Do your Mazda 3 brakes feel soft and weak? Learn how to fix the problem by replacing your vehicle’s front brakes and rotor. This guide is a step-by-step procedure for replacing the front brake pad and rotor on a 2013-2018 Mazda 3 3rd Gen.
What you will need
- Floor jack
- Jack stand
- Breaker bar or lug wrench
- 13mm wrench
- 17mm wrench
- Piston compressor or Brake piston pusher
- Mazda 3 Front Brake Pads
- Mazda 3 Rotor
Procedure
1. Park the vehicle on a flat-level surface. Loosen the lug nuts of the front wheel.
2. Jack up the vehicle and support it with jack stands. Remove the lug nuts and carry the wheel out.
3. Turn the steering wheel to have easier access to the caliper bolts.
4. Remove the 13mm bolts on the piston caliper. If the guide pins are spinning when you loosen the bolts, use another wrench to hold them.
5. Pull the piston caliper unit out and set it aside to where the brake cables won’t be stretched.
6. Remove the 17mm bolts on the caliper carrier and pull it out from the vehicle.
7. Remove the brake pads by pushing them to the center of the carrier.
8. Remove the rotor dics using a hammer and carry it out from the vehicle.
9. Clean the rotor installation port and caliper carrier using a wire brush to remove corrosion, dirt and debris off the rotor.
10. Push the piston in the caliper using a clamp and the old brake pad or piston compressor.
11. Install the new rotor of the vehicle.
12. Check the guide pins on the carrier by moving them back and forth. If the guide pins are not moving efficiently, pull them out from the carrier and add lubricate the caliper bolt with grease.
13. Line up the brake pad on the carrier and push them to set it into place.
14. Place the carrier back to the rotor disc and reinstall the two 17mm bolts.
15. Place the piston caliper back into the carrier and reinstall the two 13mm bolts.
16. Carry the wheel back to the vehicle and reinstall the lug nuts. Torque to specification.
17. Start the engine but don’t drive yet. Press the brake pedal a few times to put the pressure back on the brake caliper.
18. Turn off the engine and check the brake fluid level. Add brake fluid if the level is low.
Torque Specifications
- Front Caliper Pins: 19-22 ft-lbs
- Front Caliper Bracket: 57-75 ft-lbs
- Wheel Lug Nuts: 80-90 ft-lbs
We hope you find the Front Brake Pads/Rotor Replacement Mazda 3 2013-2018 guide helpful. Check these troubleshooting and repair guides for more help on your Mazda 3.