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Nissan Armada Rear Brake Pads Replacement Guide
How to change the rear disc brake pads on a 1st generation 2004-2015 Nissan Armada with photo illustrated steps.

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2012 Armada Rear Wheel
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Slightly Loosen 6 Lug Nuts
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Raise Rear of Vehicle
This automotive "how-to" guide was specifically written to assist owners of the first generation (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015) Nissan Armada in changing the rear disc brake pads.

Owners of other Nissan or Infiniti vehicles such as the Versa, Cube, Sentra, Altima, LEAF, Maxima, 370Z, Juke, Rogue, Murano, Xterra, Pathfinder, Quest, Frontier, Titan, QX56, Q50, G37, EX37, QX60, FX37, FX50 and QX80 may also find these rear brake job DIY instructions to be helpful.

The items needed to complete this procedure include a lug nut wrench, a floor jack, jack stands, a 10mm socket, a ratcheting wrench, a "C" or "F" clamp, and a tube of brake parts lubricant.

A few compatible replacement sets of rear brake pads with their part numbers are as follows: Raybestos PGD1041C, Wagner QC1041, Bosch BC1041, ACDelco 14D1041CH, Wagner ZD1041 and Akebono ACT1041.



 

Please verify the correct replacement parts for your Armada by using the Amazon Part Finder website. The compatible brake pads may vary depending on the model year, trim level and whether it has the rear wheel drive (RWD) or four wheel drive (4WD) transmission.
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Spin Off 6 Lug Nuts
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Six Lug Nuts Removed
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Rear Caliper & Rotor
The first two steps are to park your Armada on a level surface and then chock the front wheels to prevent the vehicle from moving. Make sure that the emergency / parking brake is released.

Then slightly loosen the six lug nuts on the rear wheel with the tire iron.

Raise the rear of the vehicle with the floor jack and securely support it with two jack stands.

(I prefer to work on one side of the vehicle at a time to keep three wheels on the ground for extra safety.)

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

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Rear Brake Caliper
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Loosen Upper Caliper Bolt
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Loosen Lower 10mm Bolt
The rear brake caliper is held in place to the bracket by two long 10mm bolts on the rear side of the caliper.

Loosen the upper caliper bolt by turning it clockwise (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) with the 10mm socket and ratcheting wrench.

Then loosen the lower 10mm caliper bolt.

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Remove Lower Bolt
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Upper Caliper Bolt
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Pry Off Rear Brake Caliper
Spin out the two caliper bolts and set them aside in a safe place.

Pull out the rear brake caliper from the bracket and rest it on top of the suspension.

If you have trouble removing the caliper, try gently prying it out with a flathead screwdriver or the other end of the tire iron.

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Rear Caliper Removed
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Pull Out Outer Pad
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Outer Pad Removed
The old brake pads will remain attached to the caliper when you remove it from the bracket and off the rotor.

Carefully pull the old outer pad from the caliper. You may need to use a screwdriver to pry out the metal spring clip attached to the top and the other one on the back side.

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Wear Bar - Bottom Outer Pad
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Pull Out Inner Brake Pad
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Attach "F" Clamp With Pad
Pull the old inner brake pad out of the caliper piston.

Make a mental note of where the wear indicator or "squeal" bar is situated on the old brake pads. On this 2012 Armada, the wear bar was located at the bottom of the outer brake pad.

I recommend buying the Raybestos PGD1041C ceramic brake pads since they have excellent reviews on Amazon.

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.

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Twist Off Brake Fluid Cap
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Compress Caliper Piston
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Twist On Brake Fluid Cap
Move to the engine bay and twist off the yellow and black brake fluid reservoir cap in the counter clockwise direction.

Removing the brake fluid cap will allow the fluid to more easily travel backwards through the lines when you compress the piston.

Slowly compress the caliper piston by tightening the "F" clamp while repeatedly checking the brake fluid reservoir to make sure it doesn't overflow. Clean up any spilled brake fluid immediately since it can easily damage painted surfaces.

Take care to not pinch or otherwise damage the rubber dust boot surrounding the caliper piston while it is being compressed.

Replace the brake fluid reservoir cap as soon as you are done compressing the caliper piston since brake fluid is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture).

In order for the brake caliper to work properly the slider pins need to be well lubricated. Remove the two slider pins from their rubber dust boots at the top and bottom of the caliper.

Apply a thin layer of brake parts lubricant grease to the outside and both openings of each pin. Also apply a bit of caliper grease to the smooth parts of each long caliper bolt before re-installing them.

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 caliper grease 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 Armada 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 vehicle 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.



 

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Push In New Inner Pad
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Insert New Outer Pad
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Re-Install Rear Caliper
Push the prongs on the back side of the new inner pad in to the caliper piston.

Slide the new outer brake pad in to the caliper with the large metal spring clip located at the top.

Carefully re-insert the rear caliper in to the bracket.

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Re-Insert Caliper Slider Pin
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Rear Caliper In Place
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Wear Bar At Bottom
Push the two lubricated caliper slider pins back in to their rubber dust boots at the top and bottom of the caliper.
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Insert Upper Caliper Bolts
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Insert Lower Slider Pin
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Tighten Upper 10mm Bolt
If you haven't already, lightly lubricate the smooth parts of the long caliper bolts.

Do not apply lubricant grease to the threads at the bottom of the bolts.

Re-insert the two caliper bolts and spin them in by hand a few turns to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

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Tighten Lower Caliper Bolt
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Rubber Valve Cap
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Pull Off Rubber Cap

Tighten the two caliper bolts by turning them counter clockwise (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) with the 10mm socket and ratcheting wrench to just past hand tight or about 24 ft lbs of torque.

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

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.

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Brake Fluid Bleeder Valve
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Replace Rear Wheel
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Spin On 6 Lug Nuts
Replace the front wheel and spin on the 6 lug nuts by hand to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

Slightly tighten the lug nuts in a "criss cross" or "star" pattern with the lug nut wrench.

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Slightly Tighten Lug Nuts
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Lower Rear of Vehicle
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Torque Lug Nuts
Lower the rear of the vehicle from the jack stands using the floor jack.

Continue progressively tightening the six lug nuts in a criss cross or 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 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 verify that the lug nuts are still tight.

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

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