Owners of other Mitsubishi vehicles such as the Mirage, Lancer Evolution ("Evo"), Outlander, 3000GT, Diamante, Eclipse, Endeavor, Galant, Montero, ASX, Triton L200 and Raider may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

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

A few compatible sets of new front brake pads with their part numbers are as follows: Wagner ThermoQuiet QC866, Akebono ACT866, Dura International BP866 C, Bosch BP866, Centric 105.0866, Raybestos SGD866C, ACDelco 14D866CH, Monroe CX866 and Carquest Wearever Ceramic PXD866H.

Gently pull off the plastic wheel cover or "hub cap" from the front wheels.

Slightly loosen the 5 lug nuts in the counterclockwise direction with the tire iron.

Raise the front of the car with the floor jack and securely support it with the two jack stands.

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

The caliper is held in place to the bracket by two bolts on the back side of the caliper facing in towards the engine.

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

Spin out the upper and lower caliper bolts / slider pins and set them aside in a safe place.

On this 2015 Lancer, the wear bar was situated at the top of the inner brake pad.

I recommend buying the Wagner ThermoQuiet QC866 brake pads since they have excellent reviews on Amazon.

If your new set of front 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 pushing the new ones in to place.

In order for the caliper to fit over the thicker new brake pads, the caliper piston needs to be compressed backwards.

Attach the "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 black plastic brake fluid reservoir cap in the counterclockwise direction.

Removing the reservoir cap will allow the brake fluid to more easily travel back through the hose when you compress the piston.

Slowly turn the "C" or "F" clamp handle in the clockwise direction to compress back the piston until it is almost flush with its rubber dust boot.

Repeatedly check the level in the reservoir while you are compressing the piston to make sure it doesn't over flow.

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

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

Replace the reservoir 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 (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 lip of the caliper piston. Do not apply caliper grease to the friction surface of the new pads.

If your Lancer previously exhibited shuddering, pulsations, or vibrations in the front end 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 car 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 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.

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

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

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

Apply a thin layer of brake parts lubricant grease to the smooth parts of each caliper bolt / slider pin.

Re-insert the two caliper bolts / slider pins and rotate them a few turns by hand in the counterclockwise direction (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

Double check that both 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 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.

Slightly tighten the lug nuts in a "star" or "criss cross" pattern with the tire iron.

Continue tightening the lug nuts in the clockwise direction to about 1/4 to 1/3 turn past hand tight.

It would be best to use a torque wrench to make sure that the lug nuts are properly tightened. The Lancer owner's manual specifies that the lug nuts should be tightened to about 73 lb-ft of torque.

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 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/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.

For more, check out my other 2008-2015 Mitsubishi Lancer DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides.