Owners of other General Motors vehicles such as the Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Impala, Traverse, Tahoe, GMC Terrain, Acadia, Yukon, Buick Verano, Regal, LaCrosse, Encore, Enclave and Holden Barina may also find these DIY front brake job instructions to be helpful.

The items required to complete this procedure include a floor jack, two jack stands, a lug nut wrench, a 10mm socket with a 1/4" drive ratcheting wrench, a "C" or "F" clamp and a packet of brake parts lubricant grease.

A few compatible replacement sets of new pads including their part numbers are as follows: Wagner QC1522 or ZD1522, Bendix D1522, ACDelco 171-1073 or 17D1522CH, Power Stop 16-1522 and Centric 100.15220.

Then slightly loosen the 5 lug nuts on the front wheel by turning them counter clockwise with the tire iron.

Raise the front of the car with the floor jack and securely support it with the two jack stands. (I prefer to work on one side of the car at a time for extra safety.)

Spin off the 5 lug nuts and set them aside in a safe place.

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

Loosen the upper caliper bolt by turning it clockwise (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) with the 10mm socket and ratcheting wrench.

Then loosen the lower caliper bolt by turning it clockwise with the 10mm socket and ratcheting wrench.

Spin out the two caliper bolts and set them aside in a safe place.

Try to avoid kinking or stressing the rubber brake line.

On this 2013 Sonic sedan, the wear bar was located at the top of the inner brake pad.

I recommend buying the Wagner ThermoQuiet QC1522 brake pads since they have excellent reviews on Amazon. I also really like how they don't require any backing plates, shims or disc brake quiet gel due to the integrated insulators.

If your set of new front pads includes brake hardware, pull the old metal pad abutment or "anti-rattle" clips out of the top and bottom of the bracket and install the new ones in their place.

Gently pull the upper and lower caliper pins out of their rubber dust boots, apply a thin layer of brake parts lubricant to each one, and re-install them.

In order for the brake caliper to fit over the thicker new pads, the caliper piston will need to be compressed backwards.

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

Removing the reservoir cap will allow the brake fluid to more easily move backwards through the rubber brake lines when you compress the piston.

Very slowly turn the handle on the "C" clamp to push back the caliper piston while repeatedly checking the level in the reservoir to prevent it from overflowing. Clean up any spilled brake fluid immediately since brake fluid can easily damage painted surfaces.

Continue compressing the caliper piston until it is flush with its rubber dust boot. Try to avoid pinching or otherwise damaging the rubber dust boot surrounding the caliper piston.

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 and the lug nut studs with brake parts cleaner spray. Do not use compressed air or blow with your mouth since inhaling brake dust can be harmful to your health. Brake dust can be carcinogenic (causes cancer) if inhaled.

If your Sonic previously exhibited shuddering, pulsating, or vibrations while braking, you may need to have the rotors "turned" (resurfaced on a lathe) or it may be less costly to just replace them with new rotors. If this is the first front brake job on your car 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.

Do not apply brake parts grease or any lubricant to the friction surface of the new pads or the face of the rotor.

Install the new brake pads in to the bracket the wear indicator bar situated at the top of the new inner pad.

Push the pads flush against the rotor.

Line up the bolt holes in the caliper with the corresponding holes in the caliper slider pins within the bracket.

Spin in the two caliper bolts by hand a few turns in the counter clockwise direction (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

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 tire iron.

Lower the vehicle from the jack stands using the floor jack.

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

Sit in the driver's seat of your Sonic and firmly pump the brake pedal a few times to restore brake line pressure.

Verify that the brake fluid level in the reservoir is correct. Add some new DOT3 brake fluid if it is low.

Take the car for a short and cautious test drive with the windows down so you can hear any abnormal noises while braking.

To break in your new pads, just drive normally for the first several 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 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 Chevy Sonic Repair & Maintenance Guides.