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Nissan Frontier Rear Brake Pads Replacement Guide
How to change the rear disc brake pads on a 2nd generation 2005-2016 Nissan Frontier with the compatible part numbers.

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2016 Frontier Rear Wheel
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Slightly Loosen Lug Nuts
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Raise Rear of Truck
This automotive maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist owners of the second generation "D40 Series" (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016) Nissan Frontier pickup truck in changing the rear disc brake pads and lubricating the caliper slider pins.

Owners of other Nissan or Infiniti vehicles such as the Navara, Versa, Maxima, Juke, Rogue, Altima, Xterra, Pathfinder, Murano, Cube, Armada, Leaf, Quest, Sentra, Teana, 370Z, GT-R, Titan, G25, G37, M35, QX56, QX60 and M37 may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

A few compatible rear brake pads with their part numbers include the following: Wagner PD1100, Akebono ACT1100, Raybestos PGD1100C, ACDelco 14D1100CH, Bosch BE1100, Monroe CX1100, Bosch BC1100, Raybestos ATD1100C, Power Stop 16-1100 and Brembo P56077N.

The tools and other items needed to complete this procedure include a floor jack, two jack stands, a lug nut wrench, a 14mm socket with a 3/8" drive ratcheting wrench, a "C" or "F" clamp and a tube of brake caliper grease.



 
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Spin Off Lug Nuts
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6 Lug Nuts Removed
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Remove Rear Wheel
The first two steps are to park the truck on a level surface and turn off the ignition.

Make sure that the parking / emergency brake is not engaged.

I'd recommend using wheel chocks on both sides of the front wheels to prevent the truck from moving.

Slightly loosen the lug nuts on the rear wheel with the tire iron.

Raise the rear of the truck with the floor jack (located behind the rear passenger seats) and securely support it with at least two jack stands.

Spin off the 6 lug nuts in the counterclockwise direction and set them aside in a safe place. I used a 13/16" socket to make it easier to remove them.

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

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Rear Brake Caliper
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Loosen Lower Caliper Bolt
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Loosen Upper Caliper Bolt
The two caliper bolts are located on the back side of the caliper with the bolt heads facing in towards the cargo bed.

Loosen the two caliper bolts by turning them clockwise (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) with the 14mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratcheting wrench.

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Spin Out Top Bolt
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Remove Lower Caliper Bolt
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Pull Off Brake Caliper
Spin out the two caliper bolts and set them aside in a safe place.

Carefully pull the brake caliper out of the bracket and off the old pads.

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Rest Caliper On Suspension
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Wear Bar - Top Inner Pad
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Remove Old Outer Pad
Rest the caliper on the suspension or suspend it from the spring with a bungee cord or some twine.

Pull the two old brake pads out of the bracket and make a mental note of where the wear indicator or "squeal" bar is situated.

On this 2016 Frontier SV, the wear bar was located at the top of the inner brake pad.

I recommend buying the Wagner PD1100 "ThermoQuiet" brake pads since they have excellent reviews on Amazon.

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Replace Pad Abutment Clips
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Pull Out Caliper Slider Pins
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Lubricate & Replace Pins

If your new set of rear brake pads included replacement brake hardware, pull the old pad abutment or "anti-rattle" clips out of the top and bottom of the bracket before installing the new ones in their place.

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

In order for the caliper to operate smoothly, the two caliper slider pins or "guide" pins need to be well lubricated.

Pull the two caliper slider pins out of their rubber dust boots, apply a thin layer of brake parts lubricant grease to each pin before pushing them back in to place.

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Attach "F" Clamp To Caliper
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Brake Fluid Reservoir
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Twist Off Counterclockwise
In order for the caliper to fit over the thicker new brake pads, the caliper piston needs to be compressed back.

Attach the "C" or "F" clamp to the caliper using 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.



 

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Compress Back Piston
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Replace Brake Fluid Cap
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Install New Outer Pad
Slowly turn the "F" clamp handle in the clockwise direction to compress back the caliper piston while repeatedly checking the level in the brake fluid reservoir to prevent it from overflowing.

Replace the brake fluid cap as soon as possible since brake fluid is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture from the air).

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

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

 If your Frontier previously exhibited 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 first front brake job on your truck 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 19mm 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.

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Wear Bar - Top Inner Pad
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Push Pads Against Rotor
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Spin In Top Bolt
Install the two new brake pads in to the bracket with the wear indicator or "squeal" bar situated at the top of the new inner brake pad.

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

Lower the caliper over the new pads and in to the bracket.

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

Spin in the two caliper bolts by hand a few turns in the counterclockwise direction to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

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Replace Bottom Bolt
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Tighten Counterclockwise
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Tighten Lower Caliper Bolt
Tighten the two bolts in the counterclockwise direction with the 14mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratcheting wrench to just past hand tight or about 20 ft-lbs of torque.

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

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Brake Fluid Bleeder Valve
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Push On Rear Wheel
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Spin On 6 Lug Nuts
If your brake pedal previously felt soft or spongy, the brake fluid may be contaminated with water or the brake lines may contain a few 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 DOT 3 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 below the top caliper bolt.

Replace the rear wheel and spin on the six lug nuts in the clockwise direction a few turns by hand to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

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Slightly Tighten Lug Nuts
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Lower Car From Jack Stands
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Torque To 98 ft-lbs
Slightly tighten the 5 lug nuts in a criss-cross or "star" pattern in the clockwise direction with the lug nut wrench.

Carefully lower the vehicle from the jack stands by using the floor jack.

Continue progressively tightening the lug nuts in a "star" pattern to about 1/4 to 1/3 turn past hand tight or about 98 ft-lbs of torque.

It would be best to use a torque wrench or an impact wrench with a torque stick to properly tighten the lug nuts.

Sit in the driver's seat of the vehicle and pump the brake pedal a few times to restore the 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 rear brake 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/or not perform as well.

It's also a good idea to regularly check your driveway or garage 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.

Be sure to record the brake pad change in your truck's service records.

For more, check out my other Nissan Frontier DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides.
 

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