This automotive maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist owners of the first generation (2017, 2018, 2019 and perhaps also the 2020 and 2021 model years) Chrysler Pacifica minivan in changing the front brake pads and lubricating the caliper slider pins.

Owners of other FCA (Fiat Chrysler America) vehicles from Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM or Fiat such as the Town & Country, 300, 200, Charger, Challenger, Durango, Journey, Grand Caravan, Wrangler, Grand Cherokee, Compass, Renegade, Patriot, RAM 1500, RAM ProMaster City, Fiat 500 and Fiat 124 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: Power Stop 17-1589, Bosch BC1589, KFE KFE1589-104, ACDelco 14D1589CH, Bendix CFC1589 and ProACT ACT1589.

The tools and other items needed to complete this procedure include a lug nut wrench, a floor jack, two jack stands, a 13mm socket with a 3/8" drive ratchet, a "C" or "F" clamp and a tube of brake parts lubricant grease.

Engage the emergency / parking brake and place wheel chocks on both sides of the rear tires to prevent the vehicle from moving.

Slightly loosen the five lug nuts on the front wheel by turning them about 1/2 turn in the counterclockwise direction.

Raise the front 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 car at a time to keep three tires on the ground for extra safety.

Spin off the five lug nuts and set them aside in a safe place.

Carefully remove the front wheel and set it aside.

Once the front wheel is out of the way, you'll be able to see the front rotor, bracket, caliper and suspension.

The two bolt heads face in towards the engine bay.

Loosen the top caliper bolt by turning it in the clockwise direction (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) with the 13mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet.

Then loosen the bottom caliper bolt in the clockwise direction (as viewed from the outside of the minivan) with the 13mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet.

Rest the caliper on the rotor or suspend it from the suspension spring with a bungee cord or some twine.

Try to avoid stressing, kinking, bending or pulling on the rubber brake fluid hose.

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

Make a mental note of where the wear indicator bars or "squeal" bars are located on the old brake pads.

On this 2017 Pacifica, there are wear indicator bars situated at the top of both the inner and outer brake pads.

Clean off the bracket, rotor and lug studs with some brake parts cleaner spray.

Apply a thin layer of brake caliper grease to the top and bottom of the new pad abutment clips where they will come in contact with the bracket or the new pads.

Push the new pad abutment clips into the top and bottom of the bracket.

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

Pull the two caliper slider pins out of their rubber dust boots attached to the bracket.

In order for the caliper to fit over the thicker new brake pads, the two pistons need to be pushed back or "reset".

Attach the "F" clamp to the caliper and use the back of an old brake pad to evenly distribute the pressure across the pistons.

Move to the right rear area of the engine bay and locate the yellow round plastic cap on the brake fluid reservoir tank.

Slowly turn the handle on the "F" clamp in the clockwise direction to compress back the caliper pistons.

You may need to re-position the clamp in order to fully compress the two caliper pistons.

Repeatedly check the fluid level in the reservoir bottle while you are compressing the caliper pistons to make sure it doesn't overflow.

Continue compressing the two pistons until they are just about flush with the rubber dust boots that surround them.

Since brake fluid is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture from the air), be sure to replace the brake fluid cap as soon as possible.

Twist on the cap 1/4 turn in the clockwise direction to secure it into place.

To replace the rotors, remove the two larger bolts on the back side of the bracket, remove the bracket, slide off the old rotor, slide the new one in place and replace the bracket. The torque specification in the service manual for the caliper bracket bolts is 125 lb-ft. If you have trouble removing the old rotors due to rust, hit the rotors with a rubber mallet to loosen them.

(If you replace the caliper, the torque specification for the "banjo" bolt for the brake fluid hose is 35 lb-ft.)

I recommend buying the Power Stop 17-1589 ceramic front brake pads since they have great reviews on Amazon. Ceramic pads are usually very quiet and don't produce much brake dust.

Install the new inner and outer brake pads into the bracket with the wear bars situated at the top of both brake pads.

Push the two pads together until they are flush against the rotor.

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 a few turns by hand in the counterclockwise direction (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

It would be best to use a torque wrench and tighten them to the shop manual specification of 26 lb-ft of torque.

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

If your brake pedal has been feeling soft or spongy, it would be best to bleed the brake lines at this time to remove any moisture or air bubbles from the system.

For more on this topic, check out my Brake Line Fluid Bleeding With An Assistant DIY Guide, the Brake Line Fluid Bleeding With A Power Bleeder Guide or my Acura MDX Brake Line Bleeding Guide with a one-man bleeder bottle.

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

Slightly tighten the five lug nuts in the clockwise direction in a star or criss-cross pattern with the tire iron.

Continue progressively tightening the lug nuts in a criss-cross or star pattern to about 1/4 turn past hand tight.

It would be best to use a torque wrench to properly tighten the lug nuts to 100 lb-ft as specified in the owner's manual.

Sit in the driver's seat and firmly push down the brake pedal a few times to restore the brake line pressure.

Check the brake fluid reservoir in the engine bay and verify that the level is correct. If it is low, pour in some new DOT 3 fluid.

Take the car for a short test drive with the windows down so you can hear any strange noises when you press the brake pedal that might indicate a problem.

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 might glaze over the new pads and cause them to be noisy and not perform as well.

It's also a good idea to regularly check your driveway for drops of fresh 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 all of my Chrysler Pacifica Minivan DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides.