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Chevrolet Camaro Front Brake Pads Replacement Guide
How to change the front brake pads on a 5th generation 2010 to 2015 GM Chevy Camaro with photo illustrated steps.

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2014 Camaro Front Wheel
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Slightly Loosen 5 Lug Nuts
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Raise Front of Vehicle
This automotive maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist owners of the fifth generation (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015) GM Chevrolet Camaro with either the LFX or LLT 3.6L V6 engine and the standard braking package in changing the front disc brake pads and lubricating the caliper slider pins. Plus instructions for changing the brake rotors.

(If your Camaro is equipped with the Brembo performance braking package or the "heavy duty" braking package, the procedure and part numbers will be different.)

Owners of other General Motors vehicles such as the Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Sonic, Impala, Traverse, Tahoe, Trax, SS, GMC Terrain, Acadia, Yukon, Buick Verano, Regal, LaCrosse, Encore, Enclave and the Holden Barina may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

The tools needed to complete this procedure include a lug nut wrench, a floor jack, two jack stands, a 14mm socket with a 3/8" drive ratchet, a 17mm wrench, a "C" or "F" clamp, a torque wrench and a tube of brake parts lubricant grease.

A few compatible replacement sets of new front brake pads include the following with their part numbers: ACDelco 17D1404CH, ProStop PGD1404, Bosch QuietCast BC1404, Akebono ACT1404, Wagner QC1404, Wearever Gold GNAD1404, Bendix D1404 and Bosch BC1404.



 
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Spin Off 5 Lug Nuts
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Lug Nuts Removed
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Rotor, Caliper, Bracket
The first few steps are to park the car on a level surface, 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 5 lug nuts on the front wheel by rotating them about 1/2 turn in the counterclockwise direction with a tire iron.

Then carefully raise the front of the vehicle with the floor jack and securely support it with at least two jack stands.

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

Spin off the 5 lug nuts and set them aside in a safe place.

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

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Front Brake Caliper
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Loosen Upper Caliper Bolt
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Loosen Lower 14mm Bolt
The brake caliper is held in place to the bracket by two bolts located on the back side of the caliper facing in towards the engine bay.

Loosen the upper caliper bolt by turning it clockwise (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) with the 14mm socket and 3/8" drive ratcheting wrench.

Then loosen the lower 14mm caliper bolt by turning it in the clockwise direction (as seen from the outside of the car).

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Spin Out Upper Caliper 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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Remove Old Outer Pad
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Wear Bar - Bottom Inner Pad
Rest the caliper on the suspension or suspend it from the spring with a bungee cord.

Pull the old inner and outer brake pads out of the bracket.

Make a mental note of where the wear indicator or "squeal" bar is located on the old pads.

On this 2014 Camaro, the wear indicator bar was situated at the bottom of the inner brake pad.

I recommend buying the OEM GM ACDelco 17D1404CH ceramic front brake pads.

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Replace Pad Abutment Clips
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Pull Out Caliper Slider Pin
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Lubricate & Replace Pins
If your set of new front pads included replacement brake hardware, pull the old pad abutment or "anti-rattle" clips out of the top and bottom of the bracket.

Apply a thin layer of brake caliper grease to the top and bottom of the pad abutment clips before installing the new ones.

Make sure the pad abutment clips are fully seated in the top and bottom of the bracket.

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

Pull the caliper slider pins (or "guide bolts") out of their rubber dust boots.

Avoid mixing up the upper and lower caliper slider pins since they are slightly different.

Apply a thin layer of brake parts lubricant to each caliper slider pin before pushing them back in to their rubber dust boots.

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

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

Move to the right rear area of the engine bay (close to the driver's seat) and twist off the black plastic brake fluid reservoir cap in the counterclockwise direction.

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Compress Back Caliper Piston
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Replace Brake Fluid Cap
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Install New Outer Brake Pad
Removing the brake fluid reservoir cap will allow the brake fluid to more easily travel back through the hose when you compress the piston.

Slowly turn the "F" clamp handle in the clockwise direction to compress back the caliper piston.

Repeatedly check the level in the brake fluid reservoir to make sure that it doesn't overflow.

Clean up any spilled brake fluid immediately since brake fluid can easily damage painted surfaces.

Continue compressing the caliper piston until it is flush with the rubber dust boot surrounding it.

Try to avoid pinching or otherwise damaging the rubber dust boot surrounding the piston.

Replace the brake fluid reservoir cap as soon as possible since brake fluid is hygroscopic (readily 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.


Brake Rotor Replacement Instructions

 If your Camaro previously exhibited shuddering, pulsating, or vibrations in the front end during braking, you may need to have your rotors "turned" (resurfaced) or it may be easier and less expensive to just replace them with new rotors. If this is the car's first front brake job and the rotors appear to be in good condition, you should be able to just change the pads with excellent results.

To remove the existing rotors and install new ones, remove the two bolts on the rear of the bracket that attach it to the steering knuckle. Then remove the one Torx T30 set screw on the outer face of the rotor before loosening the old rotor with a rubber mallet. Pull it off, and slide the new one in its place.

Replace the Torx T30 set screw and tighten it to the service manual specification of 89 lb-in (or 10 N-m).

The Camaro is equipped with "TTY" (torque-to-yield) bracket bolts that are tightened until they are deformed or "stretched".

GM says that these torque-to-yield bolts should not be re-used and must be replaced.

The front brake caliper bracket mounting bolts part number is GM 11570092. (Please double check the correct part number for your vehicle by entering the VIN number into a GM parts website.)

The service manual specification for tightening the caliper bracket bolts is 30 lb-ft plus 90 degrees. (Or 40 N-m plus 90 degrees.)

So after replacing the rotors, you would install the new bolts, torque them to 30 lb-ft and then continue rotating them another 1/4 turn which is 90 degrees.

An easy way to make sure you turn them almost exactly 90 degrees is to use a fine tip Sharpie marker to make a line from the bolt to the bracket after tightening them to 30 lb-ft of torque. Then continue turning the bolt until the line on the bolt is 1/4 of a turn past the line on the bracket.


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

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Wear Bar - Bottom Inner Pad
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Push Pads Against Rotor
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Lower Caliper Over Pads

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

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

Carefully lower the caliper over the new brake pads and in to the bracket.

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

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Spin In Upper Caliper Bolt
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Replace Lower 14mm Bolt
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Tighten Counterclockwise
Line up the bolts holes in the caliper with their corresponding bolt holes in the caliper slider pins within the bracket.

Spin in the the two caliper bolts in the counterclockwise direction (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) by hand a few turns to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

Tighten the upper caliper bolt in the counterclockwise direction (as seen from the outside of the car) with the 14mm socket and ratcheting wrench to just past hand tight or about 20 lb-ft of torque.

It would be best to use a torque wrench to properly tighten the 14mm front caliper "guide pin bolts" to the service manual specification of 20 lb-ft of torque (or 27 Newton meters).

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17mm Thin Wrench
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Hold Caliper Slider Pin
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Rubber Valve Cap
If the caliper slider pins turns as you are attempting to tighten the caliper bolt, you can hold it in place with a thin 17mm cone spanner wrench.

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

If you haven't already, replace the brake fluid reservoir cap.

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Brake Fluid Bleeder Valve
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Replace Front Wheel
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Spin On 5 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 some 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 just below the upper caliper bolt.

The service manual specification for tightening the brake fluid bleeder valves is 13-15 lb-ft of torque (or 17-20 Nm).

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

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Slightly Tighten Clockwise
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Lower From Jack Stands
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Torque To 110 lb-ft Torque
Slightly tighten the lug nuts in a "criss cross" or "star" pattern with the tire iron.

Carefully lower the car from the jack stands using the floor jack.

Continue progressively tightening the five lug nuts in a "criss cross" or "star" pattern to about 1/8 to 1/4 turn past hand tight or about 110 lb-ft 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.

(Please double check your owner's manual for the correct torque specification for your vehicle. It may vary depending on the model year, trim level and wheel type. Some models have a lug nut torque specification of 140 lb-ft.)

Sit in the driver's seat of the vehicle and firmly press 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 the level is low, pour in some fresh DOT 3 fluid.

To break in your new front 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 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 verify that the lug nuts are still tight.

For more, check out my other 2010-2015 GM Chevrolet Camaro DIY Repair Guides.
 

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