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Front brakes on the 10th-gen Accord are about as friendly as modern brakes get. Single-piston sliding calipers, two 12 mm hex-head slide pin bolts to get the caliper off, two 17 mm bolts to pull the bracket, and nothing electronic to disable because the parking brake motors are on the rear wheels. If you have a 1/2 in breaker bar, a torque wrench and a piston spreader, both corners are a comfortable afternoon.
The two things people get wrong: the rotor retaining screws and the hub face. Those little screws corrode into the rotor and strip instantly under a hand screwdriver, so use a hand impact driver with a #3 Phillips or 8 mm hex bit and hit it once, hard. Then scrub every bit of rust scale off the hub face before the new rotor goes on - leaving it is the usual cause of a pulsating pedal a few thousand miles after a pad-and-rotor job.
| Item | Type | Product search |
|---|---|---|
| Floor jack 2 ton minimum, low profile Lift the front of the car at the pinch-weld jack points. | Required | search retailer |
| Jack stands 2 ton pair Support the car at the front subframe/pinch welds while wheels are off. | Safety | search retailer |
| Wheel chocks Block the rear wheels before lifting. | Safety | search retailer |
| Lug nut socket 19 mm 6-point, 1/2 in drive, thin wall Removes the wheels; thin wall protects alloy wheel faces. | Required | search retailer |
| Breaker bar 1/2 in drive, 18-24 in Loosen lug nuts and the tight 17 mm caliper bracket bolts. | Required | search retailer |
| Socket set 12 mm and 14 mm, 3/8 in drive, 6-point 12 mm for the caliper slide pin bolts; 14 mm fits some brake hose bracket bolts. | Required | search retailer |
| Socket 17 mm 6-point, 1/2 in drive Removes the two caliper mounting bracket bolts from the knuckle. | Required | search retailer |
| Combination wrench 12 mm Holds the slide pin flats if a pin turns with the bolt. | Recommended | search retailer |
| Impact driver or hand impact 1/2 in drive with #3 Phillips / 8 mm hex bit Shocks loose the two seized rotor retaining screws without stripping them. | Required | search retailer |
| Hex bit socket 8 mm hex, 3/8 in drive Some rotors use 8 mm hex-head retaining screws instead of Phillips. | Recommended | search retailer |
| Caliper piston compressor Piston spreader or 6 in C-clamp Pushes the single piston back into the caliper to fit new thicker pads. | Required | search retailer |
| Bungee cord or wire hook Hangs the caliper from the spring so the brake hose is not stressed. | Required | search retailer |
| Torque wrench 1/2 in drive, 20-150 ft-lb Sets lug nuts and caliper bracket bolts to spec. | Required | search retailer |
| Torque wrench 3/8 in drive, 5-80 ft-lb Accurate setting of the lower-torque 12 mm slide pin bolts. | Recommended | search retailer |
| Wire brush Steel, plus a small hub-face brush or abrasive disc Cleans rust off the hub mating face so the new rotor sits flat. | Required | search retailer |
| Dead blow or rubber mallet 2 lb Frees a rust-stuck rotor from the hub. | Recommended | search retailer |
| Flat pry bar / large screwdriver Retracts the piston slightly and helps pop the caliper free of the pads. | Recommended | search retailer |
| Front brake pads Ceramic or OE-spec set, includes shims/clips Replacement friction; 2.0T/Sport uses a different, larger pad than 1.5T/Hybrid. | Parts | search retailer |
| Front rotors Pair - 1.5T/Hybrid approx 11.5 in; 2.0T/Sport approx 12.3 in Measure or match by trim; the two sizes are not interchangeable. | Parts | search retailer |
| Brake caliper grease Silicone/synthetic high-temp, Honda-type molykote for slide pins Lubricates slide pins, pad ears and shim contact points. | Consumables | search retailer |
| Brake cleaner Chlorine-free, 2 cans Removes the protective coating from new rotors and cleans the hub and caliper. | Consumables | search retailer |
| Anti-seize Nickel or copper, small tube Tiny amount on rotor screw threads and hub center so next time is easier. | Consumables | search retailer |
| Brake fluid Honda DOT 3 Top off or bleed if the reservoir level was disturbed; do not mix in DOT 5. | Consumables | search retailer |
| Nitrile gloves and safety glasses Brake dust and cleaner spray protection. | Safety | search retailer |
Fastener sizes are the same across 1.5T, 2.0T and Hybrid: 12 mm slide pin bolts, 17 mm bracket bolts, 19 mm lug nuts. What changes is the hardware size - 1.5T and Hybrid use roughly 11.5 in (293 mm) front rotors with the smaller pad, while the 2.0T and Sport 2.0T use roughly 12.3 in (315-320 mm) rotors with a larger caliper bracket and pad. Order parts by measuring the old rotor, not by year alone.
| Wheel lug nuts | 80 ft-lb (108 Nm) |
| Caliper slide pin bolts (12 mm head) | 19 ft-lb (26 Nm) |
| Caliper mounting bracket bolts (17 mm head) | Approx 100 ft-lb (136 Nm) - verify in the service manual for your trim |
| Rotor retaining screws | Snug only, roughly 7-9 ft-lb - verify in the service manual |
| Brake hose bracket bolt | verify in the service manual |
The two caliper slide pin bolts take a 12 mm socket, and the caliper mounting bracket bolts on the knuckle take a 17 mm socket. Lug nuts are 19 mm, torqued to 80 ft-lb.
No. The electric parking brake only operates the rear calipers, so the fronts can be done with hand tools. You only need a scan tool with EPB maintenance mode if you are doing the rear pads.
Use a 1/2 in hand impact driver with a fully seated #3 Phillips or 8 mm hex bit and strike it sharply while turning counterclockwise. If one strips, drill the head off or remove it with a screw extractor; the rotor is clamped by the wheel once the lug nuts are torqued.
The mechanical part is identical - same 12 mm and 17 mm bolts and same procedure. The difference is the electric servo brake system: cycle the ignition and pump the pedal to firm before driving, and leave any hydraulic bleeding to a shop with Honda i-HDS.