Chevrolet
Camaro Rear Brake Pads Replacement Guide
How to change the rear brake pads and
turn back the EPB on a 6th generation 2016 to 2021 GM Chevy Camaro.
2020 Camaro Rear Wheel |
Electric Parking Brake |
Push Down - Release EPB |
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 rear disc brake pads,
lubricating the caliper slider pins and manually retracting the "EPB"
(electric parking brake) mechanism. 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 and rear 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 rear brake pads with their part numbers are as follows: ACDelco 14D1914MH, Power Stop Z23-1914, Callahan CPK01178 and Raybestos EHT1914H. 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, a 5mm hex head socket or a 5mm Allen key wrench, a 6mm hex head socket or a 6mm Allen key wrench, an "F" clamp and a tube of brake caliper grease. Attention: If your Camaro is equipped with the "EPB" (electronic parking brake) system, please proceed with caution and at your own risk! The first few steps are to drive the car on to a level surface, shift the transmission into "Park" and turn off the ignition. Place wheel chocks on both sides of the front tires to help prevent the vehicle from moving. Make sure the emergency / parking brake is not engaged. To release the EPB (electric parking brake), step on the brake pedal and then push down on the EPB switch located near the "Mode" button behind the gear selector. You should hear the two electric parking brake motors winding back when the EPB is released. |
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Slightly Loosen Lug Nuts |
Raise Rear of Car |
Spin Off Lug Nuts |
Slightly loosen the
five lug nuts on the rear wheel by rotating them about 1/2 turn in the
counterclockwise direction with the lug nut wrench. Carefully raise the rear of the vehicle with the floor jack and securely support it with at least two jack stands. Please do not solely rely on the floor jack to support the car. I prefer to only work on one side of the vehicle at a time to keep three tires on the ground for extra safety. Spin off the five lug nuts in the counterclockwise direction. |
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Five Lug Nuts Removed |
Rotor, Bracket, Caliper |
Rear Brake Caliper |
Set the 5 lug nuts
aside in a safe place. Carefully pull off the rear wheel and tire to reveal the rotor, bracket, caliper and suspension. The rear brake caliper is held in place to the bracket by two bolts on the rear of the caliper with the bolt heads facing in towards the trunk. |
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EPB Front Black Bolt |
EPB Rear Mounting Bolt |
Loosen Top Caliper Bolt |
If your Camaro is
equipped with the EPB system, you'll see the black plastic electric parking
brake actuator housing attached to the back side of the caliper. 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. |
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Loosen Bottom Bolt |
Spin Out Top Bolt |
Remove Bottom Bolt |
Then loosen the
bottom caliper bolt by turning it in the clockwise direction (when viewed
from the outside of the car) with the 14mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet. Spin out the two caliper bolts the rest of the way by hand. |
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Caliper Bolts Removed |
Pull Off Rear Caliper |
EPB Actuator Housing |
Set the two caliper
bolts aside in a safe place. Carefully pull the caliper off the old pads and out of the bracket. Rest the caliper on the suspension or suspend it from the spring with a bungee cord or some rope. Avoid bending, kinking, pulling or stressing the rubber brake fluid hose. |
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Rest Caliper Suspension |
Small Metal Retaining Tab |
Push Down Metal Tab |
If you look closely
at the pad abutment clips attached to the top and bottom of the bracket,
you'll see small metal retaining tabs sticking up and obstructing the ends
of the brake pads. In order to remove the old brake pads, you'll need to push down the small metal retaining tabs with a small flat head screwdriver. |
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Remove Old Outer Pad |
Inner Pad Metal Tab |
Wear Bar - Top Inner Pad |
Push down the small
retaining tabs on the pad abutment clips with the screwdriver and then pull
the old inner and outer brake pads out of the bracket. 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 located on the top of the old inner brake pad. |
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Pad Abutment Clips |
Replace Abutment Clips |
Caliper Slider Pin |
If your new set of
rear pads includes a bag of replacement brake hardware, pull the old pad
abutment clips or "anti-rattle" clips out of the top and bottom of the
bracket. 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). 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 or the new pads. Avoid getting grease on the friction surface of the new pads or the rotors. Push the new pad abutment clips into the top and bottom of the bracket. Make sure the clips are fully seated in place. In order for the caliper to operate smoothly, the two caliper slider pins or "guide pins" need to be well lubricated. Avoid mixing up the upper and lower caliper slider pins since they are slightly different. |
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Lubricate & Replace Pins |
Line Up New Inner Pad |
Wear Indicator Bar - Top |
Pull out one
caliper slider pin at a time, apply a thin layer of brake caliper grease to
the smooth part of the pin and then push it back into its rubber dust boot. Brake Rotor Replacement Instructions If your Camaro has been exhibiting vibrations, shuddering or shaking in the rear end while braking, the OEM rotors might be warped or worn out and should be replaced. To replace the rotors, remove the two 18mm 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 back side of the rotor). Remove the bracket and set it aside in a safe place. 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 and a ratchet. Slide the old rotor off the lug studs and wheel hub and push the new rotor into place. The OEM replacement rear rotors part number is ACDelco 18A2733AC. (Please double check the correct part numbers for your Camaro before purchasing new rotors.) Replace the Torx T30 set screw and tighten it to the service manual specification of 89 lb-in (or 10 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 rear disc brake caliper bracket mounting bolts part number is GM 11570948. 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 18mm 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. Line up the new inner brake pad with the wear indicator bar situated at the top. |
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Install New Inner Pad |
Install New Outer Pad |
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Install the new inner and outer bracket pads into the bracket. | ||
Push Pads Against Rotor |
Slide Back Red Lock Tab |
Disconnect Power Plug |
Push the two pads
together until they are flush against the rotor. Attention: If your Camaro is equipped with the "EPB" (electronic parking brake) system, please proceed with caution and at your own risk! Your options for servicing the rear brakes equipped with the EPB system include the following: 1. Take the vehicle to the dealership so that they can retract the parking brake actuators with their computer. 2. Buy an OBDII scan tool that can place the EPB into "service mode" or "maintenance mode". 3. The DIY alternative is to detach the EPB actuator and manually turn back the ball screw mechanism so that the caliper piston can be compressed back with an "F" clamp. To help prevent the vehicle's ECU (electronic control unit or just the car's "computer") from detecting that the EPB system has been manually adjusted, it would be best to disconnect the negative battery terminal. Loosen the nut on the negative terminal by turning it in the counterclockwise direction and then pull it off the "-" battery post. Wrap the negative terminal in a small towel and tuck it away to help prevent accidental electrical contact. Attention: Please proceed with caution and at your own risk! Move to the EPB actuator assembly and locate the electrical connector. Gently slide back the red locking tab on the electrical connector away from the socket. Push in the release tab on the electrical connector before sliding it straight off. |
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Loosen EPB Bolts |
Spin Out Counterclockwise |
Pry Out Plastic Fastener |
Loosen the two
black metal bolts on the back side of the EPB actuator housing by turning
them in the counterclockwise direction with a 5mm hex head socket and a
ratchet or a 5mm Allen key wrench. Pop out the black plastic fastener that secures the wire loom to the back side of the EPB actuator. |
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Wire Loom Released |
Loosen Second EPB Bolt |
Two Bolts Removed |
Remove the two screws on the back side of the EPB and set them aside in a safe place. | ||
EPB Actuator Removed |
Exposed Ball Screw Socket |
Turn Back Ball Screw Rod |
Carefully pull the
black plastic EPB actuator assembly off the back side of the caliper. Set the EPB actuator housing aside in a safe place. Once the EPB housing has been removed, you'll be able to see the exposed drive gear socket for the ball screw rod that pushes out the caliper piston to engage the parking brake. Attention: Please proceed with caution and at your own risk! To prevent from having the piston pop out just in case you turn the ball screw rod in the wrong direction, consider attaching the "F" clamp to the caliper or use a pad spreader tool. That way, if you turn the ball screw in the incorrect direction, the "F" clamp or pad spreader will not allow the piston to move out much. Insert the 6mm Allen key wrench or a 6mm hex head socket into the spindle gear opening on the back side of the caliper. Turn the 6mm Allen key in the clockwise direction to turn back the ball screw rod back away from the caliper piston. If you happen to turn the 6mm Allen wrench in the wrong counterclockwise direction by mistake, you'll see the caliper piston begin to push out. Do NOT allow the caliper piston to continue moving out to prevent it from popping out, leaking brake fluid and introducing air into the system. Again, if you see the caliper piston moving OUT, do NOT continue turning the wrench in that direction to avoid having the piston fall out of the caliper! As you turn the 6mm Allen key in the correct clockwise direction, you won't see the actual brake caliper piston retract. Continue turning the 6mm Allen key in the clockwise direction until it stops turning indicating that the ball screw rod mechanism (or perhaps it is a threaded worm screw) has been fully retracted. Update - The owner of a 2017 Camaro has reported that the EPB ball screw mechanism may require a 5mm hex head socket or Allen wrench instead of the 6mm Allen wrench that was the correct size for this 2020 Camaro. |
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Slowly Compress Piston |
Caliper Piston Retracted |
Line Up EPB Actuator |
Attach the "F"
clamp to the caliper and use the back of an old brake pad to evenly
distribute the pressure across the piston. Slowly turn the "F" clamp handle in the clockwise direction to compress back the caliper piston. If you encounter any resistance, STOP and double check that you have manually turned back the EPB ball screw rod in the correct direction. If the EPB ball screw rod has been properly retracted, the caliper piston should very easily compress back as you turn the "F" clamp handle in the clockwise direction. Continue compressing the caliper piston until it is just about flush with the rubber dust boot that surrounds it. I've read that it is a good idea to rotate the ball screw rod mechanism in the counterclockwise direction until it makes contact with the back side of the caliper piston to return it to the "Home" position. I didn't bother turning the ball screw rod back until it made contact with the rear of the caliper piston. So I just heard the EPB motors spinning for a few seconds longer than normal when I first engaged the parking brake after completing this rear brake job. Another optional step is to lower the caliper over the new pads and into the bracket. Then you can re-insert and tighten the two caliper bolts before turning the ball screw rod mechanism in the counterclockwise direction until the piston pushes out and makes contact with the new brake pads. This is another precautionary measure to prevent the vehicle's ECU from realizing that you manually adjusted the EPB system. |
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Re-Attach EPB Actuator |
Spin In Two EPB Bolts |
Spin In Clockwise |
Line up the spindle
gear on the EPB actuator housing with the drive gear for the ball screw rod
on the rear of the caliper. Re-attach the EPB actuator housing. You may need to slightly rotate the EPB housing in order to line up the spindle gear and socket. Line up the bolt holes in the EPB actuator housing with the corresponding bolt holes in the rear of the caliper. If you are worried about the EPB bolts becoming loose due to vibrations, apply a drop of Loctite Blue to the threads. Spin in the two black metal bolts a few turns by hand to prevent them from becoming cross threaded. |
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Tighten Bolts Clockwise |
Both EPB Bolts Snug |
Lower Caliper Over Pads |
Continue tightening
the two bolts until they are snug. Try to avoid over tightening the bolts to prevent from cracking the plastic EPB actuator housing. Double check that the bolts are tight before moving on to the next steps. Carefully lower the caliper over the new pads and into the bracket. |
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Spin In Bottom Bolt |
Spin In Top Caliper Bolt |
Line Up Power Plug |
Line up the bolt
holes in the caliper with their corresponding bolt holes in the slider pins
within the bracket. Spin in the two caliper bolts a few turns by hand in the counterclockwise direction (as seen from the outside of the car) to help prevent them from becoming cross threaded. |
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Push On Connector |
Slide In Red Lock Tab |
Push In Wire Loom Rivet |
Push the electrical
connector straight into the socket on the EPB actuator assembly. The connector should "click" securely into place. Slide in the red lock tab to secure the connector in place. Push in the pop rivet fastener for the wire loom into the hole on the back side of the EPB housing. |
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Retaining Clip Secured |
Tighten Top Bolt |
Tighten Bottom Bolt |
Tighten the two
caliper bolts in the counterclockwise direction (when viewed from the
outside of the vehicle) with the 14mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet until
they are snug. It would be best to use a torque wrench to tighten the caliper "guide pin" bolts to the service manual specification of 30 lb-ft (or 40 N-m) of torque. |
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Rubber Valve Cap |
Brake Fluid Bleeder Valve |
Push On Rear Wheel |
If the brake pedal
has been feeling soft of spongy, the brake lines might 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 and rear brake calipers. Double check that the EPB bolts, caliper bolts, bracket bolts, rotor set screw and bleeder valve are all tight before moving on to the next steps. Carefully push the rear wheel back over the five lug studs. |
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Spin On Five Lug Nuts |
Slightly Tighten Lug Nuts |
Lower Car From Stands |
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 the clockwise direction in a criss-cross or star pattern with the tire iron. Carefully lower the vehicle from the jack stands by using the floor jack. |
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Tighten Lug Nuts |
Torque Lug Nuts |
Rear Brake Job Done |
Continue tightening the lug nuts in the clockwise direction in a criss-cross or star pattern to the torque specification in the owner's manual. The owner's manual for this 2020 Camaro has a lug nut tightening specification of 140 lb-ft (or 190 N-m) of torque. Please check your owner's manual for the correct lug nut torque specification for your vehicle. Sit in the driver's seat and firmly pump the brake pedal a few times to help restore the brake line pressure and move the hydraulic rear brake pistons against the pads. Carefully re-attach the "-" negative battery terminal and tighten the terminal nut in the clockwise direction until it is snug. Test the electric parking brake by placing your foot on the brake pedal and pulling up on the EPB switch. You should hear the electric motors activate as they turn the ball screw rods out to push on the rear caliper pistons. If you didn't move the ball screw actuator rods back to the "home" position against the rear caliper pistons, you might hear the electric motors turning the gearboxes for a few extra seconds longer than normal. If you see a parking brake error warning or an SES / CEL (service engine soon / check engine light) due to a DTC (diagnostic trouble code) appear on the gauge cluster or the LCD screen, use an OBD2 scan tool to clear the error or disconnect the 12V battery for 15-30 minutes. Be sure to write down the rear brake pad change in your vehicle's service records. Please
check out all of the
2016-2021 GM Chevrolet Camaro DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides. |
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