Chevrolet
Impala Rear Brake Pads Replacement Guide
How to change the rear disc brake pads on
a 10th generation 2014-2018 GM Chevy Impala including part numbers.
2014 Impala Rear Wheel |
Slightly Loosen Lug Nuts |
Raise Rear of Vehicle |
This
automotive maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist
owners of the tenth generation (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018) GM
Chevy Impala in changing the rear disc brake pads and lubricating
the caliper slider pins. Owners of other General Motors vehicles such as the Malibu, Cruze, Camaro, Sonic, Spark, Volt, Corvette, Trax, Equinox, Traverse, Tahoe, Suburban, SS Sedan, Bolt, Colorado, Silverado, Buick Verano, Regal, LaCrosse, Cascada, Encore, Envision, Enclave, Canyon, Sierra 1500, Terrain, Acadia, Yukon, Savana, ATS, CTS, XTS, CT6, XT5, SRX and Escalade may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful. The tools and other items required to complete this procedure include a lug nut wrench, a floor jack, two jack stands, a 13mm socket, a 3/8" drive ratchet, a Lisle 28600 disc brake piston tool and a tube of brake caliper grease. A few compatible replacement sets of new rear brake pads are as follows: Wagner QC1430, ACDelco 17D1430CH, Bosch BC1430, Centric 105.11251 and TRW TPC1430. |
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Raise Rear of Vehicle |
Spin Off 5 Lug Nuts |
Five Lug Nuts Removed |
The first few steps
are to park the car on a level surface, shift in to "Park" and then turn off
the ignition. Make sure that the emergency / parking brake is not engaged and place wheel chocks on both sides of the front wheels to prevent the car from moving. (If the parking brake is engaged, you will not be able to pull the calipers off the rotors.) Slightly loosen the five lug nuts on the rear wheel by rotating them in the counterclockwise direction a 1/4 to 1/2 turn with the tire iron. Raise the rear of the car with the floor jack and securely support it with at least two jack stands. I prefer to work on one side of the vehicle at a time to keep three tires on the ground for extra safety. Spin off the five lug nuts in the counterclockwise direction and set them aside in a safe place. |
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Caliper, Bracket & Rotor |
Rear Brake Caliper |
Loosen Upper Bolt |
Pull off the rear
wheel to reveal the caliper, bracket, rotor and suspension. The rear brake caliper is held in place to the bracket by two bolts on the back side of the caliper with the bolt heads facing in towards the center of the car. Loosen the top caliper bolt by turning it clockwise (as seen from the outside of the car) with the 13mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet. |
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Spin Out 13mm Bolt |
Loosen Lower Bolt |
Spin Out Bottom Bolt |
Then loosen the
lower 13mm caliper bolt by turning it clockwise (as seen from the outside of
the vehicle). Spin out the two caliper bolts and set them aside in a safe place. |
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Two 13mm Caliper Bolts |
Pull Off Rear Brake Caliper |
Rest Caliper On Suspension |
Carefully lift the
caliper out of the bracket and off the old brake pads. If you have trouble removing the caliper, make sure that the emergency / parking brake has been released. Rest the caliper on the suspension or suspend it from the spring with a bungee cord. Try to avoid bending, kinking, stressing or pulling on the rubber brake fluid hose. The tenth generation Impala is equipped with "screw-in" type rear caliper pistons rather than traditional pistons that are compressed back with a clamp. I recommend using the Lisle 28600 disc brake piston tool since it works for a variety of vehicle makes and models. |
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Remove Old Outer Pad |
Wear Bars - Inner Pad |
Replace Pad Abutment Clips |
Remove the old
brake pads and make a mental note of where the wear indicator bars or
"squeal" bars are situated on the old brake pads. On this 2014 Impala, there are wear bars located on the top and bottom of the inner brake pad. If your new set of rear brake pads included replacement hardware, pull the old pad abutment clips out of the top and bottom of the bracket. Apply a thin layer of brake parts lubricant grease to the new abutment clips where will they will come in contact with the bracket or the new pads. Push the new pad abutment clips in to the top and bottom of the bracket. |
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Pull Out Caliper Slider Pins |
Lubricate & Replace Pins |
Disc Brake Piston Tool |
In order for the
caliper to operate smoothly, the two slider pins or "guide bolts" need to be
well lubricated. Pull the caliper slider pins out of their rubber dust boots in the bracket. Apply some brake grease to the smooth parts of the two pins before pushing them back in to place. In order for the caliper to fit over the thicker new brake pads, you'll need to turn back the "screw-in" type rear caliper piston. |
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Twist Off Brake Fluid Cap |
Test Fit Piston Tool |
Screw-In Rear Piston |
Test fit the
different sides of the
Lisle 28600 disc brake
piston tool to find the side with best grip on the outer face of the caliper
piston. Move to the right rear area of the engine bay and twist off the brake fluid reservoir cap in the counterclockwise direction and set it aside in a safe place. Removing the reservoir cap will allow the brake fluid to more easily travel back through the system when you turn back the piston. Attach the piston tool to a short extension bar and a 3/8" drive ratchet. Place the tool against the piston and slowly turn the ratchet in the clockwise direction to retract the piston in to the caliper. Continue turning back the piston until it is just about flush with the rubber dust boot surrounding it. Check to make sure the brake fluid in the reservoir does not over flow while you are screwing in the piston. Clean up any spilled brake fluid quickly since it can easily damage painted surfaces. |
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Replace Reservoir Cap |
Install New Outer Pad |
Wear Bars - Inner Pad |
Replace the
reservoir cap as soon as possible by twisting it on in the clockwise
direction.
Brake fluid is hygroscopic which means it easily absorbs moisture from the air that can lead to reduced braking performance. Thoroughly clean off the brake rotor, caliper bracket, brake caliper assembly and the lug nut studs with brake parts cleaner spray. Don't use compressed air or blow with your mouth to clean off the brake parts since inhaling brake dust can be harmful to your health. Brake dust may be carcinogenic (cancer causing) if inhaled. Apply a thin layer of brake parts lubricant to any area where there is metal to metal contact such as the outer face of the caliper piston. Do not apply brake caliper grease to the friction surface of the new pads. If your Impala previously exhibited shuddering, pulsations, or vibrations in the rear end during braking, you may need to have your rotors "turned" (resurfaced) or just replace them with new rotors. If this is the first rear brake job on the car and the rotors appear to be in excellent condition, you should be able to just replace the pads with excellent results. To remove the existing rotors and install new ones, remove the Torx T30 set screw and remove the two 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. I recommend buying the ACDelco 17D1430CH ceramic brake pads. |
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Push Pads Against Rotor |
Lower Caliper Over Pads |
Spin In Bottom Bolt |
Install the new
brake pads in to the bracket with the wear indicator bars situated at the
top and bottom of the inner pad. Push the two pads together until they are flush against the rotor. Carefully 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. |
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Spin In Top Caliper Bolt |
Tighten Counterclockwise |
Tighten 13mm Bolt |
Spin in the two
caliper bolts a few turns by hand in the counterclockwise direction to help
prevent them from becoming cross threaded. Tighten the two caliper bolts with the 13mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet to just past hand tight or about 20 to 25 lb-ft of torque. Double check that the caliper bolts are tight before moving on to the next steps. |
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Rubber Valve Cap |
Brake Fluid Bleeder Valve |
Rear Brake Pads Replaced |
If your brake pedal has been feeling soft or spongy, the brake fluid might 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 new 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 top caliper bolt. |
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Push On Rear Wheel |
Spin On 5 Lug Nuts |
Slightly Tighten Clockwise |
Replace the rear
wheel and spin on the 5 lug nuts by hand in the clockwise direction to
prevent them from becoming cross threaded. Slightly tighten the five lug nuts in a "criss cross" or "star" pattern with the tire iron. |
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Lower Car From Stands |
Torque To 110 lb-ft |
Rear Wheel Replaced |
Carefully lower the
car from the jack stands by using the floor jack.
Continue tightening the lug nuts in the clockwise direction in a "criss cross" or star pattern to about 1/4 to 1/3 turn past hand tight or 110 lb-ft of torque. It would be best to use a torque wrench or an electric impact wrench with a torque stick to make sure that the lug nuts are properly tightened. Sit in the driver's seat of the car and firmly 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, pour in some new 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 become noisy and/or not perform as well. It's also a good idea to regularly check your driveway, garage or parking spot for drops of fresh brake fluid which may indicate a leak, check the brake fluid level in the reservoir and also verify that the lug nuts are tight. Be sure to record the brake pad change in your car's service records. For more, check out all of my
2014-2018 Chevrolet Impala DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides. |
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