Nissan Versa Front Brake
Pads Replacement Guide
How to replace the front brake pads on a
2007 to 2012 Nissan Versa hatchback or sedan with picture illustrated
instructions.
Nissan Versa Front Wheel |
Remove Plastic Wheel Cover |
Loosen Four Lug Nuts |
This
automotive "how-to" guide was specifically written to assist owners
of the 1st generation 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 & 2012 Nissan Versa hatchback or sedan in replacing the
front disc brake pads. Owners of other Nissan or Infiniti vehicles such as the Tiida, Latio, Cube, Leaf, Altima, Sentra, Maxima, Rogue, Murano, Xterra, Note, Micra, Wingroad, Grand Livina, Pulsar, Sunny, Almera, Aprio, Platina, Dodge Trazo, Dacia Logan, Sandero, Renault Clio, Modus, Twingo, Grand Livina, FX35 , G35, G37, M35, & M45 may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful. The tools needed to complete this front brake job include a floor jack, jack stands, a tire iron, a 14mm socket with a 3/8" drive ratchet, a "C" or "F" clamp, and a set of new brake pads.A few aftermarket brake pads compatible with the 07-12 Versa with their part numbers are as follows: Akebono ACT815, ACDelco 14D815AC, Wagner QC815A Raybestos ATD815AC, Monroe CX815A or DX815A, Beck Arnley 082-1640, and Centric 301.08151. |
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Floor Jack - Raise Vehicle |
Spin Off 4 Lug Nuts |
Rotor, Caliper, Bracket |
The first two steps
are to chock the rear wheels and engage the emergency / parking brake to
prevent the vehicle from moving. Then gently pull off the plastic wheel cover and slightly loosen the four lug nuts with the tire iron. 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 vehicle at a time to keep three wheels on the ground for extra safety. Spin off the four lug nuts and remove the front wheel to reveal the front brake rotor, caliper, and bracket. |
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Lower 14 mm Caliper Bolt |
Remove Lower Caliper Bolt |
Remove Upper Caliper Bolt |
Look on the rear of
the brake caliper and locate the two caliper bolts. Remove both the upper and lower caliper bolts with the 14mm socket and ratcheting wrench by turning them clockwise (as seen from the outside of the vehicle). |
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Two 14mm Caliper Bolts |
Lift Off Front Brake Caliper |
Rest Caliper On Suspension |
Once the two
caliper bolts have been removed, you can lift the brake caliper out of the
bracket. Carefully rest the caliper on the suspension and avoid placing any stress on the rubber brake fluid lines. |
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Pull Out Lower Caliper Bolt |
Lubricate Caliper Bolt |
Lubricate Upper Caliper Bolt |
In order for the
brake caliper to work properly, the two caliper slider pins need to be well
lubricated. Pull the upper and lower caliper slider pins out of their rubber dust boots to inspect them. If they appear dry, apply a generous amount of brake caliper grease. Re-insert the caliper pins back into their dust boots until they snap into place. |
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Old Pads In Bracket |
Remove Outer Brake Pad |
Wear Bar At Top |
Pull the old brake
pads out of the caliper bracket and make a mental note of how the wear or
"squeal" bars are situated.
On this 2012 Versa hatchback, the wear bars were situated at the top of both the inner and outer front brake pads. I recommend buying the Akebono ACT815 front brake pads since they have excellent reviews on Amazon. |
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Inner Pad Wear Bar |
Brake Parts Cleaner Spray |
CRC Disc Brake Quiet Gel |
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. If your vehicle exhibits 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 car's first front brake job and the rotors appear to be in excellent condition, you should be able to just replace the pads with great results. |
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Attach Caliper To Bracket |
"F" Clamp On Caliper Piston |
Brake Fluid Reservoir |
In order for the
caliper to fit over the thicker new brake pads, the caliper piston will need
to be compressed backwards. Place the caliper back on to the bracket and thread in the top caliper bolt to hold it in place. Attach the "C" or "F" clamp to the caliper piston using the back of an old brake pad to evenly distribute the force. Move to the engine bay and twist off the brake fluid reservoir cap. Removing the cap will allow the brake fluid to easily travel backwards through the brake lines when you compress the caliper piston. |
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Twist Off Brake Fluid Cap |
Compress Back Caliper Piston |
Install New Brake Pads |
Slowly compress the
brake caliper piston until it is flush with its rubber dust boot while
repeatedly checking the brake fluid level in the reservoir to ensure that it
does not overflow. If your new set of front brake pads came with new metal anti-rattle clips, pull the old ones out of the bracket and install the new clips. Insert the new front brake pads into the caliper bracket with the wear bars situated at the top. |
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Push Flush Against Rotor |
Lower Down Caliper |
Insert Caliper Bolt |
Push the new brake
pads together until they are both flush against the rotor. Lower the caliper down over the new brake pads and thread in the lower caliper bolt by hand to prevent it from becoming cross threaded. |
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Tighten Lower Caliper Bolt |
Tighten Upper Caliper Bolt |
Replace Brake Fluid Cap |
Tighten both the
upper and lower caliper bolts with the 14mm socket and ratcheting wrench to
just past hand tight or about 20 ft lbs of torque. Double check that the
caliper bolts are tight before moving on to the next steps. Replace the brake fluid reservoir cap by twisting it on in the clockwise direction. 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. |
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Replace Front Wheel |
Spin On Four Lug Nuts |
Lower Vehicle From Jack |
Replace the front
wheel and spin on the four lug nuts by hand to prevent them from becoming
cross threaded. Lower the vehicle from the jack stand and floor jack. |
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Tighten Lug Nuts |
Push On Front Wheel Hub Cap |
Front Brake Job Complete |
Progressively tighten the lug nuts in
a "criss-cross" or star pattern to about 1/4 to 1/2 turn past hand tight.
It would be best to use a torque wrench or an electric impact wrench with a torque stick to tighten them to about 75-100 ft lbs of torque. Sit in the driver's seat of the vehicle and pump the brake pedal a few times to restore brake line pressure. Then check the brake fluid level 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 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 brake pads and cause them to be noisy and/or 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 check that the lug nuts are still tight. For more, check out my other
Nissan Versa Repair & Maintenance Guides. |
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