If you’re on a tight budget or just want to try to do some work on your 2008 Nissan Altima Coupe at home, you can change your front and rear brake pads and rotors yourself.
How can you change the front and rear brake pads and rotors of a 2008 Nissan Altima Coupe?
ChrisFix walks you through the way you can:
- Remove and install pads and rotors
- Use brake grease
- Grease the guide pines
- Torque the bolts
When all is said and done, he says that you can save as much as half of the cost of taking your Altima to the shop.
Changing the Front and Rear Brake Pads and Rotors on the 2008 Nissan Altima Coupe
To start with, you will only need common hand tools, nothing unique to finish this project. You can do it in your driveway or garage.
Changing the Front Brake Pads and Rotors
Starting with the front brakes, jack up the front of the vehicle and get the tires off the ground. You should always use two jack stands, one on each side, for protection.
Remember also to block off the back wheels, so your car can’t roll backwards while you’re working on it.
Now, to start:
- Take the tire off and slide it under the chassis
- Turn the steering wheel to bring the brake caliper forward
- Take the brake pads out
Unscrew one of the bolts on the brake caliper to get it to open. Avoid opening it at the top where the brake line will block it. The bolts are 14 mm. Use a ratchet to remove the bolt.
Pop the caliper open, and you can pull out the brake pads.
Close it, and then hand-tighten the bolt on the caliper to close it. You’ll want to keep this loose, but secure, since you will be replacing the brake pads later.
Next, take the caliper bracket bolts off at the knuckle. Take off both to remove the entire caliper and caliper bracket. They are 22 mm, so remember to bring the full ratchet set.
The caliper can drop, so be careful to use a bungee cord to hold it up. It should not hang from the brake line. That could add too much pressure and hurt the brake line.
Remove the Rotor
The rotor may come off easily. If not, hit it with a hammer a few times until it pops loose. Sometimes, these become rusted and weld onto the vehicle. To prevent that in the future, use anti-seize and rub it on.
At this point, match up your rotors to make sure they’re the same size. Use the brake clean spray to clean it up and prevent rusting before placing the new rotor back onto the vehicle.
Using a lug nut, screw one on to keep the rotor in place.
Use Thread Locker
Before putting the brake caliper back on, use thread locker on the two brake caliper bolts. Doing this will prevent them from coming loose due to vibrations.
Replace the Caliper
Next, place the caliper in place and attach the top bolt. Add the second bolt after that, and tighten them.
Using a torque wrench at 98 ft.-lbs., tighten the brackets accurately.
Replace the Brake Pads
Finally, you can do the brake pads. ChrisFix uses full ceramic brake pads. Loosen the caliper bolt, and use a flathead screwdriver to take out the old clips.
Use a metal wire brush to clean the area of old dust.
On the brake clips, use a small amount of anti-seize. You should also put some on the back of the brake pads. This helps prevent sticking.
To install the brake pads, slide the brake clip into place at the top and bottom, matching the pieces that are on the vehicle.
The new brake pads are thicker than the old ones. Use the old brake pads and a compressor tool to open the piston wider to make room.
Now, pop the new brake pads in by the wear indicator side first.
Close the Brake Caliper
Clean the guide pin, and then close the brake caliper. Screw the bolts into place, and torque them to 20 ft. lbs.
That’s all you have to do for the front brakes.
Changing the Rear Brake Pads and Rotors
Start in the same way, adding the jack stands in place and the tire under the chassis.
The rear brakes are smaller, but they’re set up in the same way. Unlike the front brakes, the rear brakes have a brake line that attaches to the bottom of the brakes. Instead of taking the bottom bolt off, take the top bolt off the caliper to make room to remove the brake pads.
The caliper bolts are 19 mm, which is smaller than in the front, so use a ratchet to loosen the bolts on the elbow. Remove the caliper in the same way as the front, making sure to use an open-ended wrench to get past the strut arm that blocks the bolt.
Once the caliper is off, use a bungee or place it in a way that does not add pressure to the brake line.
Remove the Rotor
Use a sledgehammer to hit the top and bottom of the rotor as needed to loosen it. Use brake cleaner to clean the new rotor before putting it into place.
Don’t Forget the Emergency Brake
The emergency brake is in the back, so use brake cleaner on it to clean it up. Check for cracks, so you can see that it’s not worn out. If it is, then the hardware may need to be replaced.
Finish the Brake Job
Follow the same directions as the front brakes to secure the caliper. Use the torque wrench to 62 ft. lbs. Hand-tighten it with a wrench if needed.
Put the new brake pads in, tightening the remaining bolts to 20 ft. lbs., and enjoy a job well done.
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