This automotive maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist owners of the first generation (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016) GMC Acadia in changing the front disc brake pads and lubricating the caliper slider pins.

Owners of other General Motors vehicles such as the Buick Verano, Regal, LaCrosse, Cascada, Encore, Enclave, Envision, GMC Canyon, Sierra 1500, Terrain, Yukon, Denali, Savana, Spark, Sonic, Cruze, Malibu, Impala, Volt, Camaro, Corvette, SS, Trax, Equinox, Traverse, Tahoe, Suburban, Colorado, Silverado and Express may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

A few compatible sets of new front brake pads with their part numbers include the following: ACDelco # 17D1169ACH, Wagner ThermoQuiet QC1169A Ceramic, Akebono ACT1169A, Raybestos PGD1169AC, Bendix D1169A CQ, Bosch BP1169A, Monroe CX1169A and Centric 300.11691.

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

Engage the emergency / parking brake and chock both sides of the rear wheels to prevent the car from moving.

Slightly loosen the six lug nuts on the front wheel by turning them counterclockwise with the tire iron.

Raise the front of the SUV with the floor jack and securely support it with at least two jack stands.

I prefer to work on one side of the vehicle at a time to keep three wheels on the ground for extra safety.

Spin off the 6 lug nuts and set them aside in a safe place.

Remove the front wheel to reveal the caliper, bracket, rotor and suspension.

Pull the front brake caliper out of the bracket and off the old pads.

Pull the old inner pad out of the bracket.

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

On this 2016 Acadia, the wear indicator bar was situated at the top of the old inner brake pad.

I recommend buying the Wagner ThermoQuiet QC1169A ceramic front brake pads since they have great reviews on Amazon. I also love how they don't require any backing plates, shims or disc brake quiet gel due to the built in insulators.

If your new set of front brake pads included replacement brake hardware, pull the old metal pad abutment or "anti-rattle" clips out of the top and bottom of the bracket.

Apply some brake caliper grease to any area where the new pad abutment clips will come in contact with the bracket or the new pads.

Push the new pad abutment clips in to to the bracket.

Pull the caliper slider pins straight out of their rubber dust boots.

Apply a thin layer of brake caliper grease to the two pins before pushing them back in to place.

In order for the caliper to fit over the thicker new brake pads, the two caliper pistons need to be compressed back.

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

Move to the right rear area of the engine bay and twist off the brake fluid reservoir cap in the counterclockwise direction.

Removing the reservoir cap will allow the brake fluid to more easily travel back through the lines when you compress the caliper pistons.

Repeatedly check the level in the reservoir to make sure that it doesn't over flow. Clean up any spilled brake fluid immediately since it can easily damage painted surfaces.

You may need to re-position the "F" clamp in order to fully compress back both of the caliper pistons.

Try to avoid pinching or otherwise damaging the rubber dust boots that surround the two caliper pistons.

Replace the brake fluid reservoir cap as soon as possible since brake fluid is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture from the air) by twisting it on in the clockwise direction.

If your vehicle exhibits shuddering, pulsating, or vibrations during braking, you may need to have your rotors "turned" (resurfaced) or it may be easier to just replace them with brand new rotors. If this is the car's first front brake job 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 Torx T30 (or "T-30") set screw and 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.

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

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

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 to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

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

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 near the upper caliper bolt and it has a black rubber cap over it.

Spin on the six lug nuts in the clockwise direction by hand a few turns to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

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

Continue to progressively tighten the six lug nuts in a "criss cross" or "star" pattern to about 1/4 to 1/2 turn past hand tight.

Sit in the driver's seat of the vehicle and pump the brake pedal a few times to restore brake line pressure. Check the brake fluid in the reservoir and verify that it is at the proper level. If it is low, add some DOT 3 fluid.

To break in your new front brake pads, just drive normally for the first several hundred miles while avoiding any hard or "panic" stops which may glaze over the new brake pads and cause them to be noisy and possibly 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 2007-2016 GMC Acadia DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides.