Tools you need for front brakes on a 2013-2017 Honda Accord

The 9th-gen Accord is one of the easier front brake jobs out there. Twin-pin sliding calipers, two 12 mm bolts to free the caliper, two 17 mm bolts to pull the bracket, and the rotor comes off after two small retaining screws. No slide pin hardware to fight, no seized bracket-to-knuckle bolts on most cars, and no wear sensors to move over.

What varies is rotor size, not tool size. The 2.4 L4 typically runs a 293 mm front rotor, Sport and some EX-L trims run 300 mm, and the 3.5 V6 runs roughly 320 x 28 mm - so order by VIN or measure before you buy. The single thing people get wrong is the rotor retaining screws: hitting them with a regular Phillips screwdriver strips the JIS head almost every time. Use a hand impact driver with a #3 bit, and re-install them with anti-seize so the next person is not drilling them out.

Complete tool and parts list

Differences within the 2013-2017 generation

Fastener sizes are the same across the generation: 12 mm caliper guide pin bolts, 17 mm caliper bracket bolts, 19 mm lug nuts. Only the rotor and pad sizes differ - about 293 mm on the base 2.4, 300 mm on Sport/EX-L 2.4, and about 320 x 28 mm on the 3.5 V6. Buy the parts by VIN.

Torque specs

How the job goes

1. Park on level ground, chock the rear wheels, and loosen the front lug nuts a quarter turn while the tires are still down.
2. Raise the front of the car with the jack at the front subframe or pinch weld and set both jack stands under the reinforced pinch weld points. Remove both front wheels.
3. Open the brake fluid reservoir cap and check the level; if it is at MAX, siphon a little out so compressing the pistons does not overflow it.
4. Insert a pry bar between the outer pad and rotor and gently push the piston back a few millimeters to make the caliper easier to swing.
5. Remove the lower 12 mm guide pin bolt, then the upper one, and pivot or lift the caliper off. Support it with a bungee cord from the spring - never let it hang on the hose.
6. Slide the old pads and their shims out of the caliper bracket and pop out the two stainless pad retaining clips.
7. Remove the two 17 mm caliper bracket bolts (they are tight; use a breaker bar) and lift the bracket off the knuckle.
8. Back out the two rotor retaining screws. Use a hand impact driver with a #3 JIS/Phillips bit and hit it squarely - these strip easily. Heat or penetrant helps on rusty cars.
9. Pull the rotor off. If it is stuck, tap the rotor face between the studs with a dead blow, or thread two 8 mm x 1.25 bolts into the rotor's puller holes and tighten them evenly.
10. Wire brush the hub face clean and flat, then wipe with brake cleaner. Apply only a very thin smear of anti-seize on the hub center, not on the stud or mating face.
11. Spray both sides of the new rotor with brake cleaner to strip the shipping oil, then fit it and install the retaining screws with a dab of anti-seize, snugged to about 7 ft-lb.
12. Clean the caliper bracket abutment surfaces, install the new pad clips, and put the bracket back on. Torque the 17 mm bolts to 100 ft-lb.
13. Pull the caliper guide pins out, wipe them, and re-grease with silicone brake grease. Check the rubber boots are not torn.
14. Fully compress the caliper piston with a C-clamp or spreader using an old pad as a pressure plate. Go slowly and keep an eye on the reservoir.
15. Fit the new pads (wear indicator tab normally goes at the bottom/inboard), with a thin film of grease on the shim contact areas and pad ears - never on the friction surface.
16. Set the caliper over the pads and torque the 12 mm guide pin bolts to 25 ft-lb. Make sure the hose is not twisted or touching the rotor.
17. Repeat on the other side, refit the wheels, and torque lug nuts to 80 ft-lb in a star pattern after lowering the car.
18. Top the reservoir to MAX with Honda DOT 3 and pump the brake pedal 5-10 times until it is firm before moving the car.
19. Bed the brakes in: from about 35 mph, do 6-8 moderate stops down to 5 mph without coming to a full stop, then drive gently for a few minutes to cool them. Avoid holding the car on the brake at a light while the pads are hot.

Watch out

The 12 mm guide pin bolt, 17 mm bracket bolt and 19 mm lug nut sizes are consistent across 2013-2017 Accords with both engines; confirm your exact rotor diameter by VIN or by measuring, since Sport and V6 trims use larger rotors, and verify the guide pin bolt torque against the factory service manual for your build.

Other jobs on the 2013-2017 Honda Accord

Front Brake Pads and Rotors on other vehicles