How to Replace Front Brake Caliper 2001-04 Nissan Frontier
Created on: 2013-10-24
Watch this video to learn how you can replace the front brake caliper on your 01-04 Nisan Frontier. 1A Auto will show you how!
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step 1 :Removing the Wheel
- Loosen the 21mm lug nuts with the vehicle on the ground
- Raise the vehicle with a floor jack
- Secure the vehicle on jack stands
- Remove the lug nuts
- Pull off the wheel
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step 2 :Removing the Brake Pads
- Remove the 14mm bolts from the brake caliper
- Pry the brake pads into the caliper with a flat blade screwdriver to push in the pistons
- Pull the caliper aside
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step 3 :Testing the Caliper
- Use a large C-clamp to compress the pistons
- A defective piston will refuse to reset in the caliper
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step 4 :Replacing the Caliper Bracket
- Loosen the 12mm bolt holding the brake line
- Remove the 22mm bolts from the old caliper bracket
- Insert the new caliper bracket into place
- Insert the 22mm bolts to the caliper bracket
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step 5 :Installing the New Caliper
- Insert the new caliper into place
- Replace the 14mm bolts to the brake caliper
- Tighten the bolts to 25 foot-pounds
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step 6 :Installing the Brake Line
- Remove the brake line from the old caliper
- Pull the copper washers out of the brake line fitting
- Insert a washer onto the 12mm bolt
- Insert the bolt to the fitting
- Insert the washer on the other side of the bolt
- Insert the brake line into the caliper
- Tighten the 12mm bolt between 17 and 20 foot-pounds
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step 7 :Bleeding the Brakes
- Check your brake fluid level
- Enlist the help of an assistant
- Remove the cap from the bleeder valve
- Instruct the assistant to step on the brake pedal
- Loosen the bleeder valve with a 10mm wrench
- Let fluid and air spill into a cup
- Tighten the bleeder valve
- Instruct the assistant to release the brakes
- Repeat this process until fluid rather than air comes out of the bleeder valve
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step 8 :Reattaching the Wheel
- Slide the wheel into place
- Start the 21mm lug nuts by hand
- Tighten the lug nuts preliminarily
- Lower the vehicle to the ground
- Tighten the lug nuts to 100 foot-pounds in a crossing or star pattern
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step 9 :Testing the Brakes
- Pump your brakes repeatedly until they feel firm
- Test your brakes at 5 miles per hour and then 10 miles per hour
- Road test the vehicle
Tools needed
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21mm Socket
12mm Socket
Large C-Clamp
Flat Blade Screwdriver
14mm Socket
Jack Stands
Brake Fluid
10mm Socket
Ratchet
Floor Jack
Assistant
22mm Socket
Brought to you by 1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet.
Hi, I'm Mike from 1A Auto. I hope this how-to video helps you out, and next time you need parts for your vehicle, think of 1AAuto.com. Thanks.
In this video, we're going to show you how to replace a caliper on our Nissan Frontier here. The brakes weren't working too well and it was pulling a little bit to left, so we suspect that we might have a problem with the brakes on the right hand side. So we took it apart to take a look. We're going to show you what we found. You're going to need 21mm, 14mm, 10mm sockets and ratchet, a large screw clamp or large C-clamp, flat blade screwdriver, jack and jack stands, and brake fluid.
Going to start that obviously by removing one of the wheels. This thing we suspect that it was the right hand. If you don't have the benefit of air tools, loosen the lug nuts with the vehicle on the ground, then raise and secure the vehicle. Then remove the lug nuts on the wheel the rest of the way.
Two 14mm bolts hold the caliper on, so we remove those. Use the large screwdriver to pry on the rotor which you pry out on the caliper. This just resets the pistons on the caliper a little bit hopefully. Then you can pull the caliper up and off. It should come off easily at this point. We notice it doesn't.
Now, we try to compress it to see how the pistons are. We put the C-clamp on there and go to compress it. One of the pistons goes back right in, but you can see this piston no matter how hard we try is not resetting into the caliper. Even if it did, we wouldn't re-use this caliper because it probably wouldn't come back out.
You can see here, the boot's ripped, and there's rust underneath. This piston is frozen up. In order to switch the caliper, you probably want to loosen up the 12mm bolt that holds the brake line in, and we bolt it in back to the caliper bracket. We loosen that up first.
Now, here we're installing the new caliper on, and you can see the new caliper came with a new caliper bracket and everything. The caliper bracket is held on by two 22mm bolts. We'll just fast-forward as we tighten up that new caliper. You want to tighten the caliper bolts to about 25 foot-pounds. Now, we'll proceed with swapping that brake line over.
As the bolt comes out, you'll notice that there are copper crush washers on each side of the fitting for the brake line. Also, you'll notice some brake fluid will start dripping out. Pull the fitting down and take the old washers off. Your brake caliper will come with new washers. Put one washer on to the bolt. Then put the bolt through the fitting. Another washer on the other side, and then start the bolt into the new caliper. You want to tighten that bolt up to 17 to 20 foot-pounds.
Just crack the cap on your brake reservoir. Now, we're going to loosen the bleeder on the caliper. Now, you can just wait until the fluid flows that just to a gravity. There's a good preliminary way to bleed it. After the gravity bleeding, what you want to do is to have somebody in the car and have the fitting on tight. Tell them to hit the brakes, loosen the fitting, let the fluid and air come out, then tighten it. Have them let off when you have it tight. Then tell them to push the brakes, loosen the fitting, make sure all fluid comes out, then tighten the fitting, tell them to let off, and then repeat one more time.
Have them press the brake, loosen the fitting, let the fluid come out, then tighten the fitting and then let them mud off the brake. Then end being the end of the line.
Now, we'll put the wheel back on. Put the lug nuts on by hand first make sure you don't cross right any of them then tighten them preliminary with our wrench. Now, torque the lug nuts to 100 foot-pounds using a crossing pattern.
Anytime you do brake work, get in, pump the pedal, and make sure you have a nice firm hard pedal. Then do test from 5 and 10 miles an hour before you road test the vehicle.
We hope this video helps you out. Brought to you by www.1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet. Please feel free to call us toll-free, 888-844-3393. We're the company that's here for you on the Internet and in person.
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