Owners of related Chrysler Group minivan vehicles such as the Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Grand Voyager, Lancia Grand Voyager, Ram C/V Tradesman Cargo Van and the Volkswagen Routan may also find these DIY rear brake job instructions to be helpful.

A few compatible replacement sets of new rear brake pads with their part numbers are as follows: ACDelco 17D1326CH, Wagner QC1326 or ZD1326, Power Stop 16-1326, EBC DP61840, Bosch BP1326 and Wearever PNAD1596.

The correct brake pads may vary depending on the model year, trim level and whether your T&C has the HD (heavy duty) or LD (light duty) braking package.

Make sure that the emergency / parking brake is released.

Slightly loosen the five lug nuts on the rear wheel by turning them counter clockwise with the tire iron.

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

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

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

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

Loosen the upper and lower caliper bolts by turning them clockwise (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) with the 13mm socket and 3/8" drive ratcheting wrench.

If the caliper slider pins turn while you are trying to loosen the caliper bolts, hold them in place with a pair of pliers or a thin cone spanner wrench.

Lift the brake caliper out of the bracket and carefully rest it on the suspension or suspend it from the spring with a bungee cord or a piece of rope.

On this 2012 Town & Country, the wear bar was located at the bottom of the inner brake pad.

I'd recommend going with the Wagner ThermoQuiet brake pads. I really like how they don't require any backing plates, shims or disc brake quiet gel due to the built in insulators.

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

Gently pull the two pins out of their rubber dust boots, apply a thin layer of brake caliper grease to each one, and then re-insert them in to the rubber dust boots.

First move to the right rear area of the engine bay (closest to the driver's seat) and twist off the brake fluid reservoir cap in the counter clockwise direction. Removing the cap will allow the brake fluid to more easily travel backwards through the lines when you turn back the piston.

Test fit the different sides of the disc brake piston tool, such as the Lisle # 28600, to see which side matches the piston.

Slowly turn back the piston in the clockwise direction until it is flush with the rubber dust boot.

Repeatedly check the level in the brake fluid reservoir while you are turning back the piston to make sure that it does not over flow. Clean up any spilled brake fluid immediately since it can easily damage painted surfaces.

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

Spread a thin layer of brake parts grease to any surface where there is metal to metal contact such as the outer face of the caliper piston. Do not apply lubricant to the friction surface of the new pads.

If your vehicle previously exhibited shuddering, pulsating, or vibrations while braking, you may need to have the rotors "turned" (resurfaced) or it may be easier and less expensive to just replace them with new rotors. If this is the first rear brake job on your Town & Country 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, 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. Be sure to properly tighten the two bracket bolts with a torque wrench.

The service manual specification for the rear caliper bracket mounting bolts is 74 lb-ft of torque (or 100 N.m.)

Push the two pads flush against the rotor.

Lower the caliper in to the bracket and over the new pads. Line up the bolt holes in the caliper with the corresponding holes in the slider pins.

Tighten the caliper bolts by turning them counter clockwise (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) with the 13mm socket and ratcheting wrench to just past hand tight or about 26 lb-ft of torque according to the specification in the service manual.

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

If your brake pedal has been feeling soft or "spongy", the brake fluid may be contaminated with water or the brake lines may contain 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.

Slightly tighten the lug nuts in a criss cross or star pattern with the lug nut wrench.

Lower the vehicle from the jack stands using the floor jack until the rear wheel holds enough weight to keep it from spinning.

Continue progressively tightening the lug nuts in a star pattern to about 1/8 to 1/4 turn past hand tight or about 102 ft lbs of torque. It would be best to use a torque wrench or an impact wrench with a 100 ft lbs torque stick to properly tighten the lug nuts.

Sit in the driver's seat and firmly pump 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, add some new DOT 3 fluid.

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

To break in your new 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 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 check that the lug nuts are still tight.

For more, check out my other Chrysler Town & Country Repair & Maintenance Guides.