Owners of other Jeep, Dodge or Chrysler vehicles such as the Cherokee, Compass, Patriot, Wrangler, Grand Cherokee, Grand Caravan, Nitro, Dart, Avenger, Challenger, Durango, Journey, Charger, Town & Country, 300, and 200 may also find these rear brake job DIY instructions to be helpful.

The tools needed to complete this procedure include a floor jack, two jack stands, a lug nut wrench, a 13mm socket with a ratcheting wrench, a "C" or "F" clamp, a set of new rear brake pads and a thin 17mm cone spanner wrench or a pair of pliers.

A few compatible aftermarket rear brake pads include the following with their respective part numbers: Wagner QC1274, EBC Brakes DP61799, Raybestos PGD1274M, Bosch BP1274, Wagner MX1274, ACDelco 17D1274MH, KFE KFE1274-104, Mopar 68003776AA, Dura International BP1274 and Akebono ACT1274.

Then slightly loosen the 5 lug nuts on the rear wheel with the tire iron by turning them counter clockwise, raise the vehicle with the floor jack and securely support it with the two jack stands.

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

If the caliper slider pin begins to spin as you try to loosen the caliper bolts, hold it in place with a 17mm spanner wrench or a pair of pliers.

Rest the caliper on the rear suspension without placing any stress on the rubber brake fluid line.

The wear bar on this 2012 Jeep Liberty was located at the bottom of the inner brake pad.

I recommend buying the Wagner ThermoQuiet QC1274 since they have excellent reviews on Amazon.

If your vehicle exhibits shuddering, pulsating, or vibrations during braking, you may need to have your rotors "turned" (resurfaced) or just replace them with brand new rotors. If this is the car's first rear brake job and the rotors appear to be in excellent condition, you should be able to just replace the pads with great results.

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

Pull the upper and lower caliper slider pins out of their rubber dust boots to inspect them. If they appear to be dry, apply a generous amount of a high pressure brake caliper grease. Re-insert the caliper pins back into their dust boots until they snap securely into place.

If your new set of rear brake pads came with new metal anti-rattle clips, remove the old ones and install the new ones at the top and bottom of the caliper bracket.

Before you begin compressing the piston, move to the engine bay and twist off the brake fluid reservoir cap. Removing the cap will allow the brake fluid to easily travel backwards through the brake lines.

Attach the "C" or "F" clamp to the rear caliper piston using the back of an old brake pad to evenly distribute the force across the piston. Repeatedly check the brake fluid level in the reservoir to prevent if from overflowing as you compress the piston.

Be sure to replace the brake fluid reservoir cap after compressing the caliper piston since brake fluid is hygroscopic (absorbs water).

Press the new brake pads flush against the rotor and gently lower the caliper down into the caliper bracket.

If the caliper won't fit over the thicker new brake pads, you may need to compress the caliper piston back a bit further.

Tighten the caliper bolts with the 13mm socket and ratcheting wrench to just past hand tight or about 25 ft lbs of torque.

If the caliper slider pin turns as you tighten the caliper bolts, hold it in place with a thin 17mm cone spanner wrench or a pair of pliers.

Double check that both the 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.

Lower the rear of the vehicle from the jack stands and the floor jack.

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 level in the reservoir and verify that it is at the proper level. If it is low, pour in some fresh DOT 3 fluid.

To break in your new rear brake 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 brake pads and cause them to be noisy and/or 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 Jeep Liberty Repair & Maintenance Guides.