2008-2013 Infiniti EX35 Brake Job Tools and Torque Specs

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

A brake job on a 2008-2013 Infiniti EX35 needs a basic metric socket set, a torque wrench that covers the wheel nut value, a caliper piston tool, a wire brush, brake cleaner and fresh brake fluid. The one number every owner should know is the wheel nut torque: 108 Nm, which works out to about 80 lb-ft. The caliper slide bolts and the caliper bracket bolts have their own values, and those should come from the Infiniti factory service manual for your exact model year rather than from a guess or a different vehicle.

This guide walks through the tools, the torque points that matter, the order of work and the mistakes that cause comebacks on the EX35. It covers both axles, because the EX35 uses disc brakes front and rear and the pads and rotors are sold separately for each end.

What the EX35 Brake System Looks Like

The EX35 is a compact luxury crossover that shares much of its engineering with other Infiniti models of the same era. It runs a hydraulic disc brake at all four corners: a floating caliper on a bracket (often called the torque member) clamping a rotor, with a separate disc setup on the rear axle. Each axle has its own pad set and rotor pair, so a "full brake job" means two separate pad sets and two rotor pairs.

That matters when you shop. Front parts and rear parts are not interchangeable, and rear pad fitment on this vehicle can change by year. For example, the Hawk HPS 5.0 rear brake pads (HB370B.559) are listed for 2010-2013 EX35 only, while the EBC Redstuff ceramic rear brake pads (DP31955C) cover the full 2008-2013 run. Always match the part to your model year before you pull a wheel.

Tools for an EX35 Brake Job

You do not need specialty Infiniti tools for pads and rotors. You do need the right basic ones, and a real torque wrench is not optional.

If you replace rotors, you will be removing the bracket bolts as well as the slide bolts, because the rotor cannot come off with the torque member in place. Plan your socket sizes for both.

EX35 Torque Specs and Where They Come From

Here is what is confirmed and what you should pull from the service manual. We only print numbers we can verify for this vehicle.

Why be strict about the bracket bolts? The torque member carries the full braking load into the steering knuckle. Torque values vary widely between vehicles, so a number from a different SUV is not close enough.

On the wheel nuts, the Tire Industry Association's RIST method (Remove, Inspect, Snug, Torque) is the habit to build: clean the mating surfaces, check the studs and nuts for thread damage, snug every nut by hand in a star pattern, then lower the vehicle so the tire touches the ground and finish with the torque wrench. If you use an impact gun to run nuts down, limit it with a torque stick and still finish by hand. Undertorquing and overtorquing are both problems: one lets the wheel loosen, the other stretches studs and can distort the rotor's clamp.

Step-by-Step: Pads and Rotors on One Axle

1. Break the wheel nuts loose with the vehicle on the ground, then lift and set it on jack stands.
2. Check the fluid level in the master cylinder reservoir. If it is at MAX, remove a little before pushing pistons back so it does not overflow onto paint.
3. Remove the caliper slide bolts and swing or lift the caliper off the pads. Hang it from the suspension with wire or a hook. Never let it hang on the rubber brake hose.
4. Remove the pads and the clips from the bracket. Note how the wear indicator tabs and shims are oriented so the new set goes in the same way.
5. For rotors: remove the torque member bolts and the bracket, then the rotor. If the rotor is rusted to the hub, a few firm strikes with a dead-blow hammer on the hat section usually frees it. On the rear, make sure the parking brake is fully released before pulling the rotor.
6. Clean the hub face with a wire brush until it is bare metal. Rust left between hub and rotor causes runout, and runout becomes pedal pulsation within a few thousand miles.
7. Clean the new rotor with brake cleaner to remove the protective coating, then install it and hold it in place with a couple of wheel nuts.
8. Reinstall the torque member and torque its bolts to the service manual value.
9. Clean the pad abutments on the bracket, fit new clips if your pad set includes them, and put a thin film of brake lubricant on the contact points only.
10. Push the caliper piston back slowly with the piston tool, watching the reservoir level.
11. Install the new pads, refit the caliper, and torque the slide bolts to spec. Check that the slide pins move freely and their boots are intact.
12. Mount the wheel, snug the nuts in a star pattern, lower the vehicle and torque to 108 Nm.
13. Pump the pedal several times before moving the vehicle. The first pumps reseat the pistons and the pedal will be long until they do.
14. Top up the fluid to the correct level and bed the pads using the procedure in the pad box.

Brake Fluid on the EX35

Use the brake fluid specified in your owner's manual and printed on the reservoir cap. Do not mix types, and do not use a bottle that has been open for a long time: brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air, and wet fluid boils at a lower temperature. When you top off, pour gently rather than shaking the bottle, so you do not whip air into it.

A pad job does not require bleeding if you never opened the hydraulic system. If the pedal felt soft before the job, or the fluid is dark, a full flush while the wheels are off is the right time to do it. Work from the corner farthest from the master cylinder toward the closest, unless the service manual gives a different sequence for your model year.

What to Replace Together

Always replace pads in axle sets, both sides at once. Rotors should be replaced in pairs as well. On the EX35, rotors are often worth replacing with the pads: a worn or grooved rotor will shorten the life of new pads, and fresh rotors remove any question about minimum thickness. Check the minimum thickness stamped on the rotor itself if you plan to reuse it.

• Front: pads such as the EBC Redstuff ceramic low-dust front pad set or the EBC Greenstuff front pads, paired with rotors such as the EBC GD Sport slotted front rotor set.
• Rear: the EBC GD Sport rear slotted rotors or EBC USR rear slotted rotors, with a matching rear pad set.
• Hardware: new abutment clips and slide pin boots if the old ones are rusted or torn. See our brake hardware kits.
• Calipers: only if a piston is seized, a slide pin is frozen or the caliper leaks. Browse replacement brake calipers if yours fail inspection.

Common EX35 Brake Job Mistakes

• Guessing the bracket bolt torque. It is the most important brake fastener on the car. Look it up.
• Skipping the hub cleaning. Rust under the rotor is the most common cause of pulsation after a fresh brake job.
• Running wheel nuts to full tightness with an impact gun. Uneven clamp load on the rotor hat is another route to pulsation.
• Buying rear pads by name, not year. Rear pad fitment differs across the 2008-2013 range for some pad lines.
• Getting lubricant on the pads or rotor. Lube goes on the slide pins and pad ears only.
• Driving off before pumping the pedal. The first stop after a pad job can have almost no pedal until the pistons are reseated.

Before you start, it is also worth checking the NHTSA recall lookup for your VIN. For the 2008 and 2010 EX35 model years, the NHTSA recall database lists no brake system recalls; the listed campaigns cover air bags, the steering column and an aftermarket trailer hitch.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the lug nut torque on an Infiniti EX35?

108 Nm, which is about 80 lb-ft. Tighten in a star pattern and do the final pass with a torque wrench while the tire is touching the ground.

Do I have to remove the caliper bracket to change pads on an EX35?

No. For pads only, you remove the caliper slide bolts and lift the caliper off. You only remove the torque member (bracket) bolts when you are replacing the rotor.

Does the EX35 have rear disc brakes?

Yes. The EX35 uses disc brakes on both axles, with separate front and rear pad sets and rotor pairs. Check your model year when ordering rear pads, as fitment can vary.

Do I need to bleed the brakes after changing pads?

Not if the hydraulic system was never opened. Bleed or flush if you disconnected a hose, replaced a caliper, the pedal is soft, or the fluid is old and dark.

Should I replace rotors every time I replace pads on the EX35?

Not always, but it is often the better choice. If the rotors are grooved, pulsating or near the minimum thickness stamped on them, replace them in a pair with the pads.

Where do I find the caliper bolt torque specs?

In the Infiniti factory service manual for your model year, in the brake section. Use those values rather than numbers from a different vehicle; caliper and bracket torque varies widely between models.

Sources

1. Pure Tyre - Infiniti EX35 2010 vehicle data - EX35 wheel nut torque of 108 Nm
2. Tire Review - Installation is All in the RIST - clean mating surfaces, star-pattern snugging, torque sticks, risks of under and overtorquing
3. NHTSA recalls - 2008 Infiniti EX35 - no brake system recalls listed for this model year
4. NHTSA recalls - 2010 Infiniti EX35 - no brake system recalls listed for this model year
5. CarCareKiosk - Add brake fluid, 2008 Infiniti EX35 - use the owner's manual fluid type, avoid old opened bottles, do not shake fluid before pouring