Infiniti QX60
Front Brake Pads Replacement Guide
How to change the front disc brake pads
on a first generation 2013 to 2020 Infiniti QX60 luxury SUV.
2020 QX60 Front Wheel |
Slightly Loosen Lug Nuts |
Raise Front of SUV |
This automotive
maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist owners of the first
generation (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020) Infiniti QX60
luxury SUV in changing the front disc brake pads and lubricating the caliper
slider pins along with the steps for replacing the rotors if necessary. Owners of other Infiniti and Nissan vehicles such as the JX35, Q50, Q60, QX50, QX80, Pathfinder, Murano, Rogue, Armada, Kicks, Frontier, Titan, NV, NV200, 370Z, GT-R, Leaf, Maxima, Altima, Sentra and Versa might also find these DIY instructions to be helpful. A few compatible replacement sets of new front brake pads with their part numbers are as follows: Bosch BC1649, Bendix CFC1649, Power Stop Z23-1649, Akebono ACT1649, ACDelco 17D1649CH and Wagner QC1649. The tools and other items needed to complete this procedure include a lug nut wrench, a floor jack, two jack stands, a 17mm socket with a 3/8" or 1/2" drive ratchet, an "F" clamp and a tube of synthetic high temperature brake caliper grease. The first few steps are to drive the SUV on to a level surface, shift the transmission into "Park" and turn off the ignition. 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 1/4 to 1/2 turn in the counterclockwise direction with the tire iron. Carefully raise the front of the SUV with the floor jack at the jack point on the pinch weld and then securely support it with at least two jack stands positioned under the frame rail further in towards the center of the SUV. Please do not solely rely on the floor jack to support the vehicle. I prefer to only work on one side of the vehicle at a time to keep three tires on the ground for extra safety. Once the front tire is off the ground, spin off the five lug nuts and set them aside in a safe place. |
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Spin Off Five Lug Nuts |
Rotor, Bracket, Caliper |
Front Brake Caliper |
Pull off the front
wheel and tire to reveal the rotor, bracket, caliper and suspension. Some home mechanics choose to place the wheel under the vehicle as an extra backup support device just in case the two jack stands fail. The front brake caliper is held in place to the bracket (or "torque member") by two bolts on the back side of the caliper. |
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Loosen Top Caliper Bolt |
Loosen Bottom Bolt |
Spin Out Lower Bolt |
Loosen the top
caliper bolt by turning it in the clockwise direction (as seen from the
outside of the vehicle) with the 17mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet. Then loosen the bottom caliper bolt by turning it in the clockwise direction (when viewed from the outside of the car looking in towards the engine bay) with the 17mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet. |
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Spin Out Upper Bolt |
Caliper Bolts Removed |
Pull Off Brake Caliper |
Spin out the two
caliper bolts the rest of the way by hand and set them aside in a safe
place. Carefully pull the caliper out of the bracket and off the old brake pads. (The caliper bracket is also known as the "torque member" in the service manual.) Try to avoid pulling, stressing, kinking or bending the rubber brake fluid hose. |
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Rest Caliper On Rotor |
Pull Out Inner Pad |
Inner Pad Removed |
Rest the caliper on
the rotor or suspend it from the suspension spring with a bungee cord or use
some twine. Pull the old inner brake pad out of the bracket. |
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Remove Outer Pad |
Spring Bar - Top of Pads |
Pad Abutment Clips |
Pull the old outer
brake pad out of the bracket. You'll notice that both the inner and outer brake pads are equipped with drag reduction spring clips at the top of each pad. Both pads also have wear indicator bars or "squeal bars" at the top of each pad to indicate when the friction material is almost completely worn away. If your set of new front pads includes a bag of replacement brake hardware, pull the old pad abutment or "anti-rattle" clips out of the top and bottom of the bracket. |
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Replace Abutment Clips |
Caliper Slider Pins |
Lubricate & Replace Pins |
Clean off the
rotor, bracket, caliper and lug studs with brake parts cleaner spray.
Try to avoid breathing in the brake dust or the cleaning spray since they may be carcinogenic (cancer causing). 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 ends of the new pads. (Your set of new pads might include a small packet of brake caliper grease.) Push the pad abutment clips into the top and bottom of the bracket. Avoid getting grease on to the friction surface of the rotor (or the new pads). In order for the caliper to operate smoothly, the two caliper slider pins (or "guide bolts") need to be well lubricated. Avoid mixing up the top and bottom caliper slider pins since they are slightly different. Pull out one slider pin from its rubber dust boot attached to the bracket, apply a thin layer of brake caliper grease to the smooth parts and push it back into place. Make sure the rubber dust boot "pops" or "snaps" back into place over the ridge near the outer end of the pin. Repeat the process to lubricate the other caliper slider pin. |
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Attach "F" Clamp |
Brake Fluid Reservoir |
Twist Off Reservoir Cap |
In order for the
caliper to fit over the new thicker brake pads, the two pistons will need to
be compressed back. Attach the "F" clamp over the caliper and use the back of an old brake pads to evenly distribute the pressure across the two pistons. Move to the right rear area of the VQ35DE 3.5L V6 engine bay and locate the brake fluid reservoir tank. Twist off the cap on the brake fluid reservoir by turning it in the counterclockwise direction. Set the cap aside in a safe place. Removing the cap will allow the brake fluid to more easily travel back through the line when you compress the pistons. |
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Compress Caliper Pistons |
Move Clamp - 2nd Piston |
Replace Reservoir Cap |
Slowly turn the "F"
clamp handle in the clockwise direction to retract back the pistons. Repeatedly check the fluid level in the reservoir while you are compressing the pistons to make sure it doesn't over flow. Clean up any spilled brake fluid immediately since it can easily damage painted surfaces. Make sure the pistons are being compressed straight back and not at an angle. You may need to re-position the "F" clamp to fully compress both pistons. Try to avoid pinching or damaging the rubber dust boots that surrounds the pistons. As soon as you are done compressing the pistons, replace the brake fluid reservoir cap by twisting it on in the clockwise direction. Don't leave the reservoir cap for any longer than absolutely necessary since brake fluid is "hygroscopic" (readily absorbs moisture from the air). If the brake fluid absorbs an excessive amount of water, it could lead to a lowered boiling point and reduced braking performance. If your QX60 has been exhibiting shuddering, shaking or vibrations in the front end while braking, the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) rotors might be worn out and/or warped. To replace the front rotors, follow these steps: Remove the two 22mm bolts on the back side of the bracket (also known as the "torque member"). 2. Set the bolts aside and remove the bracket. Slide the old rotor off the steering knuckle and the lug studs. If you have trouble removing an old stubborn rotor due to corrosion (rust) or debris, hit it with a rubber mallet. Be sure to also check to see if your rotor is equipped with a Phillips head or Torx set screw that needs to be removed first. Slide the new rotor into place over the lug studs. Re-attach the caliper bracket and tighten the two 22mm bolts. An optional step is to apply some Loctite Blue (medium strength - removable with hand tools) or Loctite Red (high strength - heat needed for removal) to the two bracket bolts to help prevent them from vibrating loose. If you have a torque wrench, the specification for tightening the front bracket bolts in the service manual for the 2014 / 2015 Infiniti QX60 and the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder (same braking system) is 91 lb-ft of torque. A few compatible replacement front brake rotors with their part number are as follows: Bosch 40011583, DuraGo BR901204, Callahan CRK02097 and Bendix PRT6232. |
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Install New Outer Pad |
Drag Reduction Clip Top |
Bottom of Pad In Place |
The new brake pads
should be orientated with the wear indicator bar and the drag / friction
reduction spring clip at the top of the pad. Push the new outer pad into the bracket. |
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Spring Clip - Top Inner |
Install New Inner Pad |
Push Pads Against Rotor |
Slide the new inner
pad in between the top and bottom pad abutment clips. Push the two pads together until they are flush against the rotor. |
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Lower Caliper Over Pads |
Spin In Bottom Bolt |
Replace Top Bolt |
Carefully lower the
caliper over the new pads and into the bracket. Line up the bolt holes in the caliper with their corresponding bolt holes in the slider pins attached to the bracket. Spin in the two caliper bolts a few turns by hand in the counterclockwise direction (when viewed from the outside of the car) to help prevent them from becoming cross threaded. |
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Hold Pin With Wrench |
Tighten Bottom Bolt |
Tighten Top Caliper Bolt |
Tighten the two
caliper bolts by turning them in the counterclockwise direction (as seen
from the outside of the SUV) with the 17mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet. If the caliper slider pins turn as you are attempting to tighten the bolts, use a wrench or a pair of pliers to hold the pins in place. The torque specification for the 17mm front caliper bolts in the service manual for the 2014 / 2015 Infiniti QX60 and 2013 Pathfinder is 34 lb-ft. Double check that the caliper bolts are tight before moving on to the next steps. If you replaced the rotor, double check that the bracket (or "torque member") bolts are tight. |
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Two Bolts Secured |
Rubber Valve Cap |
Brake Fluid Bleeder Valve |
If your brake pedal has been feeling very soft or spongy, I would recommend bleeding the brake lines since they may contain a few air bubbles or some moisture. The brake fluid bleeder valve is located on the back side of the caliper and covered by a rubber cap. To open and close the bleeder valve, you'll need a 10mm wrench. The 2014 and 2015 Infiniti QX60 service manual specifies that to bleed the brake fluid, you should first disconnect the "-" negative battery terminal. Then bleed the brake lines in the following order: "front right, front left, rear right, rear left". So that would be starting with the front passenger, then moving to the front driver, rear passenger and finally the rear driver wheel. I highly recommend using the Allstar Performance Bleeder Bottle since it makes the brake line bleeding procedure a quick and easy one person job. In the past, I would have my wife operate the brake pedal while I opened and closed the bleeder valves. |
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Push On Front Wheel |
Spin On Five Lug Nuts |
Slightly Tighten Clockwise |
Check to make sure
the bracket bolts, caliper bolts and bleeder valve are all tight. Push the front wheel back into place over the lug studs. 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 by turning them in the clockwise direction in a "star" or "criss-cross" pattern with the tire iron. |
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Lower From Jack Stands |
Torque Lug Nuts |
Front Brake Job Done! |
Carefully lower the
SUV from the jack stands by using the floor jack. Continue tightening the lug nuts in the clockwise direction in a star or criss-cross pattern until they are snug. It would be best to use a torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts to the owner's manual specification of 83 lb-ft. (Please double check your owner's manual to verify the lug nut torque specification for your vehicle.) Sit in the driver's seat and firmly pump the brake pedal a few times to move the pistons against the new pads and restore the brake line pressure. The brake pedal should feel firm and be situated at the usual height off the floor board. It would be a good idea to check your driveway, garage or parking spot for drops of fresh brake fluid over the next few days to make sure there isn't a leak from the reservoir or the bleeder valves. Check the fluid level in the reservoir. If the level is below the "MIN" (minimum) mark, pour in some new DOT 3 brake fluid until it reaches the "MAX" (maximum) line. If the level is above the "MAX" line, remove some of the fluid with a clean syringe, turkey baster or just use a clean paper towel to absorb some of the excess fluid. Avoid getting brake fluid on the vehicle since it can easily damage painted surfaces. Be sure to record the procedure in your SUV's service records. Please
take a look at all of the
2013-2020 Infiniti QX60 DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides. |
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