you are done compressing the piston, replace the reservoir cap as soon as possible by twisting it on in the clockwise direction. Brake fluid is hygroscopic so it readily absorbs moisture from the air which can lead to a lower boiling point and reduced braking performance. Brake Rotor Replacement Instructions If your Camaro has been exhibiting vibrations, shuddering or shaking in the front end while braking, the OEM rotors might be warped or worn out and should be replaced. To replace the rotors, remove the two 21mm bolts on the back side of the caliper bracket that secure it to the wheel hub by turning them in the counterclockwise direction (when viewed from the rear of the rotor). Remove the single set screw on the outer face of the rotor by turning it in the counterclockwise direction with a Torx T30 screwdriver or a T30 socket. Slide the old rotor off the lug studs and wheel hub and push the new rotor into place. The OEM replacement front rotors part number is ACDelco 177-1158. (Please double check the correct part numbers for your Camaro before purchasing.) Replace the Torx T30 set screw and tighten it to the service manual specification of 80 lb-in (or 9 N-m) of torque. The 6th generation Camaro is equipped with TTY ("torque-to-yield") caliper bracket bolts that should be replaced every time they are removed. The bolts are tightened until they are stretched or "elongated" and should not be re-used again. The front disc brake caliper bracket mounting bolts part number is GM 11548406. I recommend using some Loctite Blue (medium strength - removable with hand tools) or Loctite Red (high strength - heat needed for removal) on the bracket bolts. Re-attach the bracket with two new 21mm TTY (torque-to-yield) bolts and tighten them to the service manual specification of 111 lb-ft (or 150 N-m) of torque for the first pass and then turn them another 15 to 30 degrees for the second pass. Double check that the rotor set screw and the two bracket bolts are tight before moving on to the next steps. |
||
Wear Bar - Bottom Inner |
Install New Inner Pad |
Install New Outer Pad |
Clean off the
rotor, caliper, bracket and lug studs with brake parts cleaner spray. Try to avoid breathing in the brake dust or cleaning spray since they may be carcinogenic (cancer causing). Orientate the wear indicator bar at the bottom of the new inner brake pad. Install the new inner and outer brake pads into the bracket. |
||
Push Pads Against Rotor |
Lower Caliper Over Pads |
Spin In Top Caliper Bolt |
Push the two pads
together until they are flush against the rotor. Carefully lower the caliper over the new brake pads and into the bracket. Line up the bolt holes in the caliper with their corresponding holes in the caliper slider pins within the bracket. Spin in the two caliper bolts (or "guide pin bolts") a few turns by hand in the counterclockwise direction to help prevent them from becoming cross threaded. |
||
Spin In Bottom Bolt |
Tighten Top Caliper Bolt |
Tighten Bottom Bolt |
Tighten the two
caliper bolts in the counterclockwise direction (as seen from the outside of
the vehicle) with the 14mm socket and 3/8" drive ratchet until they are
snug. It would be best to use a torque wrench in order to tighten the 14mm front caliper bolts to the service manual specification of 35 lb-ft (or 47 N-m) of torque. Double check that the caliper bolts are tight before moving on to the next steps. |
||
Rubber Valve Cap |
Brake Fluid Bleeder Valve |
Rotor Torx Set Screw |
If the brake pedal
has been feeling soft of spongy, the brake lines may contain a few air
bubbles or some moisture. It would be a good idea to bleed the brake lines
to flush out the old fluid.
I highly recommend using the Allstar bleeder bottle since it makes bleeding the brake lines an easy one person job. The brake fluid bleeder valve is located on the back side of the caliper near the upper caliper bolt. It is covered by a rubber valve cap. To open and close the bleeder valve, you'll need a 10mm wrench. The service manual specification for tightening the bleeder valve is 97 lb-in (or 11 N-m) of torque for Camaro models with the standard braking package and single piston front brake calipers. |
||
Push On Front Wheel |
Spin On Five Lug Nuts |
Slightly Tighten Lug Nuts |
Make sure all of
the bolts, the set screw and the bleeder valve are all tight.
Push the front wheel over the lug studs. Spin on the five lug nuts a few turns by hand in the clockwise direction to help prevent them from becoming cross threaded. Slightly tighten the lug nuts in a criss-cross or star pattern with the tire iron or a 22mm socket (or 7/8" inch) and a 1/2" drive ratchet or breaker bar. |
||
Lower From Jack Stands |
Torque Lug Nuts |
Front Brake Job Done! |
Carefully lower the
car from the jack stands by using the floor jack. Continue tightening the lug nuts in a criss-cross or star pattern to just past hand tight. It would be best to use a torque wrench or an electric impact wrench with a torque stick to tighten the lug nuts to the owner's manual specification of 140 lb-ft (or 190 N-m) of torque. (Please double check your owner's manual for the correct lug nut torque specification for your vehicle.) Check the fluid level in the reservoir and if necessary, pour in some new DOT 3 brake fluid It would be a good idea to check your parking spot, driveway or garage floor for drops of fresh brake fluid over the new few days which might indicate a leak from a bleeder valve or the reservoir. Please
check out all of the
2016-2021 GM Chevrolet Camaro DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides. |
If you found this guide to be helpful,
please consider making a small donation by clicking on the PayPal.com
"Donate" button located to the right of this paragraph. Thank you!
(Note: I am not a registered charity. Donations are not tax deductible.) |
Copyright 2024 © PaulsTravelPictures.com
All Rights Reserved ®
Paul's Travel Pictures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. |