2003-2007 Honda Accord Front Brake Pads Replacement

Step 1

Repair step

⌕

• Place the hydraulic floor jack under the vehicle until the saddle is directly under the crossmember.
• The crossmember is the long metal support beam that runs underneath from the front fender to the rear fender on both sides of the car.
• The saddle is the round metal part of the jack that moves upward as you pump the jack up.

Step 2

Using floor jack to lift car.

⌕

• Push downward on the jack's lever to lift the saddle upward so that it contacts the crossmember. Continue pushing downward on the lever to lift the car upward.

Step 3

Repair step

⌕

• Place the jack stand under the jack mounting point.
• The jack mounting point is a metallic protrusion beneath each of the car doors.

Step 4

Repair step

⌕

• Raise the jack stand until it contacts the jack mounting point.
• In the event the floor jack fails, the jack stand is designed to prevent the car from falling.

Step 5

Repair step

⌕

• Once car is raised, remove the lug nuts on one of the front tires with the 3/4'' socket.

Step 6

Repair step

⌕

• Remove the wheel and tire off the wheel studs, and place it aside.
• This exposes the caliper (shown in rectangle) and rotor (shown in circle).

Step 7

Repair step

⌕

• Identify the two mounting bolts on the rear of the caliper.
• Using a 12 mm wrench or socket, remove the two caliper mounting bolts.
• Alternatively, you may remove only the bottom mounting bolt and, using the top bolt as a hinge, rotate the caliper up and away from the rotor to access the brake pads. If you do this, skip the next step.

Step 8

Repair step

⌕

• Slide the caliper off and rest it on the top of the rotor.
• Do not let the caliper hang freely because the brake lines may stretch and weaken.

Step 9

Repair step

⌕

• Pull the two old brake pads out of both the front and rear of the pad bracket.

Step 10

Repair step

⌕

• Inspect the brake pad wear sensor on the old brake pad. The sensor is a metallic tab attached to the brake pad. When the brake pads wear down too much, the metallic tab contacts the rotor and makes a screeching sound.

Step 11

Repair step

⌕

• Place the new brake pads into the bracket. Make sure that the new pads are secure.

Step 12

Repair step

⌕

• The new brake pads are thicker than the old pads. Because of this, the caliper piston protrudes too far out to allow enough clearance for the caliper to be placed over the new pads. You will need to manually retract the caliper piston.
• To do this, place an old brake pad over the caliper piston.

Step 13

Repair step

⌕

• Place one end of the c-clamp jaw over the old pad. Place the other end of the jaw on the rear of the caliper. Tighten the c-clamp to push the piston back into the caliper.
• This will push oil back into the brake reservoir, which could overflow. This can be wasteful, messy, and damage your car's paint job. Make sure the reservoir isn't topped off. It is also a good idea to remove the cap from the reservoir before retracting the piston. The reservoir is located under the hood and should be clearly labeled.

Step 14

Repair step

⌕

• Slide the caliper over the brake pad bracket with the new brake pads.
• If you removed the cap from the brake fluid reservoir replace it as soon as the brake caliper piston has been retracted. Do not leave the cap off any longer than absolutely necessary.

Step 15

Repair step

⌕

• To reassemble the wheel assembly. Follow the Steps 1-7 in reverse order.
• The caliper mounting bolts and the lug nuts must be tightened to the correct torque value, using a torque wrench. The values may differ depending on your car's configuration and options, but are typically listed as:
• Caliper bolts: 54 ft lbs
• Lug nuts: 80 ft lbs
• Remove the jack stand. Then lower and remove the floor jack.
• CAUTION! : Before driving the car, pump the brake pedal several times in order to push the caliper piston back against the brake pads. If this step is not performed, the car may not brake reliably when first driven. For your safety, this step is essential.